The Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam is to undergo a two year overhaul including a new entrance and extra space for education, the foundation which runs the house said on Monday.

The aim is to improve the historical context of the house where the World War II diarist lived while hiding from the Nazis, the foundation said. The museum, which attracted 1.2 million visitors last year, will remain open during the rebuilding process.

Many youngsters from outside Europe visit the house and this makes it important to take a more in-depth look at the historical context and the background to Anne Frank’s story, director Ronald Leopold said.

‘We’ll be giving more information on what happened during the Second World War and the Holocaust, how it could happen, and what this means for us today…But of course we will retain the authentic character of the house: experience and meaning will always be our priorities.’