> At a Glance
> – Eva Schloss, stepsister of Anne Frank and Auschwitz survivor, died January 3 in London at age 96.
> – She co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK and spent decades teaching students about the Holocaust.
> – King Charles praised her lifelong fight against hatred, calling her memory “a blessing to us all.”
> – Why it matters: Schloss’s death marks the loss of one of the last direct links to Anne Frank’s story and a leading voice against antisemitism.
Eva Schloss, the woman who survived Auschwitz and later became the stepsister of Anne Frank, has died. Her family announced the loss on January 3, 2026, in London, closing the chapter on a life dedicated to remembrance and education.
A Life Shaped by War and Survival
Born in Vienna in 1929, Schloss fled with her family to Amsterdam, where they hid next door to the Franks. In 1944 the Nazis captured them; she and her mother survived Auschwitz, but her father and brother Heinz perished.
After the war her mother married Otto Frank, making Eva Anne’s posthumous stepsister. She settled in London, raised three children-Caroline, Jacqueline, and Sylvia-and vowed to keep the past alive.
Tireless Voice for Tolerance
- Co-founded Anne Frank Trust UK in 1990 to tackle prejudice in schools.
- Published three memoirs: Eva’s Story, After Auschwitz, and The Promise.
- Spoke to thousands of students each year, often ending talks with:
> “We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as ‘other.'”
King Charles released a personal tribute:
> “The horrors she endured are impossible to comprehend, yet she devoted her life to overcoming hatred and promoting kindness.”
Tributes and Legacy
The Anne Frank House confirmed her death; the Trust called her their “honorary president and guiding light.”
| Milestone | Year | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Survived Auschwitz | 1945 | Weighed 32 kg at liberation |
| Co-founded Trust | 1990 | Reached 1M+ UK students |
| Last major speech | 2024 | Warned against rising antisemitism |
Her family plans a future memorial and asks for privacy now.
Key Takeaways
- Schloss was among the final eyewitnesses who could personally link Anne Frank’s diary to lived experience.
- She turned personal trauma into global education, insisting young people “live together with our differences.”
- With her passing, responsibility for Holocaust memory shifts fully to recorded stories and the institutions she built.
Eva Schloss’s legacy survives in curricula, books, and the countless students she challenged to choose empathy over hate.
