Kathrine Frich
For decades, she avoided the public eye, carrying memories few could imagine.
Only later did she emerge as a prominent voice against hatred, drawing on personal trauma to educate new generations about the Holocaust.
A life cut short
Eva Schloss, the half-sister of Anne Frank, died on Saturday in London at the age of 96.
Her death was announced on Sunday by the Anne Frank Trust UK, which she co-founded.
She was a survivor of Auschwitz, having been deported there as a teenager during World War II. After the war, she settled in the United Kingdom and lived there for most of her life.
Although widely associated with Anne Frank, Schloss never met her during childhood. Their connection emerged only after the war, through family ties formed in its aftermath.
A family bond
Eva’s mother later married Otto Frank, Anne Frank’s father, following the end of the war. Through that marriage, Eva became Anne Frank’s half-sister.
That relationship, closely linked to one of the world’s most famous Holocaust victims, remained deeply painful for Schloss. For many years, she avoided discussing it publicly.
She later explained that living alongside such a powerful legacy was emotionally complex and often overwhelming.
Years of silence
For decades, Schloss refused to speak about her experiences during the Holocaust. Even within her own family, she concealed the truth.
She once told her grandchildren that the number tattooed on her arm was simply her pre-war telephone number. Her reluctance reflected the lasting trauma of survival.
It was not until the 1980s that she began to share her story, deciding that silence no longer served the needs of historical memory.
A public mission
Once she began speaking, Schloss became a tireless educator and activist. Her testimony became a key part of Holocaust education programs in the UK and beyond.
She said she felt a responsibility to confront prejudice and remind younger generations of the consequences of hatred and indifference. According to CNN, she saw public engagement as a moral duty rather than a personal choice.
Her work earned widespread recognition. King Charles III paid tribute to her, saying, “The horrors she experienced as a young woman are unimaginable, yet she dedicated the rest of her life to overcoming hatred and prejudice, promoting kindness, courage, understanding and resilience.”
Enduring legacy
Schloss often acknowledged that she lived in the shadow of an extraordinary family history. Yet she insisted that her own voice mattered.
Through decades of public speaking, she helped ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust remained alive, grounded not only in history books, but in lived experience.
Her death marks the passing of one of the last direct witnesses to that chapter of history.
Sources: CNN, WP.
