Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at Age 96 as King Charles Pays Respects
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.
"My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the passing of Eva Schloss," stated the King in a tribute posted on social media.
He continued, "The atrocities that she experienced as a young woman are impossible to fathom 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 president 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 chased from their home in Austria. They existed as displaced persons in the Netherlands before being captured and deported to the infamous Auschwitz death camp.
The Anne Frank Trust said Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "In her youth, 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 Soviet army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both perished in captivity.
After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called Fritzi—wed 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 co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she preserved Anne Frank's memory and educated people about the Holocaust.
- Frank's internationally famous diary—a first-hand account 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 not to hate.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a positive."
Subsequent Years
In 1951, Mrs Schloss moved to London to learn photography. There she met her husband, Zvi Schloss, a German Jew who had escaped 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.
