Eva Schloss, the stepsister of Anne Frank and one of the last living direct witnesses to the Holocaust, lived a life defined by devastating loss, resilience, and moral courage. Her death at the age of 96 marked the passing of a vital voice that carried living memory of humanity’s darkest chapter. For decades, she dedicated herself to educating the world about where hatred, intolerance, and silence can lead, speaking not for fame, but out of a deep sense of responsibility.
Born Eva Geiringer on May 11, 1929, in Vienna, she grew up in a loving Jewish family with her parents and older brother, Heinz. That ordinary childhood ended abruptly in 1938 when Nazi Germany annexed Austria. As Jewish families were stripped of their rights and safety, Eva’s family fled to Amsterdam in hopes of survival. There, in the Rivierenbuurt neighborhood, Eva met Anne Frank, and the two girls briefly shared the innocence of childhood before history closed in around them once more.
In 1940, the Nazi invasion of the Netherlands shattered any remaining sense of security. Anti-Jewish laws spread rapidly, and Eva’s family went into hiding. Their refuge was eventually betrayed, and on Eva’s fifteenth birthday in 1944, she, her parents, and her brother were arrested and deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau. Inside the camp, Eva was separated from her father and brother, who were murdered by the Nazis. Eva and her mother survived forced labor, starvation, and terror until liberation in 1945, carrying grief that would never leave them.
After the war, Eva returned to Amsterdam with her mother, who later married Otto Frank, making Eva Anne Frank’s stepsister. For many years, Eva remained silent, unable to confront the trauma she had endured. It was not until the late 1980s that she chose to speak publicly, realizing that the lessons of the Holocaust were at risk of being forgotten. From that moment, she devoted her life to testimony, education, and remembrance, warning that genocide begins with words, exclusion, and indifference.
In her later years, Eva Schloss became a tireless educator, traveling the world to share her story with clarity, dignity, and compassion. Honored for her work and deeply respected, she transformed personal suffering into a lifelong mission to protect truth and memory. Her legacy lives on through her words, recorded testimonies, and the countless people she inspired. Eva Schloss’s life stands as a solemn reminder that remembering the past is not optional—it is a moral duty owed to both the dead and the future.
