Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as The Monarch Leads Respects
The King has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor 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 the King in a tribute shared via social media.
He added, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to fathom and yet she devoted the remainder 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 Queen Camilla serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being apprehended and deported to the infamous Auschwitz concentration camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss died in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Endurance and Tragedy
When 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—called 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 four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- As a founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a first-hand account 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 promoting a message of tolerance.
"I have worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a step forward."
Subsequent Years
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.
