The ‘Anne Frank Tree’ brings hope and learning to visitors of Zekelman Holocaust Center

The Zekelman Holocaust Center in Detroit is home to a horse chestnut tree grown from a sapling of the tree Anne Frank wrote about in her diary while hiding from the Nazis. The original tree stood outside the Anne Frank house in Amsterdam; when it began declining in the early 2000s, the center was selected as one of about a dozen recipients to raise a sapling and preserve its legacy. The tree serves as both a living memorial to Anne Frank and to the more than 4,000 Holocaust survivors who resettled in Michigan after the war, built lives here, and created lasting legacies in the community. The center plans to add a multimedia exhibit about the tree to its Anne Frank Gallery in 2027, making it part of the ongoing visitor experience and education program.