Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as The Monarch Pays Respects

King Charles has offered condolences to Anne Frank's step-sister and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.

He added, "The atrocities that she experienced as a teenager are impossible to comprehend and yet she dedicated the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."

A Life Dedicated to Education

Mrs Schloss was the founding member and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where the Queen Consort serves as Royal Patron.

In the Second World War era, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being captured and deported 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.

Survival and Tragedy

When Mrs Schloss and her mother were liberated by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her brother and father both perished 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 Impact

Over the past 40 years, 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 more than 30 million copies.
• Mrs Schloss often journeyed across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and promoting a message not to hate.

"I 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."

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 UK citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.