Auschwitz Camp Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as The Monarch Pays Respects

King Charles has led tributes to the step-sister of Anne Frank and survivor of the Holocaust Eva Schloss, who has died at the age of 96.

He added, "The horrors that she endured as a young woman are difficult to fathom and yet she dedicated 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 founding member and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization where Queen Camilla serves as Royal Patron.

In the 1940s, Mrs Schloss and her family were chased from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being apprehended and deported to the notorious Auschwitz concentration camp.

The Anne Frank Trust announced Mrs Schloss passed away in London on 3 January. "As a girl, Eva Schloss-Geiringer lived in Amsterdam, near Anne Frank's home," the trust stated.

Endurance and Tragedy

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—known as Fritzi—married Otto Frank, the father of Anne Frank, who had also survived imprisonment by the Nazis.

A Lasting Impact

Over the past 40 years, Mrs Schloss dedicated her life to trying to stop history from repeating itself.

• As co-founder of the Anne Frank Trust UK, she safeguarded Anne Frank's memory and educated 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 young people in particular and spreading a message not to hate.

"I have worked very, very hard to alter people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss remarked in an interview. "Every individual you persuade 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 made London their home and became British citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.