Anne Frank film footage has been revealed. The clip, released by the Anne Frank House, is the only surviving film footage of the Holocaust victim. On June 12 Frank would have been 84 years old.
In the film, Anne is seen looking out of a second story window toward the street. Anne’s friends were on the street below celebrating the marriage of a neighbor. As reported by The Atlantic, the 12-year-old turns her head briefly to speak to someone behind her, before turning back toward the street.
The Anne Frank film was recorded on July 22, 1941. Less than four years later Anne was killed.
Anne was born on June 12, 1929. During World War II she and her family fled Germany to escape the Nazi authorities. As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Anne and her family moved into the upper room of a home in Amsterdam. The family remained hidden in the room for two years.
Throughout her two years in hiding, Anne continued to write in her diary. For her, writing was an escape from the harsh reality of war. In her diary, Anne stated “when I write, I can shake off all my cares.”
In 1944 Anne and her family were discovered hiding in the room. Nazi authorities ordered them to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northwestern Germany. Anne died in captivity in 1945.
Anne’s father Otto survived the Holocaust . On the same day that he received news of his daughter’s death, Otto was given Anne’s diary.
Realizing the significance of the content, Otto compiled the content into a book which was published in 1947. Diary of a Young Girl , also known as Diary of Anne Frank , was eventually translated into numerous languages. The book has sold over 30 million copies.
Anne Frank’s diary gave personality and a name to victims of the Holocaust. The book puts the surreal events of Nazi rule into a format that can be understood and appreciated by adults and children.
The Anne Frank film footage is brief. However, it offers another view of the girl who so eloquently recorded her hopes, dreams, and fears during the Second World War.