About the Memorial

"How lovely to think that no one need wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world!"
- Anne Frank, March 26, 1944

Why Anne Frank has a place in Idaho

Anne Frank and downtown Boise may seem like an unlikely pairing, but the legacy Anne left for human dignity strongly resonates in Idaho. In 1995, a traveling exhibit on Anne Frank drew in tens of thousands of visitors from across Idaho. This overwhelming interest sparked the idea for a more permanent tribute. Over the course of the next several years, a group of community leaders, human rights stalwarts, and citizens from across the state and the country worked tirelessly to bring the Memorial to life.

In 2002, their long-held vision was realized, and the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial opened to the public. Today, thousands of school children tour the Memorial each year.

This world-class educational park, which has been profiled in several national publications including the National Geographic book "Etched in Stone: Enduring Words from Our Nation's Monuments," is the only Anne Frank Memorial in the United States and one of the only places in the world where the full Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is on public display. The Center distributes free copies of the UDHR in simplified text to school kids. The Memorial also includes a life-sized bronze statue of Anne Frank and over 60 quotes from the world's humanitarian leaders. Memorial quote booklets are also available by request. 

The purpose of this space

Though inspired by Anne Frank, the Memorial is not simply a static space to reflect on her short life or even the horrors of the Holocaust. It was instead designed to actively engage us to think, to talk with one another, and to respond to the human rights issues we face in our community, our country and our world. Both the triumphs and tragedies of the human story are on display, but in every quote and every idea, we see the profound power of a single voice or bold action to overcome great odds and alter the course of history.

Design

Kurt Karst, an Idaho Falls architect, designed the Memorial to integrate the beauty of natural elements-like water, stone, and native plants-with the message of hope in humanity.

Greg Stone, an artist from Northampton, Massachusetts, won a national competition to create the life-sized statue of Anne Frank. Idaho school children raised the funds to build the bronze-cast sculpture.