Matt Lucas is stunned to discover his relative is in Anne Frank’s diary

Matt Lucas was shocked to learn that one of his relatives was mentioned in Anne Frank’s diary.

The Great British Bake Off presenter, 48, made a startling discovery on a new episode of the BBC One genealogy show You Think You Are? saw him travel to Amsterdam to learn more about his German-Jewish family.

And in the process of exploring the past, Matt discovered that one of his ancestors – Werner Goldschmidt – lived with the Frank family before they were captured by the Nazis and was even mentioned in the magazine. world famous magazine of the teenager.

Unbelievable: Matt Lucas was left stunned to learn a relative of his was featured in Anne Frank’s diary

The show saw Matt delve into his Jewish heritage and learn about his Jewish grandmother Margot, her aunts and cousins, and their experiences throughout her time. the Holocaust.

Anne and her family hid for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands before being captured and sent to a concentration camp.

And before they went into hiding in hidden rooms in the building where Anne’s father Otto worked, Matt’s relative Werner is said to have moved in with the family of The Mirror.

Asked if he was surprised by the link, Matt told the presenter: ‘Yes, my ancestors must have known Anne Frank, the writer of one of the most important books ever written. write. And Werner is actually mentioned in the diary.

History: During his exploration of the past, Matt discovers that one of his ancestors – Werner Goldschmidt – lived with the Franks before they were captured by the Nazis and is even mentioned in the book. A teenager’s book. [pictured] world famous magazine

‘It’s a story everyone knows if you don’t know any other story, the story of what happened to the Jews during the Second World War, you know the story of the Frank family. I read it when I was a kid and never realized she was talking about a relative of mine. ‘

It is said that before they went into hiding between 1942 and 1944 – while Anne was keeping a diary – Werner, Matt’s cousin, was instructed to give Frank’s cat to a neighbour, with the request stated. in the book.

Matt said of this: ‘He didn’t necessarily know they were going to hide, so he lurked around a bit unwelcome the night before they left.

‘He had no idea this important event was taking place.’

Past: The Great British Bake Off presenter, 48, made a startling discovery on a new episode of the BBC One genealogy show You Think You Are? witnessed him travel to Amsterdam to learn more about his German-Jewish family

Family: The show saw Matt delve into his Jewish heritage and learn about his Jewish grandmother Margot [pictured as a young woman]her aunts and cousins ​​and their experiences during the Holocaust.

Anne died of typhus at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in February 1945, a few days after the death of her sister, Margot. Their mother, Edith, died in January of that year – separated from her daughters in Auschwitz.

Their father, Otto, was the only survivor. And in 1947, he published Anne’s diary of their lives in hiding, presenting history as arguably the most moving testimony of the Second World War.

It remains one of the most widely read books in the world, with more than 30 million people having read The Diary of a Young Girl in 70 languages.

The episode also saw the Little Britain star travel to Berlin to discover more about his grandmother Margot, who came to the UK in 1939 as a Jewish refugee fleeing Germany. commune.

Shock: ‘It’s a story everyone knows if you don’t know any other story, the story of what happened to the Jews during the Second World War, you know the story of the Frank family. I read it when I was a kid and never realized she was talking about a relative of mine’

Matt explained that he was ‘really close’ to his dear grandmother, who passed away in 1999, and that although he already knew his family died in the concentration camp, he didn’t know how. Full details until the program is filmed.

Sharing his sadness over the deaths of Werner and other relatives in the concentration camp, Matt said: ‘It was terrible.

‘Where were you born and what is your religion, that lottery determines your destiny, and it is not the lottery you choose to play.

‘My grandmother never talked about her cousins, but I think she knew what happened to them. I was told vaguely that my family died in the camp, but I was never told their names and I never knew the details. ‘

Historical figure: Anne and her family hid for two years during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands before being captured and sent to a concentration camp

A look back: Matt’s ancestor Herta Goldschmidt is pictured with Max Salinger, Grete Paradise, Sophie Blumenfeld and others

He added: ‘As a Jew there is always a risk, because this is recent history, it could happen again. It is important to tell these stories. ‘

Despite the heartbreaking discovery of his family history, the TV star told how lucky he was to be able to learn more about his grandmother and ancestors.

‘I think when you grow up you just take the older characters in your family at face value and you don’t really bake them into what they did before you knew them; you’re living in the present,’ he explained.

‘My grandmother always made it clear how proud she was of me. And now I’m proud of her. So I feel very fortunate that I have had this opportunity to learn about my family history and reconnect with Mrs. Margot who has been such an important part of my life.

“It helps keep her alive for me, because I really miss her.”

Matt Lucas ‘Who do you think you are? episode airs June 16 at 9pm on BBC One.

Grateful: ‘I feel very fortunate that I have had this opportunity to learn about my family history and reconnect with Mrs Margot who has been such an important part of my life’

Source: | Dailymail.co.uk