WorldCanvass and picture of Anne Frank smiling

February 28, 2021 | 5:30-7:00 p.m.

Seventy-five years after the publication of The Diary of Anne Frank, historians, educators, human rights activists, and readers of all ages and nationalities continue to find beauty, humor, tragedy, and hope in the words of a young girl whose life ended in a Nazi death camp at the end of WWII.  On February 28, WorldCanvass kicked off the 2022 University of Iowa Provost’s Global Forum titled “Teaching Anne Frank” with an expert panel discussing Anne’s life before and during captivity, the experience of the Jewish community living in The Netherlands under Nazi occupation, the impact her private diary has had on subsequent generations, and her place in both public history and the struggle for human rights.  WorldCanvass is free and open to the public. This was a live event at MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street, from 5:30-7 p.m. on February 28. A live stream was also available for those who preferred to attend virtually.

The Provost’s Global Forum, sponsored by International Programs with major funding from the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, is the premier annual event on campus focused on international and global issues. In addition to WorldCanvass, the 2022 Forum “Teaching Anne Frank” (February 28-March 2) features a series of public events including panel discussions, a film screening, an exhibit called “Let Me Be Myself: The Life Story of Anne Frank” at the UI Pentacrest Museums, and the Joel Barkan Memorial Lecture given by the director of the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. 

Location: MERGE, 136 South Dubuque Street, and virtual through Zoom

Free and open to the public.

Program Details

Anne Frank and Public History  

  • Ronald Leopold—director, Anne Frank House, Amsterdam  
  • Doyle Stevick—executive director, Anne Frank Center, University of South Carolina  
  • Kirsten Kumpf Baele—lecturer and outreach coordinator, Department of German, University of Iowa 

Teaching Anne Frank  

  • Elizabeth Heineman—professor, Departments of History and Gender, Women's, and Sexuality Studies, University of Iowa 
  • Maia Sheppard—assistant professor, College of Education, University of Iowa 
  • Meghan Maleri—student, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa 

Anne Frank in History and Human Rights Issues Today  

  • Esther Hugenholt—rabbi, Agudas Achim Congregation, Iowa City 
  • Stephanie Moris—director, Refugee Alliance of Central Iowa  
  • Wilhelm Schwendemann—dean and professor, Department of Theological Education and Diaconal Studies, EH University, Freiburg, and director, FIM-Freiburg Institute of Human Rights Pedagogy 

WorldCanvass programs are recorded as audio podcasts and are available on Apple Podcasts, the Public Radio Exchange (PRX), and the WorldCanvass website.  Videos are available on YouTube. WorldCanvass is produced by University of Iowa International Programs.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Amy Green in advance at amy-green-1@uiowa.edu or 319-335-1433.