Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at 96 Years Old as King Charles Leads Respects

King Charles has offered condolences to the step-sister of Anne Frank and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.

He continued, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are impossible to fathom and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."

A Life Committed to Awareness

Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary head of the Anne Frank 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 captured and deported to the infamous Auschwitz death camp.

The Anne Frank Trust said 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.

Survival and Tragedy

When Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Red Army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both died in the camps.

After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive internment by the Nazis.

A Lasting Legacy

Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to stop history from happening again.

• As a founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and informed people about the Holocaust.
• Frank's widely-read 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, 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 remarked in an interview. "Every individual you persuade not to be racist is a positive."

Later Life

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 survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.