Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Respects
The King has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.
"We both are deeply saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a message posted on social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to fathom and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Dedicated to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary president of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal 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 sent 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 noted.
Endurance and Loss
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red 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—called Fritzi—wed Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived imprisonment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Impact
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- 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 first-hand account 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 of tolerance.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Each person 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 British citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
