Our Story

The Wassmuth Center was founded in 1996 for the purpose of constructing a memorial to human rights in Idaho’s capital city; that vision was realized when the Idaho Anne Frank Human Rights Memorial was dedicated to the public in 2002. Recognized as an International Site of Conscience, the Memorial is the only memorial to Anne Frank in the United States and is one of the few places in the world in which the full text of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is on public display. The Memorial receives over 120,000 visitors annually;10,000 of whom participate in free docent-led tours. With a mission to promote respect for human dignity and diversity through education, the Center provides programming and resources onsite and offsite in companies and classrooms throughout the valley. Approved by the City of Boise, in 2022, construction begins on the new Wassmuth Education Center – building a one-of-a-kind comprehensive education center within the footprint of a one-of-a-kind memorial. The Memorial and Center will stand as beacons of light and hope in times of darkness. As Anne Frank wrote in her diary, “No need to wait a moment, we can start now, start slowly changing the world.”