Auschwitz Survivor Eva Schloss Dies at 96 Years Old as King Charles Pays Tributes

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

He continued, "The horrors that she endured as a teenager are impossible to fathom and yet she devoted the rest of her life to fighting hatred and prejudice, fostering kindness, courage, understanding and resilience."

A Life Dedicated to Awareness

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

In the Second World War era, Mrs Schloss and her family were forced from their home in Austria. They lived as refugees in the Netherlands before being apprehended and sent 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 resided in Amsterdam, opposite Anne Frank's home," the trust noted.

Survival and Loss

When Mrs Schloss and her mother were freed by the Soviet army in January 1945, they were clinging to life. Her father and brother both died in captivity.

After being returned to Amsterdam, her mother Elfriede—called 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 safeguarded 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 travelled across Europe, speaking to young people in particular and promoting a message of tolerance.

"I worked very, very hard to change people's attitudes," Mrs Schloss once said. "Each person you convince not to be racist is a step forward."

Subsequent Years

In 1951, Mrs Schloss relocated 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 settled in London and became British citizens. Mr Schloss died in London in 2016. They are survived by their daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren.