Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at 96 Years Old as King Charles Leads Respects
The King has led tributes 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," stated the King in a message shared via social media.
He added, "The atrocities that she endured as a teenager are impossible to fathom and yet she dedicated the remainder of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Education
Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal Patron.
In the Second World War era, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being apprehended and sent to the infamous Auschwitz concentration 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.
Endurance and Loss
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—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived imprisonment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Legacy
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- As a founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a personal testimony of life for Jewish people under Nazi occupation—has sold over 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often journeyed across Europe, addressing the youth in particular and promoting a message not to hate.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Each person you persuade not to be racist is a positive."
Later Life
In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved to London to learn 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 British citizens. Mr Schloss passed away in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
