The towering chestnut tree that provided some cheer to Anne Frank has fallen, the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam reports. The tree, estimated to be 150 years old, had been weakened by insects and fungus, and two years ago was encased in a steel tripod as a precaution, the AP reports. But in Monday's wind, the trunk was shorn off just a few feet from the ground.
Anne wrote in her diary on several occasion about looking into the rear courtyard, where the tree stood. One example, from Feb. 23, 1944: "The two of us looked out at the blue sky, the bare chestnut tree glistening with dew, the seagulls and other birds glinting with silver as they swooped through the air, and we were so moved and entranced that we couldn't speak."
I got a chance to visit the house a couple of years ago, and I recommend it highly. The walk through the family's hideout is frighteningly sad, yet inspiring, too. Little by little, the remnants of her life are fading away -- Miep Gies, who helped hide the Frank family and preserved the diary, died in January. But, thankfully, Anne's brave tale will live on.