Holocaust Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as King Charles Leads 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 difficult to fathom and yet she devoted the remainder of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting 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 Patron.

In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being captured and sent 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 resided in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.

Survival and Tragedy

By the time Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Red Army in January 1945, they were barely alive. Her brother and father both died in captivity.

After being repatriated to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—known as Fritzi—wed 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 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 internationally famous 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, addressing the youth in particular and promoting a message of tolerance.

"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Every individual you convince not to be racist is a positive."

Later Life

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.