Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Respects
King Charles has offered condolences to Anne Frank's step-sister and Holocaust survivor Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.
"My wife and I are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," wrote King Charles in a message posted on social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she experienced as a teenager are difficult to comprehend and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
An Existence Committed to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal Patron.
In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons 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. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer resided in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Endurance and Loss
By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both died in the camps.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived imprisonment by the Nazis.
An Enduring Impact
Over the past four decades, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from happening again.
- 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 more than 30 million copies.
- Mrs Schloss often travelled across Europe, speaking to the youth in particular and spreading a message not to hate.
"I worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a step forward."
Subsequent Years
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 UK citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
