Miep Gies has died at the age of 100. This brave woman was one of the small group of people who sheltered and assisted the family of Anne Frank during their time of hiding in the annexe of an office-building in Amsterdam during the second world war.

Miep was the sole survivor of the group of co-workers of Otto Frank who provided the family with their hiding place for just over two years from July 1942 until their arrest in August 1944. Mrs Gies, along with her husband Jan, risked her own life to provide the family with food and provisions at a time when those found harbouring Jews were shot or sent to concentration camps themselves. Those who have read the Diary of Anne Frank will no doubt have read further to learn more about this remarkable woman – here is her website for those who wish to do so. After the war Otto Frank returned to Amsterdam to search for his daughters and for a long time lived with Miep and Jan Gies, no longer being able to return to his former home. It was only after Otto learned that his daughters were dead that Miep produced Anne’s diary and gave it to him, she had hoped Anne would return and take the diary herself.

There have been several theories about who exactly betrayed the Frank family and their fellow inhabitants and this was a subject on which Miep Gies always remained guarded. There is no doubt she knew who the informer was and gave this away when she was in the United States in 1996  to jointly collect, with director Jon Blair, an Academy Award for the documentary Anne Frank Remembered. At an after-ceremony party Miep was approached by Steven Spielberg who asked her if she knew who it was that revealed the occupants hiding place, and she replied quietly, ‘yes’ – also adding – “But I am a person who can remain silent…”. This was the first time Miep had made any reference to having knowledge of who the betrayer was, she never elaborated further and has now it seems she has taken the name/s to her grave. Or has she…?