Holocaust educator, Anne Frank’s stepsister Eva Schloss dies in London at 96

Eva Schloss, a Holocaust survivor who endured Auschwitz and became the posthumous stepsister of Anne Frank, passed away on January 3, 2026, in London at age 96. Born Eva Geiringer in Vienna on May 11, 1929, she dedicated her post-war life to Holocaust education, co-founding the Anne Frank Trust UK and speaking worldwide against prejudice. Her family described her as "a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding and peace."

Schloss grew up in an upper-middle-class Jewish family that owned a shoe factory; after Austria's 1938 Anschluss, they fled to Amsterdam, where she befriended Anne Frank, born a month apart in 1929 and living in the same building.

Her family went into hiding in 1942 but was betrayed on her 15th birthday in 1944 by a Nazi sympathizer, leading to arrests and deportation to Auschwitz-Birkenau in May 1944.

Survival and family ties

At Auschwitz, Schloss and her mother Fritzi were separated from father Erich and brother Heinz, both of whom perished—Heinz on a Mauthausen death march. Liberated by Soviet forces on January 27, 1945, she reunited with Fritzi after a grueling journey, then met Otto Frank, Anne's sole surviving family member.

In 1953, Fritzi married Otto, making Eva Anne's stepsister; this bond inspired her advocacy, despite lifelong nightmares and emotional scars. She moved to London, married Zvi Schloss in 1952, and had daughters Caroline, Jacqueline, and Sylvia.

Legacy of education and honors

Schloss authored "Eva's Story" (1988) and "After Auschwitz" (2013), toured globally speaking to thousands of students yearly, and served as honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK. Awarded an MBE in 2013 for anti-prejudice work and an honorary doctorate from Northumbria University in 2001, she reclaimed Austrian citizenship in 2021.

King Charles III led tributes, calling her efforts for "kindness, courage, understanding and resilience" a privilege to witness.

Tributes and family statement

Her daughters expressed grief while celebrating her legacy through books and resources, requesting privacy and planning a future memorial. The Anne Frank Trust UK mourned their co-founder, and global outlets echoed her call to remember the Holocaust amid rising intolerance. King Charles noted the "unimaginable" horrors she endured yet overcame.

FAQs

How did Eva Schloss connect to Anne Frank?
Their mothers' marriage to Otto Frank post-war made her Anne's stepsister; they were childhood friends in Amsterdam before separate hidings.

What were her long-term health effects?
Starvation caused chronic digestive problems; frostbite from 1945 marches and psychological trauma including nightmares persisted.

Why no cause of death was announced?
Family statements omitted details, focusing on legacy; media respected privacy requests amid outpouring of tributes.