Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Pays Respects
The King has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss," stated King Charles in a tribute posted on social media.
He added, "The horrors that she experienced as a teenager 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 co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, 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 death 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 noted.
Endurance and Tragedy
By the time 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—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived internment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Impact
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to prevent history from repeating itself.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded Anne Frank's memory and informed 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 journeyed 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 relocated to London to study photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had fled to Palestine during the war.
The couple settled in London and became British citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.