Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as The Monarch Pays Respects
The King has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a tribute shared via social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are difficult to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Education
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees 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 resided in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Endurance and Tragedy
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 captivity.
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.
A Lasting Impact
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to prevent 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 widely-read diary—a personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often journeyed 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. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a step forward."
Subsequent Years
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 settled in London and became UK citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
