Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Tributes
The King has offered condolences to the step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who passed away at the age of 96.
"We both are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a tribute shared via social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she experienced as a teenager are difficult to fathom and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Dedicated to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary head 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 existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being captured and sent 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, near Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.
Endurance and Tragedy
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her father and brother both perished in captivity.
After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived internment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Legacy
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- As co-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 over 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, addressing the youth in particular and promoting a message of tolerance.
"I worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Each person you convince 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 settled in London and became UK citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
