were joined by two other employees, Hermann van Pels as an herb specialist and Johannes Kleiman as a bookkeeper. Bep Voskuijl, who had been the administration manager when war broke out, had been taken on in the previous year, 1937. After the arrival of the German occupiers in 1940, the company was re-registered under the name of Victor Kugler to prevent it from being confiscated as a Jewish-owned business. Otto Frank still remained in charge, but in secret. The company was renamed to Gies & Co. Otto Frank had to resign in December 1941 at the point at which Otto Frank and Hermann van Pels and their families were forced into hiding in the upper rear rooms of the building in July 1942, but continued to act as a silent partner in the company. Their two-year confinement, which was aided by Kleiman, Kugler, Gies and Voskuijl, was famously chronicled by Otto Frank's youngest daughter, Anne, in an autobiographical work, The Diary of a Young Girl, published in 1947. Otto Frank retired as director of Opekta in 1953 and was succeeded by Johannes Kleiman, until Kleiman's death in 1959. The building at was sold to developers in 1954 and Opekta was given notice to vacate the premises. By this time, Anne Frank's diary had drawn readers to visit the premises and a successful campaign saved the building from demolition. Opekta left the building in 1955 and five years later it re-opened as the Anne Frank House, a museum dedicated to the life and writings of Anne Frank. The company was acquired by Dr. Oetker in August 1995. Sources External links Otto Frank's businesses on the Anne Frank web site Anne Frank Companies based in Amsterdam Manufacturing companies based in Cologne Food and drink companies established in 1928 1928 establishments in Germany Food and drink companies disestablished in 1995 1995 mergers and acquisitions