Were the Van Daans really called called the "Van Daans," or were they really the "Van Pels?"

Answer 1

Contrary to what is suggested in the play The Diary of Anne Frank, the Frank and Van Pels families have known each other since 1937. In 1938 Otto Frank established the Pectacon family so as not to be dependent on Opekta's seasonal trade. Hermann van Pels furnishes Pectacon with his know-how: "Wholesale herb merchant, manufacturer of pickling salt and mixed spices." as it's listed in the 1940 Amsterdam telephone book. One of Anne's first diary entries suggests that Anne knew the family for a long time, too. Anne received a chocolate bar from Peter van Pels for her thirteenth birthday. A few days later Anne noted in her diary that she and her girlfriends had met Mr. Van Pels on the street and he had treated them to ice cream. The Van Pels family is involved in the preparations for hiding. On July 8, 1942, Anne writes, "Mother's gone to Mr. Van Daan to ask whether we can move to our hiding place tomorrow. The Van Daans are going with us." adding by way of explanation, 'Mr. Van Daan is Father's business partner and a good friend. In a story entitled "Sausage Day" (from December 10, 1942), Anne describes Mr. Van Pels in somewhat more detail: "Mr. Van Daan used to be in the meat, sausage, and spice business. He was hired for his knowledge of spices, and yet, to our great delight, it's his sausage talents that have come in handy now... Mr. Van Daan decided to make bratwurst, sausages and mettwurst."

One big family
Anne Frank's first impression of the new Secret Annex tenants is recorded in her diary on August 14, 1942: "The Van Daans arrived on July 13th. We thought they were coming on the 14th, but from the 13th to 16th the Germans were sending out call-up notices right and left and causing a lot of unrest, 50 they decided it would be safer to leave a day too early than a day too late. Peter Van Daan arrived at nine-thirty in the morning (while we were still at breakfast). Peter's going on sixteen, a shy, awkward boy whose company won't amount to much. Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan came half an hour later. Much to our amusement, Mrs. Van Daan was carrying a hatbox with a large chamber pot inside. 'I just don't feel at home without my chamber pot,' she exclaimed, and it was the first item to find a permanent place under the divan. Instead of a chamber pot, Mr. Van D. was lugging a collapsible tea table under his arm. From the first, we ate our meals together, and after three days it felt as if the seven of us had become one big family."

Anne's positive description of the Van Pels family faded into the background. As time passed the tension between the Secret Annex inhabitants rose to such a pitch that there was no trace of one big family. Conflicting ideas about raising children and countless other trivial matters created a division between 'upstairs' and 'downstairs': resulting in great quarrels and periods of silence. In addition, in January 1944 Anne's feelings for Peter take a totally different turn: she falls in love.

Answer 2

Van Pels. Go to the source, the Anne Frank Foundation, and you will find an article that starts with :

"The Van Pels family is the other family in hiding in the Secret Annex. Very little is known about them. In the published diary of Anne Frank and in the play with the same name this family was known as Van Daan. The play presents a caricature of the family. Who were the Van Pelses, where did they come from and how did they end up in the Secret Annex?"

http://www.annefrank.org/content.asp?PID=306&LID=2

Answer 3

When Anne Frank heard that wartime diaries might be published after the war, she started to revise parts of her diary. One thing she did was rename nearly all the characters. The Van Pels were renamed the Van Daans.

Answer 4

no they were called the van pels