Eva Schloss, Stepsister of Anne Frank, Passes Away at 96

Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank and a survivor of Auschwitz, has passed away at the age of 96. The news was confirmed on Saturday through a tribute published in the Jewish News. Schloss’s family expressed their profound sadness at the loss of “our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother.”

In a heartfelt message, King Charles paid tribute to Schloss, reflecting on their meeting during a visit to a Jewish community centre in north London in 2022. He stated that he and Queen Camilla had “admired her deeply” and felt “privileged and proud” to have known her.

Legacy of Courage and Advocacy

Eva Schloss was a co-founder and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust, an organization dedicated to Holocaust education and the promotion of tolerance. The Queen serves as the patron of the Trust. In his statement, King Charles remarked, “The horrors that she endured as a young woman are impossible to comprehend. Yet, she devoted the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding, and resilience.”

Schloss was born in Vienna as Eva Geiringer and later moved to Amsterdam with her family. She met Anne Frank, who would become a lasting symbol of the struggles faced during the Holocaust. As the Nazi threat escalated, Schloss and her family lived in hiding for two years, moving frequently to evade capture. Ultimately, they were betrayed by a Nazi sympathizer on her 15th birthday, leading to their arrest.

In May 1944, Schloss and her mother were transported to the Auschwitz death camp, where they were separated from her father and brother. During their harrowing journey, her brother Heinz revealed that he and their father had hidden 30 of his paintings beneath the attic floorboards. This poignant detail was later featured in an exhibition at the Jewish Museum in London in 2017.

A Life of Resilience and Inspiration

After the war, Schloss settled in England, where she lived for over 70 years. She married Zvi Schloss in 1952, and together they raised three daughters: Jacky, Caroline, and Sylvia. In 1953, her mother married Otto Frank, making Schloss Anne Frank’s stepsister. Reflecting on her relationship with Anne, Schloss once noted, “Anne was much more mature and grown-up than me.”

In a significant moment for Schloss, she became a citizen of Austria at the age of 92 in 2021, marking a return to her roots. Her family has expressed hope that her legacy will inspire future generations through the books, films, and resources she leaves behind. “We are incredibly proud of all that Eva stood for and accomplished, but right now, we are grieving,” they stated.

The chief executive of the Anne Frank Trust, Dan Green, described Schloss as “a beacon of hope and resilience.” He emphasized her dedication to challenging prejudice through Holocaust education, stating that her contributions have left an indelible mark on countless lives. “Her legacy will continue to guide and empower young people to build a world free from hatred and discrimination,” he added.

As the world remembers Eva Schloss, her story serves as a powerful reminder of the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable adversity.