PRESIDENT TINUBU'S MESSAGE OF CONDOLENCE TO CHIMAMANDA ADICHIE AND HER FAMILY. (PHOTO). #PRESS RELEASE.
Eva Schloss, an Auschwitz survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, has died at the age of 96. She spent her life educating others about the Holocaust and combating prejudice.
Schloss, who lived in London, was honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK. The organization announced her passing on Saturday. King Charles III praised her work, saying he felt “privileged and proud” to know her and noting that she dedicated her life to promoting kindness, courage, understanding, and resilience in the wake of unimaginable suffering.
Born Eva Geiringer in Vienna in 1929, she and her family fled to Amsterdam after Austria was annexed by Nazi Germany. There, she became friends with Anne Frank. Like the Frank family, the Geiringers spent two years in hiding before being discovered and deported to Auschwitz. Schloss and her mother, Fritzi, survived the camp until its liberation by Soviet forces in 1945, while her father, Erich, and brother, Heinz, were killed.
After the war, Schloss moved to Britain, married German Jewish refugee Zvi Schloss, and settled in London. In 1953, her mother married Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father. Schloss initially remained silent about her experiences, later explaining that trauma had left her withdrawn for decades.
Her public work began in 1986 when she spoke at the opening of an Anne Frank exhibition in London. She went on to become a tireless educator, speaking in schools, prisons, and international forums, and sharing her story in books, including Eva’s Story: A Survivor’s Tale by the Stepsister of Anne Frank. She continued her activism into her 90s, addressing instances of Holocaust denial and intolerance, and campaigning for education to foster understanding and respect.
Schloss’s family described her as “a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace.” She is survived by her three daughters, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Her husband, Zvi Schloss, died in 2016.
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