Auschwitz Camp 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 survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"We both are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Eva Schloss," wrote the King in a message shared via social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she experienced as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Dedicated to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Patron.
In the Second World War era, 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 notorious Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss passed away 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 repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—wed Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive imprisonment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Legacy
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 informed 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 travelled across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and promoting a message not to hate.
"I have worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Each person you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
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 survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
