In the series, he is the biological son of her foster parents in Amsterdam. The family moved to Amsterdam in 1924.Ī Small Light asserts that Miep Gies had a gay brother, Casmir 'Cass' Niewenburg, who was unrelated to her by blood. She ended up living with a foster family, the Nieuwenburgs, in the city of Leiden in South Holland. Her biological family had sent her from Austria to the Netherlands at age 11 as part of a relief project to help malnourished Austrian children. Despite having no experience for the position, her determination, character, and background convinced Otto Frank to take her on as an employee.Īs emphasized in the series, the A Small Light true story confirms that Miep was also an immigrant to Amsterdam herself. The neighbor arranged for Miep to meet with Otto for an interview. He had recently moved his family from Germany to the Netherlands in hopes of avoiding persecution. Otto's business was located along the canal in the center of Amsterdam at Prinsengracht 263 (pictured below). At the time, Otto was still setting up his business, named Opekta, and was looking for employees. The female neighbor worked as a representative for a business owned by a man named Otto Frank. Struggling to find work, an upstairs neighbor told her about another opportunity. For six years, Miep Gies had worked as a typist in an embroidery and pleating workshop before losing her job when the crisis hit.
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