An extremely rare, handwritten Anne Frank autographed poem, dated March 28, 1942, shortly before the Frank family went into hiding in Amsterdam, will be auctioned by Bubb Kuyper in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and is expected to go for about $55,000.
The original manuscript consists of 8 lines of poetry, titled “Beste Cri-Cri” and signed “Ter herinnering aan Anne Frank.” The lines were written in the “poezie album” (friendship book) of CriCri (Christiane van Maarsen, born 1927, deceased 2006).
It is a typically edifying poem of the sort that was often written in “poezie albums,” exhorting the owner to do her best and be diligent at work, so that anyone who reproves her is answered in an honorable manner.
Christiane van Maarsen was the older sister of Jacqueline van Maarsen, who was classmate and best friend of Anne Frank. The handwriting by Anne Frank on this leaf is in two different types: the verse is written in her cursive hand and the date above the verse is written in the print script that she also used (both types of handwriting are illustrated in the edition of Anne Frank’s diary published by the Rijksinstituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie, Amst., 1986).
The autograph comes with a printed letter with an illustration of the autograph leaf on offer signed in pen by Jacqueline van Maarsen. Her letter is accompanied by a legalization (signed by the notary). In it Jacqueline van Maarsen writes: “(…) My sister (nicknamed Cricri) tore this page out of her poezie album and gave it to me around 1970. I know that my sister was not as attached to this verse from Anne to her as I am to the verse Anne addressed to me, and that is the reason that I am now putting it up for sale.