Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Pays Tributes
The King has offered condolences to the step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote the King in a message posted on social media.
He added, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Patron.
In the Second World War era, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being apprehended and sent to the notorious Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "In her youth, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Survival and Tragedy
When 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 the camps.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive internment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Impact
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to prevent history from repeating itself.
- As co-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 remarked in an interview. "Each person you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
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 survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
