Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as The Monarch Leads Respects

The King has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.

He continued, "The horrors that she endured as a teenager are difficult to fathom and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."

A Life Dedicated to Education

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 forced from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being captured and deported to the notorious Auschwitz concentration 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.

Survival and Tragedy

By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. 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 imprisonment by the Nazis.

An Enduring Impact

Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life 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 internationally famous diary—a first-hand account of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold over 30 million copies.
• Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, addressing young people in particular and spreading a message not to hate.

"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Every individual you persuade not to be racist is a step forward."

Later Life

In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved 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 died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.