Anne Frank's Cats
Anne Frank, the thirteen year old German Jewish girl who, with her family, went into hiding in the loft of a warehouse in 1942. Acutely shared their secret hiding place with three cats - Tommy, Boche and Mouschi.
It was Amsterdam in 1942, the country where Anne and her family had fled to escape persecution by the Nazis. When they arrived at their hiding place, they discovered two cats. One of the cats was more aggressive, so she called it Boche. The other was less aggressive, but always won in the end, so she called it Tommy. The third was the pet of a young man who, with his family, later joined the Franks in hiding. This cat was called Mouchi.
They shared the attic with their feline friends for three years until being betrayed by informers. Anne's diary was published in 1947: Diary of a Young Girl, and symbolises part of the terrible suffering and persecution of the Jewish people during World War l l.