Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Leads Tributes
The King has offered condolences to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote the King in a tribute posted on social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are difficult to comprehend and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Dedicated to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Patron.
In the Second World War era, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being captured and deported to the notorious Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss died in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Survival and Loss
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her brother and father both died in the camps.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive imprisonment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Impact
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from happening again.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a first-hand account of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, addressing the youth in particular and spreading a message of tolerance.
"I worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a positive."
Later Life
In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved to London to learn photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had escaped to Palestine during the war.
The couple settled in London and became British citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
