Gies, Miep (b. 1909)

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Gies, Miep (b. 1909)

Austrian-born Dutch hero. Name variations: Miep Van Santen in Anne Frank's original diary. Born Hermine Santrouschitz in Vienna, Austria, in Feb 15, 1909; adopted by the Nieuwenhuises; m. Jan Gies (known as Henk in the diaries), July 16, 1941 (died 1993).

Holocaust rescuer who aided Anne Frank and her family while they were in hiding; following WWI, was name-tagged, along with scores of other children, and shipped off to an unknown family in the Netherlands, where there were no food shortages, to be brought back to health (1920); remained in the Netherlands with her adoptive parents; known as Miep Van Santen in Anne Frank's diary, began work for the firm of Otto Frank (1933); with husband, aided the Frank family while they hid in the Secret Annex (1942–44); following the publication of Anne Frank's diary, became a frequent speaker, begging for tolerance—tolerance for everyone; wrote (with Alison Leslie Gold) Anne Frank Remembered (Simon & Schuster, 1987).

See also Women in World History.