Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Pays Tributes
King Charles has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died 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 experienced as a teenager are difficult to fathom and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Committed to Awareness
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 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being captured and sent to the infamous Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "In her youth, Eva Schloss-Geiringer resided in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.
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 perished in captivity.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived internment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Impact
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from happening again.
- 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 more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and promoting 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."
Subsequent Years
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 British citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
