Hermann van Pels - Trivia, Family, Bio
Ava Wright
Updated on February 06, 2026
Remembered for his association with famous diarist Anne Frank, he went into hiding with the Frank family in Amsterdam in 1942. After being discovered by the Nazis, he died at Auschwitz in late 1944.
Before Fame
He and his five siblings were raised in Gehrde and Osnabruck, Germany.
Trivia
He is referred to in Anne Frank's diary as Hermann (or sometimes Hans) van Daan.
Family Life
His marriage to Auguste Rottgen began in late 1925. Their son, Peter, was born in November of the following year.
Associated With
A butcher by trade, van Pels went into business with Otto Frank in 1938.
