Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at 96 Years Old as King Charles Pays Respects
King Charles 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 death of Eva Schloss," stated the King in a message posted on social media.
He added, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Committed to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being apprehended and deported to the notorious Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer resided in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.
Survival and Loss
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both perished in the camps.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—wed Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive internment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Legacy
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- As a founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved 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, addressing the youth in particular and spreading a message of tolerance.
"I have 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 study photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had fled to Palestine during the war.
The couple made London their home and became UK citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
