Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Leads Tributes
King Charles has offered condolences to the step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a message posted on social media.
He added, "The atrocities that she endured as a teenager are difficult to comprehend and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Education
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as 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 deported to the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced 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 stated.
Survival and Tragedy
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her brother and father both died in captivity.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—wed Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived internment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Legacy
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from happening again.
- As a 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 personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often journeyed across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and spreading a message of tolerance.
"I worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Each person you convince not to be racist is a positive."
Subsequent Years
In 1951, Mrs Schloss relocated 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 survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
