Eva Schloss Dies Aged 96 – Anne Frank Stepsister

Key Points

• Eva Schloss, née Eva Geiringer, died on 3 January 2026 in London at the age of 96.​
• She was a Holocaust survivor from Auschwitz and the stepsister of diarist Anne Frank through her mother Elfriede (Fritzi) Geiringer’s marriage to Otto Frank in 1953.​
• Schloss co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK in 1990 with Otto Frank to educate young people about the Holocaust and combat prejudice; she served as its honorary president.​
• King Charles III and Queen Camilla issued a tribute, stating they were “greatly saddened” and “privileged and proud” to have known her, noting the “horrors she endured” and her lifelong work against hatred.​
• The King danced with Mrs Schloss at a Jewish community centre in north London in 2022.​
• Her family described her as a “remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace,” expressing “great sadness” and pride in her legacy.​
• Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1929, her family fled Nazi annexation to Belgium and then Amsterdam, living opposite the Franks; she and Anne, both aged 15, played together.​
• Betrayed by a Nazi sympathiser on her 15th birthday (11 May 1944), her family—mother Fritzi, father Erich, brother Heinz—was arrested and sent to Auschwitz; father and brother perished.​
• Liberated in 1945, she moved to London in 1952 to study photography, married Zvi Schloss, had three daughters (Caroline, Jacqueline, Sylvia), and became a British citizen; regained Austrian citizenship in 2021.​
• Awarded MBE in 2013 (or 2012 per some reports) for Holocaust education; authored books, spoke globally into her 90s at schools and prisons.​
• Anne Frank Trust UK, under Queen Camilla’s patronage, mourns her; Gillian Walnes, vice president, praised her tireless passion.​
• Tributes from Anne Frank House, Auschwitz Memorial, and others highlight her educational legacy.​

Who Was Eva Schloss?

Eva Schloss, born Eva Geiringer on 11 May 1929 in Vienna, Austria, emerged as a pivotal figure in Holocaust remembrance. As reported by staff writers at The Times of Israel, she was a child when the Nazis annexed Austria, prompting her Jewish family—mother Elfriede (Fritzi), father Erich, and brother Heinz—to flee first to Belgium and then to Amsterdam. There, they settled opposite the Frank family on Merwedeplein, where Eva, the same age as Anne Frank, often played with the diarist after school.​

As detailed by Sky News reporters, the families’ friendship formed amid rising peril, but from 1942, both went into hiding separately. Eva’s family moved house to house for two years before betrayal on her 15th birthday.​

How Did Eva Schloss Survive the Holocaust?

Eva Schloss endured unimaginable horrors, as recounted across multiple outlets. According to The Times of Israel, on 11 May 1944, a Nazi sympathiser who had offered shelter betrayed them; arrested, interrogated brutally, they were deported to Auschwitz in May 1944. Sky News reports confirm Eva and her mother were separated from Erich and Heinz upon arrival; she never saw her brother again and learned post-liberation that both men had died in the camps.​

The DW article notes lasting scars: nightmares, difficulty forming connections, digestive issues from starvation, and frostbite from the 1945 death march. Liberated by Soviet forces in January 1945, Eva and Fritzi reunited with Otto Frank in the Netherlands; he survived Auschwitz as the sole Frank family member. As per France 24, they were transported humanely eastward post-liberation, eventually reaching Marseilles. Anne Frank, meanwhile, perished at Bergen-Belsen in 1945.​

What Was Eva Schloss’s Life After the War?

Post-war, Eva rebuilt resiliently. The Times of Israel states Otto Frank encouraged her photography pursuits; in 1952, she moved to London to study, meeting Zvi Schloss, whose family were German refugees. They married, raised three daughters—Caroline, Jacqueline, and Sylvia—and gained British citizenship. Elfriede married Otto in 1953, formalising Eva’s stepsister bond to Anne. In 2021, at 92, Eva regained Austrian citizenship.​

Sky News highlights her 40-year silence on trauma before speaking publicly in 1986 at a London exhibition. She authored books like those preserving her story and shared globally. People magazine confirms her survival by three children.​

What Is the Anne Frank Trust UK and Eva Schloss’s Role?

Eva co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK in 1990 with Otto Frank to empower 9- to 15-year-olds against prejudice via Holocaust learning. As honorary president, she spoke tirelessly into her 90s, often multiple times daily at prisons and schools, per Gillian Walnes of the Trust in The Times of Israel. Queen Camilla serves as patron. The Trust announced her death, emphasising her MBE honour.​

DW quotes her 2024 warning: “We never forget terrible consequences treating people ‘other.'” Her legacy, per family in Sky News, inspires via books, films, resources.​

What Did King Charles Say About Eva Schloss?

King Charles III led tributes, tying personally to her. As reported by Sky News, he and Queen Camilla stated:

“My wife and I are greatly saddened to hear of the death of Eva 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, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience through her tireless work for the Anne Frank Trust UK and for Holocaust education across the world. We are both privileged and proud to have known her and we admired her deeply. May her memory be a blessing to us all.”​

The Times of Israel notes they were “greatly saddened,” with Camilla as Trust patron; Charles danced with her at a 2022 north London Jewish centre. ITV reports the King reiterated being “privileged and proud,” admiring her deeply. Geo.tv adds they felt “heartbroken,” praising her transformation of trauma into education.​

How Did Eva Schloss’s Family React to Her Death?

Her family issued poignant words. Sky News quotes:

“We hope her legacy will continue to inspire 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. We kindly ask the media and the public to respect our privacy during this difficult time. We hope to hold a memorial event at a later date, and will share further details in due course. We thank everyone for the love and respect shown to Eva over the years.”​

The Times of Israel and others echo: “great sadness” at losing this “remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace,” as “our dear mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.” DW notes pride amid mourning. They plan a memorial.​

What Tributes Have Come from Other Organisations?

Global institutions mourned. The Anne Frank House confirmed her 3 January death in London. Auschwitz Memorial on Facebook: she authored books, co-founded the UK Trust; passed 3 January 2026. Anne Frank Trust UK, per its site, mourns Eva Schloss MBE, Holocaust survivor and honorary president. Channel News Asia and NDTV reiterate family tribute. BBC details her Amsterdam life. History Hit recalls post-war rebuilding.​

Gillian Walnes stated:

“Into her 90s, she spoke with tireless passion… Eva’s legacy lives on in the lives she touched and the history she so bravely kept alive.”​

Eva Schloss’s death closes a chapter for living Holocaust witnesses, yet her voice endures in education against intolerance. Her story, intertwined with Anne Frank’s, reminds of resilience amid genocide’s shadows. Tributes affirm her impact, ensuring remembrance persists.