Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, dies at 96
FILE-Eva Schloss MBE, step-sister of Anne Frank and Honorary President of the Anne Frank Trust UK takes part in a candle lighting ceremony during a reception to mark Holocaust Memorial Day and the 75th publication of Anne Franks diary for the Anne Fr
Eva Schloss, a Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, has died. She was 96 years old.
Schloss died Saturday in London, the Anne Frank Trust UK, of which she was honorary president, told the Associated Press.
Schloss’ family remembered her as "a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace."
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In a statement from the Schloss family obtained by the AP, it read: "We hope her legacy will continue to inspire through the books, films and resources she leaves behind."
According to the AP, Britain’s King Charles III said he was "privileged and proud" to have known Schloss, who co-founded the charitable trust to help young people challenge prejudice.
Who was Eva Schloss?
The backstory:
Born Eva Geiringer in 1929, Schloss escaped with her family to Amsterdam after Nazi Germany annexed Austria. Schloss became friends with Anne Frank, whose diary would become one of the most famous accounts of the Holocaust.
The Associated Press reported that Schloss’ family spent two years in hiding to avoid capture after the Nazis occupied the Netherlands. They were eventually betrayed, arrested, and sent to the Auschwitz death camp.
Schloss and her mother Fritzi survived until the camp was liberated by Soviet troops in 1945. Her father Erich and brother Heinz died in Auschwitz.
After the war, Eva moved to Britain, married German Jewish refugee Zvi Schloss, and settled in London. She later became a well-known Holocaust educator, speaking worldwide and authoring books.
According to the AP, Schloss did not speak publicly about her experiences for years and explained that the trauma had made her withdrawn and unable to connect with others.
Schloss is survived by their three daughters, and her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Associated Press, which obtained a statement from the Schloss family and The Anne Frank Trust UK. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.