Holocaust Survivor and Educator Eva Schloss, Stepsister to Anne Frank, Dies at 96

Schloss and her family were in hiding with the Franks in Amsterdam in 1942, before being sent to a concentration camp in Auschwitz.

Eva Schloss, step-sister of Anne Frank and honorary president of the Anne Frank Trust UK, takes part in a candle-lighting ceremony during a reception to mark Holocaust memorial day and the 75th publication of Anne Frank’s diary for the Anne Frank Trust at the InterContinental Hotel in London on Jan. 20, 2022. Chris Jackson-Pool/Getty Images

Auschwitz survivor Eva Schloss, stepsister to diarist Anne Frank, has died at 96 years old.

Schloss, who survived Auschwitz, went on to devote her life as a Holocaust educator. She died on Jan. 3 at her residence in London, both the Anne Frank Trust UK, of which she was co-founder and honorary president, and the Anne Frank House confirmed.

“It is with great sadness we announce the passing of our dear mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, Eva Schloss,” read her family statement posted by the Anne Frank Trust organization.

“Eva was a remarkable woman: an Auschwitz survivor, a devoted Holocaust educator, tireless in her work for remembrance, understanding, and peace.”

A memorial for Schloss will be scheduled for a later date, with further details to come. She is survived by her three daughters, Caroline, Jacqueline, and Sylvia, who requested privacy from the media and public during “this difficult time.”

“We hope her legacy will continue to inspire through the books, films, and resources she leaves behind,” their statement continued. “We are incredibly proud of all that Eva stood for and accomplished, but right now, we are grieving. … We thank everyone for the love and respect shown to Eva over the years.”

Born in Vienna in 1929, Schloss escaped the Nazis by fleeing to Amsterdam with her family in February 1940. Their family lived opposite the Franks’ home in Merwedeplein square, with Schloss and Anne often playing together as children.

In 1942, both families went into hiding together, with Anne describing the events that transpired in a diary she kept for two years before being discovered. Schloss and her family were sent to concentration camps, where she and her mother survived, while her father and brother Heinz died.

It was after the war that Schloss settled in London and married Zvi Schloss. In 1953, her mother went on to marry Anne’s father, Otto Frank.

From schools and universities to prisons and historical projects, Schloss made it her mission to educate others by sharing her story across the globe.

“Eva was a beacon of hope and resilience,” said chief executive of the Anne Frank Trust, Dan Green, in a statement. “Her unwavering commitment to challenging prejudice through Holocaust education has left an indelible mark on countless lives.”

“Her legacy will continue to guide and empower young people to build a world free from hatred and discrimination,” he continued. “We at the Anne Frank Trust mourn her loss deeply and extend our heartfelt condolences to her family and friends during this difficult time.”

Over her lifetime she published three books: “Eva’s Story,” “After Auschwitz,” and “The Promise,” which were primarily geared toward children.

“We must never forget the terrible consequences of treating people as ‘other,’” she said in 2024. “We need to respect everybody’s races and religions. We need to live together with our differences. The only way to achieve this is through education, and the younger we start the better.”