German ‘Anne Frank’ train idea runs into questions

BERLIN – The Anne Frank House museum is signalling reservations about the idea of a German high-speed train being named after the teenage Jewish diarist who was deported by train from the Netherlands during World War II.

German railway operator Deutsche Bahn wants to name its fleet of new InterCityExpress trains after historical figures, and sought customers’ suggestions. A jury selected Anne’s name as one of 25 slated to be used.

The Amsterdam museum said in a statement Monday that the combination of Anne Frank and a train evokes memories of wartime deportations, “is painful for the people who experienced these deportations, and causes fresh pain to those who still bear the consequences of those times within them.”

It acknowledged that “initiatives such as this are usually taken with good intentions.”