I’m leaving Amsterdam in a few minutes, but after three beautiful days here I’m delighted that SIIA will be back in a year for a second Global Information Industry Summit. I’ll blog from London about yesterday’s sessions, including the final panel about copyright, but want to get these photos posted. I sneaked out early yesterday for a walk and went to the Anne Frank House, the narrow canal office/warehouse building where the teenage Frank and her family hid in 1942.
I grew up with her book, the story of life in the Secret Annexe, and couldn’t leave Amsterdam without seeing the house. It was crowded with American and Japanese tourists, even first thing in the morning and I was unable to find a tranquil spot where I could imagine life there, until I came to a window in the office where Anne and her sister used to bathe on a Sunday afternoon. Above right is the view from that office window. I found it heartbreaking, because if you double-click you’ll see that the diagonal placement gives the viewer a long view down the street on the other side . . . into a distance, a world, Anne and her sister would never again be able to explore. The second photo is the canal outside the building; I tried to imagine Nazis patrolling there, but found it almost impossible.
I wanna go there!! I love Anne Frank!!
I wish Anne Frank was still alive so she could have told us the story anfd show us what happened.Also Ia m doing a book reprt on her and so far I could use a little more facts so if you have any please send it to me at Nyela_sheppard@yahoo.com