It is our position that the Anne Frank Center USA Sapling Project serves as an important reminder of the need for tolerance. One of 11 saplings from the 170-year-old white horse chestnut tree that was Anne Frank’s only connection to nature during the two years her family hid from the Nazis during the German occupation of the Netherlands, was recently planted in the Anne Frank Peace Garden at the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.
The sapling is a living monument to Anne’s pursuit of peace and tolerance, and at the same time will serve as a powerful reminder of the horrors caused by hate and bigotry and the need for collective action when humanity fails.
As Anne wrote in her diary, “April is glorious, not too hot and not too cold, with occasional light showers. Our chestnut tree is in leaf, and here and there you can already see a few small blossoms.” May tolerance grow in tandem with Anne’s beautiful chestnut tree.
Visit the Anne Frank Peace Garden and enjoy the blossoms in honor of Anne and those like her. And like those who made the Sapling Project possible, there is more good in the world than evil. For more information on the Sapling Project, go to www.annefrankusatree.com or www.childrensmuseum.org.