Even if the end of the war is really coming close, I begin to feel as if I want to give up. I've heard Mother and Father whisper about prisoners that have committed suicide...Before I came to Theresienstadt, I never understood why someone would take his own life. But I understand now: they simply wanted to end the pain. (191)One day, an empty train began to load all of the remaining Nazi soldiers out of the camp. They looked terrified. The people of Theresienstadt were no longer prisoners. Anneke and her family were shocked and unsure of what to at at first. She and Theo traveled back to Holland on a train. During their ride home, a group of dutch boys from the camp were yelling at a young German girl; calling her names. They stole her shoes and threw them onto Anneke's lap, saying, "Here, a gift from the Fatherland." She dropped them back onto the lap of the sobbing German girl, and yelled, "I don't want any gifts from the Fatherland!" (207)
When Anneke had returned home, she was to be interviewed by a Dutch commander about her experience in short. She was very angry during the interview, but became closer to her dad afterwards and understood why he had to serve the Nazis. She made amends and felt no more anger towards him.
Although Anneke had lost her innocence, she felt that
Even after all the senseless sorrow and suffering, there is still world left. I know I will never be able to forget all I saw and felt and lost in Theresienstadt, but there is still world left.
It will be up to me to find the loveliness. (215)
