Remembering Eva Schloss

The Anne Frank Center mourns the passing of Mrs. Eva Schloss, who left us on Saturday morning at the age of 96. Eva had a profound impact around the world, co-founding the Anne Frank Trust in the United Kingdom and speaking all over.  She also had a profound if lesser-known impact upon South Carolina and the Anne Frank Center.  

Born in Austria on May 11, 1929, just 31 days before Anne Frank, Eva Geiringer fled with her family to Amsterdam, living in the same neighborhood as the Frank family.  Betrayed on her 15th birthday and sent to Auschwitz, Eva managed to survive with her mother.  When Auschwitz was liberated, she searched for her father and brother, who had been murdered, but recognized Otto Frank.  Eight years later, Otto would marry her mother Elfriede.

Eva bottled up her anger about what was done to her, her family, and her community for 40 years before beginning to speak.  But once she did, she spent the next 40 years changing attitudes, changing lives.

Around 2015, Rabbi Hesh Epstein told me that he had been trying to bring Eva to Columbia for years.  I replied, “Let me see what I can do!”  I had been fortunate to get to know Dr. Dienke Hondius, a historian at the Anne Frank House, and the woman who first nudged Eva to share her story.  She reached out directly, and we were exceptionally fortunate that Eva agreed to speak in South Carolina both for the Jewish community, interviewed by Dr. Lily Filler, and for school children on the USC campus in 2017.

Eva had spoken to audiences of 200-300 people before, but when President Pastides interviewed her at the Koger Center, 56 busloads of school children, mostly middle school students born in 2005, were in attendance.  

You can view that interview here.

The Jerry and Anita Zucker Family Foundation generously donated 2000 copies of Eva’s autobiography (Eva’s Story) for the students in attendance, and a signed nameplate was inserted into each copy.  With 2000 school students born in 2005, I imagined the many hundreds of them who would also live to 90, and in the year 2095 be able to tell their great-grandchildren, “I personally heard Anne Frank’s step-sister describe her survival at Auschwitz.”  That will be 150 years after Auschwitz was liberated.  We’ve only recently reached 150 years since slavery. The administration was understandably concerned about whether so many middle schoolers would behave appropriately.  They gave her three standing ovations.  

President Emeritus Pastides wrote that “I have met several brave souls who survived the darkest days of the Holocaust and all demonstrated concern and love for persons who have suffered in other times and places.  Eva epitomized that by delving into the history of slavery in our country and demonstrating a kinship with descendants of enslaved people.  Her visit to our university was an honor for our community. May she rest in eternal peace.” 

Eva had a generous heart and an infectious curiosity.  She loved visiting the Horseshoe and learning about the University.  

Eva’s first contact with USC students came in 2014 when she spoke with Morgan Bailey at the Anne Frank House.

Eva was thrilled to reach so many students from all over the state.  Word of the event reached the Anne Frank House, which was looking for a new partner to promote its work around the United States.  By October of the following year, USC and the Anne Frank House had agreed to create a permanent partner site of the Anne Frank House on campus.  The success of Eva’s visit was pivotal to everything that has followed.

There are many wonderful tributes available now.  

The Anne Frank House statement is here.

King Charles, who danced with Eva Schloss to celebrate Hanukkah, released a statement here.

May her memory be a blessing.

Doyle Stevick, Ph. D.

Executive Director, Anne Frank Center

University of South Carolina