Biographies

Bep Voskuijl

About Bep

Bep (Elisabeth) Voskuijl was born on 5 July 1919 in Amsterdam. She was the oldest of eight children and was often referred to by her nickname Elli.

Before the Secret Annex

Bep studied to become an office clerk and got a job as a secretary with Otto Frank's business.

Having worked for Otto for several years in June 1942, Otto explained that his family were to go into hiding in the Secret Annex above the office. Bep agreed, along with the other staff members, to take care of them.

During the Secret Annex

Bep was responsible for delivering necessities such as milk and clothing to the annex inhabitants. She also sent off for correspendence courses in her own name to keep Anne, Margot and Peter occupied.

Bep came to the annex every evening for dinner and Anne always recorded when she brought her something special - flowers, fruit or a celebrity photograph. They also enjoyed discussing the glamorous movies stars of the day.

After the Secret Annex

In August 1944 when the Opekta offices were raided, Kleiman sent Bep away while the Secret Annex was being searched. When she returned, she and Miep went up to the annex. Here they found Anne's diary, which Miep took to look after.

Bep was often referred to as the 'Silent Helper' because she was reluctant to discuss Anne in interviews. But she kept in touch with Otto until his death in 1980 and kept a scrapbook about Anne until her own death in May 1983.