Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Respects
The King has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss," wrote the King in a tribute shared via social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are impossible to fathom and yet she devoted the rest of her life to fighting 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 Trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being captured and sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "In her youth, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Endurance and Tragedy
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Soviet 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—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive imprisonment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Impact
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from repeating itself.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold over 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often journeyed across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and spreading a message of tolerance.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Every individual you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
Later Life
In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved to London to study photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had escaped to Palestine during the war.
The couple made London their home and became British citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
