Anne Frank’s cousin, Buddy Elias, her last close living relative and the caretaker of her enormous legacy, died last week at 89 in Basel, Switzerland. Elias was Frank’s first cousin—the son of her aunt—and four years older than the Amsterdam teen. Frank and her family would often visit their cousins in Switzerland; their last visit was in 1938 before the family went into hiding in Amsterdam.
Elias proudly and vigilantly guarded Frank’s legacy, serving as president of the Anne Frank Fonds, the organization founded by Otto Frank, since 1996. He strictly monitored the use of Anne’s name and likeness, making sure no one was profiting off the teenage diarist’s story.
Continue reading "Anne Frank's Last Living Relative, First Cousin Buddy Elias, Dies at 89" at...