Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank and renowned Holocaust survivor who dedicated her life to combating prejudice through education, has passed away in London at age 96. The Anne Frank Trust UK, which she co-founded, confirmed her death on January 3rd.
King Charles III and Queen Camilla led global tributes, expressing profound sadness at her passing. In an official statement, the monarch reflected: “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, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience through her tireless work.”
Schloss’s harrowing journey began when her family fled Nazi-occupied Austria for the Netherlands, only to be captured after two years in hiding. Like the Frank family, they were deported to concentration camps. While Schloss and her mother survived Auschwitz, her father and brother perished in captivity.
Following liberation by Soviet forces in 1945, Schloss returned to Amsterdam where her mother married Otto Frank, Anne’s father, making Eva the posthumous stepsister of the iconic diarist. This connection shaped her life’s mission: ensuring the world would never forget the Holocaust’s atrocities.
Over four decades, Schloss became a powerful voice for tolerance education, addressing countless young audiences across Europe. Her message was consistently clear: “Each person you convince not to be racist is a positive.” She co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK, where Queen Camilla serves as Patron, and worked extensively with Holocaust memorial organizations globally.
Schloss’s legacy intertwines with that of Anne Frank, whose diary has sold over 30 million copies in 70 languages. Together, their stories form a dual testimony to both the unimaginable cruelty of the Holocaust and the resilience of the human spirit.
After studying photography in London, she married fellow Holocaust survivor Zvi Schloss in 1951. The couple established their life in Britain, becoming citizens and raising a family. Schloss is survived by her daughters, sons-in-law, and grandchildren.