Anne Frank's fountain pen.

[elalan]

"Seems correct to me. She also used pencil and different inks (blue-grey and thin red I believe). The pen we are trying to indetify is the fountain pen that she got from her grandmother in Aachen, Germany in 1938 and was burned in the stove by accident. About this pen she wrote the "Ode aan mijn vulpen" on November 11, 1943.

 

Back to the indenification. Large brands in these days were Montblanc, Pelikan, Osmia, Kaweco. The pen came to her in a single slot red leather pencase. That case did not have a zipper. Let's try to zoom in on the pencase. If the brand of the pen case was the same brand as the pen itself, we are looking for a pen-pencase combination that was available in 1938 and rather common. Who has any knowledge about 1938 German red leather single slot pencases without a zipper that was sold under the name of a pen manufacturer? Anyone ?"

 

 

Has this been run down? The case criteria?

[wildflowers66]

  wildflowers66 said:

Hello,

 

I know nothing about fountain pens but I have a question. My son is doing monologue from Anne Frank's diary and props are needed. We have an old fountain pen, please forgive my ignorance but would Anne Frank have used some kind of ink bottle/well? Thank you!

 

 

Thornton,

 

Thank you so much, I have a collection of old bottles that I can do something with. This little skit is only 3 minutes long, it is open house night for jr. high.

My son is really excited,... sorry I forget the male figures name but he is playing the fastitious man in Anne's diary. He is really into the props and the pen and ink is important to him, the bow tie and glasses are an easy one.

 

Thanks again,

 

wildflowers

[Shangas]

I think you're thinking of the dentist, I forget his name, unfortunately. He used to get into a lot of fights with Anne and she never really liked him.

 

Best of luck with your son's thing, Wildflowers. Let us hope that this leads to him having a lot of fun with using fountain pens!!

[mr T.]

  Shangas said:

I honestly see nothing wrong with Montblanc (or any other pen company) making an Anne Frank commemorative/special edition fountain pen. In fact, I think it would be a very nice gesture.

 

Mont Blanc made during World War II supplies for the military, so there is something wrong if they did. See this version of the Mont Blanc history. Pelikan doesn't even mention on it's website anything about what happened within the company during the years 1939/40-1945. And about the activitities of Lamy in this period isn't much known either. When German companies in general don't mention anything about their past during these years, they do so with good reason. Could it be that there are facts that even their marketing departments can't deal with?

Edited May 2, 2008 by mr T.

[wildflowers66]

Shangas,

 

Yes it is the Dentist, Mr Dussel. My son and the girl he was paired up with, well they do not always get along. They chose Mr. Dussel for that reason, but the seem to be having fun with the idea.

 

Thanks again,

wild

 

[whitemountain]

  mr T. said:

  Shangas said:

I honestly see nothing wrong with Montblanc (or any other pen company) making an Anne Frank commemorative/special edition fountain pen. In fact, I think it would be a very nice gesture.

 

Mont Blanc made during World War II supplies for the military, so there is something wrong if they did.

 

How long does Mont Blanc, or any other company that contributed in any way, shape or form to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, have to wait before it can atone for its sins: 100 years? 500? Never?

 

If they had made the pen and marketed it in 1946, I agree that it would have been entirely inappropriate. No, not strong enough; how about reprehesible. But now, I think it would be an excellent idea. Who better to honor with a fountain pen than a writer who so clearly valued her fountain pen, and whose words have chronicled the effects of horrors that should never be forgotten, and will, I fervently hope, never be repeated?

Edited May 2, 2008 by whitemountain

[mr T.]

  whitemountain said:

  mr T. said:

  Shangas said:

I honestly see nothing wrong with Montblanc (or any other pen company) making an Anne Frank commemorative/special edition fountain pen. In fact, I think it would be a very nice gesture.

 

Mont Blanc made during World War II supplies for the military, so there is something wrong if they did.

 

How long does Mont Blanc, or any other company that contributed in any way, shape or form to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, have to wait before it can atone for its sins: 100 years? 500? Never?

 

As long als these companies are not open about their past, do not admit their wrongdoings (if there are), do not apoligize for them and do not compensatie: never. The example of Pelikan is far from unusual with German companies. The same can be said about the role of some US companies during the 1939/40-45 era in Germany. It's just a matter of denying history.

 

  whitemountain said:

If they had made the pen and marketed it in 1946, I agree that it would have been entirely inappropriate. No, not strong enough; how about reprehesible. But now, I think it would be an excellent idea. Who better to honor with a fountain pen than a writer who so clearly valued her fountain pen, and whose words have chronicled the effects of horrors that should never be forgotten, and will, I fervently hope, never be repeated?

 

Why wouldn't that be inappropriate now? First these companies were likely collaborating with a regime that killed the 'writer'. After that, they deny their past. And as a PR stunt, such a pen would be made? Maybe you should explain that to the family of the victims of the regime or the family of forced laborers. Maybe companies like Mont Blanc, Pelikan and Lamy did use forced laborers too.

 

 

 

 

 

[Shangas]

Now waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaait just a burger-flipping minute here...I stand by what I said - That Montblanc making a commemorative fountain pen in Anne Frank's name would be a good idea, nothing short of a gun to the head would make me retract that statement...

 

First, why would Montblanc worry its past? Did they go around stabbing Jews with fountain-pen nibs? No. Did they create grenade-pens to throw at the allies? No. Did they fill their pens with acid to spray in the faces of enemy-agents? No. It was simply one of *plenty* of German writing-instrument manufacturers - that's it. If this is a firearms or a chemical-producing company we're talking about, sure, I can understand - It's not easy trying to rebuild a reputation if your guns or your acids just blew up half of Europe - but this is manufacturer of *fountain pens* we're talking about here. How can something like that get such a bad name 'cause of the war? Are we going to now attack Mercedes-Benz because the Nazis used their cars to drive around Germany in?

 

To say that these companies collaborated with the Nazis...you have to be joking. Montblanc is a *pen* company, not a manufacturer of firearms. Who buys their pens and what they write with it is out of their control. I hardly think they would 'collaborate' with the Nazis. How would they do it, anyway?

 

Montblanc was simply a pen-company that got caught up in the moment and had the supreme bad luck of being a German company when war broke out. It doesn't make it bad or evil or a Nazi-sympathiser/collaborator, and it making a possible Anne Frank fountain pen would not, in my mind, be, in any way, disrespectful to anybody.

Edited May 3, 2008 by Shangas

[SquelchB]

Maybe someone already mentioned it, but as a part of MB writer's edition, it would be perfect.

[chrmanusiwa]

  lisa said:

  Shangas said:

Yes mother...

 

 

Sorry :embarrassed_smile:

 

Thanks!

 

Many articles wrote about Anne using a Mont Blanc fountain pen. This guessing isnt based on facts. During the war Osmia was one of the leading companies in the Netherlands. I also know from stories that many German brands has been boycotted during the war in the Netherlands. Osmia's are imported and disrtibuted before the war by a Dutch company called Rikkers. All Osmia pens are engraved also with RWA Rikkers brand name. For many Dutch people this brand could also be a Dutch fountain pen. Allthough her fountain pen was send by family from Germany it also could be an other brand. The red leather case for a single FP could be an Osmia. I have upload the picture of a similar case from Osmia and a picture of Anne writing with a fountain pen (the original side where this picture has been presented wrote she is writing with a pencil, but the thickness of the writing instrument and shape tells me this is a fountain pen. Its or a safety filler or an early FP with a vaccuum filler). According to an earlier reply from "Ruud" where a pictures is enclosed thats shows a fountain pen with a star mark on top this FP could be identified as an Osmia or MB fountain pen. Both brands use a star on top of the FP (Osmia a four pointed star).

 

 

Humphrey

Edited August 4, 2008 by chrmanusiwa

[duna]

  mr T. said:

  whitemountain said:

  mr T. said:

  Shangas said:

I honestly see nothing wrong with Montblanc (or any other pen company) making an Anne Frank commemorative/special edition fountain pen. In fact, I think it would be a very nice gesture.

 

Mont Blanc made during World War II supplies for the military, so there is something wrong if they did.

 

How long does Mont Blanc, or any other company that contributed in any way, shape or form to the atrocities of Nazi Germany, have to wait before it can atone for its sins: 100 years? 500? Never?

 

As long als these companies are not open about their past, do not admit their wrongdoings (if there are), do not apoligize for them and do not compensatie: never. The example of Pelikan is far from unusual with German companies. The same can be said about the role of some US companies during the 1939/40-45 era in Germany. It's just a matter of denying history.

 

  whitemountain said:

If they had made the pen and marketed it in 1946, I agree that it would have been entirely inappropriate. No, not strong enough; how about reprehesible. But now, I think it would be an excellent idea. Who better to honor with a fountain pen than a writer who so clearly valued her fountain pen, and whose words have chronicled the effects of horrors that should never be forgotten, and will, I fervently hope, never be repeated?

 

Why wouldn't that be inappropriate now? First these companies were likely collaborating with a regime that killed the 'writer'. After that, they deny their past. And as a PR stunt, such a pen would be made? Maybe you should explain that to the family of the victims of the regime or the family of forced laborers. Maybe companies like Mont Blanc, Pelikan and Lamy did use forced laborers too.

 

that's a little stretched. There are many companies that built TANKS (not pencils) for armed forces in WWII and many of them are well alive, I drive every day a car made in such a company. I can easily remember famous such brands in Italy, France, Germany. Moreover, I'll be puzzled selecting a car (or jumping on a train) made by a company that was not involved in wartime supplies. We are OT, now, but supplying armed forces during conflicts can appear cynical, and probably is, but that's pretty normal. I'm typing now on a machine that evolves from a well known industrial standard for making personal computers invented in 1980 by a three-letter US company (ahem... I'm being obscure enough? ) that in WWII had the nazi regime as a customer, and they (formally, their local business unit) regularly collected payments from the enemy!! Evil? Of course, but logical, the enemy already had the machines, let them pay, at least. War is the greatest tragedy and also the greatest business opportunity and humans exploit ALWAYS the opportunity; before Socrates and Plato, Greek philosophers recognised war (the 'polemos') as one prime mover of the world. Sad but true.

[shadowsforbars]

The only brand name that seems appropriate is Hero

Edited August 4, 2008 by shadowsforbars

[Henrik]

interesting disussion. Ahem, about the pen:

It just crossed my mind - who said that auntie gave Anne a brand new pen? I don't think anybody in depression Europe would buy a new fountain pen for a child of nine, unless very rich. (It was the equivalent of a computer or a laptop at that time). I think it is likely that the aunt let her have one of her old ones - and then the possibilities are endless. I don't think we will ever know...

 

regards Henrik

Edited August 5, 2008 by Henrik

[Zoe]

A fascinating discussion.

 

This is a highly likely scenario. My family lived in both Germany and the Netherlands during this period, and if memory serves me the use of a fountain pen was most common and giving one as a gift, both used or new a usual practice.

 

I myself was given a fountain pen at a very young age (under 7) and it was not new. It was one of my father's beautiful cast offs--a Parker.

 

However, the Frank family before leaving Germany were affluent and even in Amsterdam during their early years would have been described by today's standards as middle to upper middle class--so the cost or manufacture of the pen is open to speculation but may have not been a factor in selecting just "the right pen" for the aspiring writer.

 

It is also gratifying to know that the administrators at the Anne Frank (Huis) House were kind enough to respond to a query.

 

For interest's sake, perhaps, I lived just up the road from the Anne Frank's Museum house on the Bloemgracht.

 

Zoe

 

  Henrik said:

interesting disussion. Ahem, about the pen:

It just crossed my mind - who said that auntie gave Anne a brand new pen? I don't think anybody in depression Europe would buy a new fountaun pen for a child of nine, unless very rich. (It was the equivalent of a computer or a laptop at that time). I think it is likely that the aunt let her have one of her old ones - and then the possibilities are endless. I don't think we will ever know...

 

regards Henrik

 

[ThaIwan]

Very odd discussion. Her writings were important, but with her there are so many unwritten stories that are equally relevant the same way. You could wonder what pens they took from the victims in the camps or what pens did the high ranked Nazis use. I'm going from one foot to the other here...just ask it OR wonder why is it relevant to post a question about it on the internet, it's overshadowed by the whole dark side of that time. Keep the post WW German out of this don't blame them what grandparents or other pre-decessors might have done wrong, their history has hurt them enough for multiple generations already. Don't generalise the WW German either. I got a very broad interest in pens but out of respect I don't feel any need or desire to connect that with WW victims. No matter if they wrote a book, diary or just had a pen. You can only bring it back to a normal discussion if you look at it from why any person would use a certain pen at that time based on what was available, but don't connect it with the specific roles people had in that time.

Edited August 5, 2008 by ThaIwan

[Silke]

I don't know why, but I can't picture her with a Montblanc. Nor a Parker. I *can* however picture her with a Pelikan.

Although, Pelikan's main offices were in Hannover, not Aachen. (Since it was a sample pen, it may have been a factory thing) However, they had factories as far off as South America back in the late thirties, so it's possible there was one in Aachen.

Then again, Pelikan pens might have been too common. I don't know.

 

She speaks of a gold nib. Maybe that will narrow it down.

 

Silke

[Henrik]

 

@ Zoe.

Hey, then I’ve been in your vicinity last week. This topic caught my eye because I was just back from a visit to Amsterdam. Amongst other things I was lucky to see “het Achterhuis” without having to wait for more than 10 minutes! At the time, I didn’t think of pens or anything - the experience was far too moving. Amsterdam is a wonderful city – they have trams, which I love, but that is another story.

Regards Henrik

[lapis]

I too seem to remember that it was a MB but I don't remember where I got that info.

 

Mike

[Zoe]

Henrik, I'm not in Amsterdam these days, but so very pleased you had a good time in the City and enjoyed the tram.

 

If you had thought of pens, it appears we can only speculate about which pen Anne used. It is likely that no clear historical evidence exists now.

 

However, there is a slim chance that the Jewish Museum (in Washington, D.C.) may have made some inquiries themselves about this as they have about other small details of survivors and how they lived.

 

Perhaps I'll call them and ask.

 

Regards,

 

Zoe

  Henrik said:

@ Zoe.

Hey, then I’ve been in your vicinity last week. This topic caught my eye because I was just back from a visit to Amsterdam. Amongst other things I was lucky to see “het Achterhuis” without having to wait for more than 10 minutes! At the time, I didn’t think of pens or anything - the experience was far too moving. Amsterdam is a wonderful city – they have trams, which I love, but that is another story.

Regards Henrik

 

[Zoe]

I did indeed ring the Holocaust Museum and spoke with the library. They've put me into touch with one of the curators and I am expecting a return call. What the curator shares will remain "speculative" as the pen did not surivive, but it will nonetheless be interesting to me and perhaps others what I may learn.

 

  Zoe said:

Henrik, I'm not in Amsterdam these days, but so very pleased you had a good time in the City and enjoyed the tram.

 

If you had thought of pens, it appears we can only speculate about which pen Anne used. It is likely that no clear historical evidence exists now.

 

However, there is a slim chance that the Jewish Museum (in Washington, D.C.) may have made some inquiries themselves about this as they have about other small details of survivors and how they lived.

 

Perhaps I'll call them and ask.

 

Regards,

 

Zoe

  Henrik said:

@ Zoe.

Hey, then I’ve been in your vicinity last week. This topic caught my eye because I was just back from a visit to Amsterdam. Amongst other things I was lucky to see “het Achterhuis” without having to wait for more than 10 minutes! At the time, I didn’t think of pens or anything - the experience was far too moving. Amsterdam is a wonderful city – they have trams, which I love, but that is another story.

Regards Henrik