Eva Schloss, a tireless advocate for peace and one of the last remaining survivors of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp, died peacefully in London on January 3, 2026. She was 96 years old.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!While widely known through her family connection to Anne Frank, Eva spent nearly four decades as a global voice for human rights, transforming her personal tragedy into a lifelong mission of education.
Parallel Lives and Shared Tragedy
Eva Geiringer’s life mirrored Anne Frank’s in haunting ways. Born in Vienna in 1929, her family fled to Amsterdam following the Nazi annexation of Austria.
- Early Connection: Eva and Anne lived in the same neighborhood and were childhood playmates before the German occupation forced both families into hiding.
- The Camps: On her 15th birthday, Eva was captured and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Unlike the Frank sisters, Eva and her mother, Fritzi, survived the camp’s liberation by the Soviet army in 1945.
- A New Family: In a poignant turn of history, Eva’s mother married Otto Frank in 1953. As Otto worked to publish Anne’s diary, Eva became his “posthumous stepsister,” helping him preserve the legacy of the family they had both lost.
From Silence to Activism
For many years, Eva struggled with the trauma of her experiences, remaining silent about the Holocaust. That changed in 1986 at an exhibition of Anne Frank’s life, where Eva realized the power of speaking out.
- Global Impact: She co-founded the Anne Frank Trust UK and traveled the world to speak against prejudice, reaching millions of students.
- Literary Work: She authored several influential memoirs, including Eva’s Story and The Promise, which detailed her survival and her father’s pre-war premonitions.
- Honors: Her work earned her an MBE and international respect for her ability to speak to the “better nature” of humanity, even after witnessing its worst.
A Voice That Won’t Be Silenced
Eva Schloss’s passing marks the loss of a primary witness to history. Her death has sparked tributes from world leaders, including King Charles III, who praised her “boundless humanity” and her commitment to ensuring that “Never Again” remained a living promise rather than a hollow slogan.
