Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as The Monarch Pays 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.
"We both are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a tribute shared via social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Education
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary president of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Royal Patron.
In the Second World War era, 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 death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss died in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Survival and Loss
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Red Army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her brother and father 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 survived imprisonment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Legacy
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to prevent history from repeating itself.
- As a 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 more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, speaking to the youth in particular and spreading a message not to hate.
"I worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Each person you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
Later Life
In 1951, Mrs Schloss relocated to London to learn 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 UK citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
