Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Leads Respects
The King has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who passed away 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 message posted on social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she experienced as a teenager are impossible to comprehend and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Committed to Education
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary president of the Anne Frank 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 lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being apprehended and deported to the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss died in London on 3 January. "In her youth, Eva Schloss-Geiringer resided in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.
Endurance and Tragedy
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her father and brother 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 dedicated her life to trying to stop history from happening again.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded 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 more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, addressing the youth in particular and promoting a message not to hate.
"I worked very, very hard to change 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 UK citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
