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Eva Schloss, Holocaust Survivor and Anne Frank’s Stepsister, Dies at 96
Eva Schloss, who survived the horrors of Auschwitz and later became a tireless educator about the Holocaust, died Saturday at her home in London. She was 96.
As the stepsister of Anne Frank and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK, Schloss dedicated decades of her life to fighting prejudice and promoting tolerance after experiencing firsthand the atrocities of Nazi persecution.
Britain’s King Charles III expressed his condolences, saying he was “privileged and proud” to have known Schloss. “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,” the king said in a statement.
Born Eva Geiringer in Vienna in 1929, Schloss and her family fled to Amsterdam after Nazi Germany annexed Austria in 1938. There, she befriended another Jewish girl her age – Anne Frank – whose diary would later become one of the most significant testimonies of the Holocaust.
Like millions of Jews during World War II, Schloss’s family was forced into hiding when the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. After two years in concealment, they were betrayed, arrested and transported to Auschwitz. While Eva and her mother Fritzi survived until Soviet troops liberated the camp in 1945, her father Erich and brother Heinz perished.
After the war, Eva relocated to Britain, where she married German Jewish refugee Zvi Schloss and built a new life in London. In 1953, her mother married Otto Frank, the only member of Anne Frank’s immediate family to survive the Holocaust. Anne had died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp at just 15 years old, shortly before the war’s end.
For decades after liberation, Schloss remained silent about her experiences. “I was silent for years, first because I wasn’t allowed to speak. Then I repressed it. I was angry with the world,” she told The Associated Press in a 2004 interview.
Her public advocacy began in 1986 when she spoke at the opening of an Anne Frank exhibition in London. That experience transformed her into a committed educator determined to ensure future generations understood the Holocaust’s devastating impact. She authored several books, including “Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Stepsister of Anne Frank,” and spoke at schools, prisons, and international conferences.
Even in her 90s, Schloss maintained her activism. In 2019, she traveled to California to meet with teenagers who had been photographed making Nazi salutes at a high school party. The following year, she joined a campaign urging Facebook to remove Holocaust-denying content from its platform.
“We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as ‘other,'” Schloss said earlier this year. “We need to respect everybody’s races and religions. We need to live together with our differences. The only way to achieve this is through education, and the younger we start the better.”
Schloss’s advocacy came during a period when Holocaust education faced new challenges. As the generation of survivors dwindles, historians and educators worry about preserving firsthand accounts of Nazi atrocities. Additionally, antisemitism has surged in recent years across Europe and North America, making the testimonies of survivors like Schloss increasingly important.
Her family remembered her as “a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace.”
“We hope her legacy will continue to inspire through the books, films and resources she leaves behind,” the family said in a statement.
Zvi Schloss, her husband, died in 2016. She is survived by their three daughters, along with grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Schloss’s death marks the loss of another crucial voice in Holocaust remembrance at a time when firsthand witnesses to those events are becoming increasingly rare. Her decades of educational work touched countless lives and will continue to influence understanding of this tragic chapter in human history.
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14 Comments
The death of Eva Schloss is a somber reminder of the ongoing need to confront the horrors of the past and work to prevent such atrocities from happening again. As a Holocaust survivor and the stepsister of Anne Frank, her voice and story were invaluable in educating future generations about the importance of tolerance and human rights.
Absolutely. Schloss’s life and work were a shining example of how we can transform even the darkest experiences into a force for positive change. Her legacy will continue to inspire us to stand up against hatred and work towards a more just and compassionate world.
Eva Schloss’s life was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable tragedy. As we mourn her passing, we must rededicate ourselves to the values she championed – compassion, tolerance, and a unwavering commitment to confronting hatred in all its forms.
Beautifully said. Schloss’s life was a shining example of how even the darkest experiences can be transformed into a force for good. May her memory and her work continue to inspire us all.
Truly tragic that someone who endured such horrors as a child had to spend the rest of her life fighting prejudice. But her work to promote tolerance and understanding is an incredible testament to the human spirit.
I agree. Schloss’s resilience and dedication to educating future generations about the Holocaust is deeply inspiring. May her life and legacy continue to resonate for years to come.
A poignant loss for the world. Eva Schloss’s life story was a testament to resilience and the importance of bearing witness to history’s darkest chapters. May her legacy inspire us to confront hatred and prejudice with courage and compassion.
Well said. Schloss’s tireless efforts to educate about the Holocaust are truly admirable. Her firsthand experience gives her words immense weight and power.
The passing of Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank, is a profound loss. As a survivor of Auschwitz, her voice and story were invaluable in keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive. We must honor her life’s work by remaining vigilant against the forces of hatred and intolerance.
Well said. Schloss’s life was a testament to the power of the human spirit to overcome unimaginable adversity. Her commitment to educating others about the Holocaust is a powerful legacy.
Eva Schloss’s passing is a profound loss for the world. As a Holocaust survivor and the stepsister of Anne Frank, her life story was a testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity. Her tireless efforts to educate and promote tolerance will be deeply missed.
Well said. Schloss’s life and legacy are a powerful reminder of the importance of keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive and using that knowledge to confront hatred and prejudice in all its forms.
The death of Eva Schloss is a profound loss for the world. As the stepsister of Anne Frank and a survivor of the Holocaust, her voice and testimony were invaluable in preserving the memory of one of history’s darkest chapters. May her legacy continue to guide us in the fight against hatred and intolerance.
I agree completely. Schloss’s life and work were a powerful reminder of the importance of bearing witness to the past and using that knowledge to build a more just and compassionate future.