Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Leads Tributes
King Charles 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 King Charles in a tribute posted on social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she endured as a young woman are difficult to fathom and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Dedicated 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 forced from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being apprehended and deported to the infamous Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss died in London on 3 January. "In her youth, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.
Endurance and Tragedy
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both perished in the camps.
After being repatriated 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 devoted her efforts to trying to stop history from repeating itself.
- As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded 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 the youth in particular and promoting a message of tolerance.
"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 step forward."
Subsequent Years
In 1951, Mrs Schloss relocated 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 survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.
