Reading The Diary of Anne Frank on Robben Island: On the Role of Holocaust Memory in Ahmed Kathrada’s Struggle Against Apartheid

Ahmed Kathrada, a prominent anti-apartheid activist, found profound inspiration in Anne Frank's diary during his 18-year imprisonment on Robben Island. Unlike popular Western adaptations that universalized suffering to fit Cold War-era narratives, Kathrada and other political prisoners engaged with the original text, drawing parallels between Frank's experiences under Nazi persecution and their own struggle against apartheid. This study reveals how the unadapted diary served as a catalyst for resistance, offering solace and solidarity in conditions of extreme oppression. Research involved analyzing Kathrada's annotated notebooks, comparing them to broader post-war readings of the diary, and examining the role of the text in shaping consensual memory during South Africa's transition to democracy.

Arieli, R. M. (2019). Reading The Diary of Anne Frank on Robben Island: On the Role of Holocaust Memory in Ahmed Kathrada’s Struggle Against Apartheid. Journal of Jewish Identities, 12(2), 175–195. https://doi.org/10.1353/jji.2019.0018