Holocaust Survivor Eva Schloss Passes Away at Age 96 as King Charles Leads Respects
King Charles has led tributes to Anne Frank's step-sister 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 message shared via social media.
He continued, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend and yet she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."
A Life Dedicated to Awareness
Mrs Schloss was the co-founder and honorary head of the Anne Frank educational trust, an organization where Queen Camilla 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 apprehended and sent to the notorious 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 stated.
Survival and Loss
When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her brother and father both perished in captivity.
After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also managed to survive internment by the Nazis.
A Lasting Impact
Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to prevent history from happening again.
- 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 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 spreading a message of tolerance.
"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Each person 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 fled to Palestine during the war.
The couple settled in London and became British citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are remembered by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.