Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as The Monarch Pays Respects
King Charles has offered condolences to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.
"We both are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a message shared via social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she experienced as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Committed to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary head of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal 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 sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Survival and Tragedy
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her father and brother both died in captivity.
After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived internment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Legacy
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from repeating itself.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's widely-read diary—a personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold over 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and promoting a message not to hate.
"I have worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a positive."
Subsequent Years
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 UK citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
