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Eva Schloss

Eva Schloss is the daughter of Otto Frank's second wife Fritzi Markovits.

Person

  • Eva Minnie Schloss - Geiringer

Eva Schloss is the daughter of Otto Frank's second wife Fritzi Markovits. She spent the first years of her life in 1930s Vienna. After the 'Anschluss' in 1938, she went to live in Brussels with her brother and mother. Her father Erich was a shoe manufacturer, like his father.[1]

Around February 1940, Eva arrived at Merwedeplein with her brother and parents. She attended the nearby Vondel School.[2] One of her classmates was Sanne Ledermann. She had to leave that school in 1941 and attended sixth grade at a Jewish primary school.[3]

In 1942, Eva went into hiding with her mother. They were at different addresses. The last hiding place of her brother Heinz and father Erich was with Gré Katee-Walda on Noorderweg in Soest.[4] Eva and Fritzi regularly visited them by train, even though they knew they were taking a big risk by doing so. They sent postcards to Katee under the names Annie and Elly. This was how they announced visits or passed on other messages for husband and brother. On 23 November 1943, they wrote that Eva ('Elly') had been vaccinated against diphtheria.[5] And another letter shows that they wanted to visit on 23 December 1943.[6]

When Eva and her mother wanted to go to a temporary hiding place in Amsterdam in May 1944, they fell into the hands of the Sichterheitsdienst through betrayal, as did her father and brother.[7] The whole family was shipped to Auschwitz via Westerbork. They were part of the 19 May 1944 transport. Only Eva and her mother survived and made the same repatriation journey across Odessa and Marseille as Otto Frank.[8]

Eva went to the Amsterdam Lyceum after her return and entered the 'Extra Work Class' in mid-June 1945.[9] As a side job, she worked at the Institute of Light Pictures on Herengracht.[10]

In July 1949, she went to the World Union for Progressive Judaism congress in London as a delegate of the Liberal Jewish Congregation. As a result, she was not present at the ceremonial closing of her school.

Otto Frank knew someone in London with a photography studio and she was able to go there as an apprentice. Later, she devoted herself to photographing children. She married Israeli H. ('Zvi') Schloss on 17 July 1952. The couple continued to live in London and had three daughters. Zvi died in 2016.

In 1972, Eva started an antiques business.[11] It was located on Whitchurch Lane in Edgeware and was called Edgeware Antiques.[12]

Eva opened The World of Anne Frank exhibition in London in 1986.[13] It was the first time she appeared in public regarding anything Anne Frank-related. Then in 1988, in collaboration with journalist Evelyn Julia Kent, she published her own story entitled Eva's story. A survivor's tale by the stepsister of Anne Frank.[14] In Dutch, it appeared in 1995 as Herinneringen van een Joods meisje.

The Faculty of Health, Social Work and Education at the University of Northumbria (Newcastle) awarded her a Degree of Honorary Doctor of Civil Law in July 2001. This is because of the high recognition she has received internationally for her educational activities. She is therefore permitted to put 'Hon DCL' after her name.[15]

In January 2012, Queen Elizabeth made her a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her educational work and her role in the Anne Frank Trust UK.

Eva Schloss decided to reacquire Austrian citizenship in June 2021 after decades. Since her now-deceased husband wanted nothing to do with his originally German nationality, she initially had doubts. Austria also awarded her the Medal of Merit, an award similar to the British MBE.[16]

Addresses: Lautenbachgasse 18, Vienna,[17]  Brussels; Merwedeplein 46-I, Amsterdam (February 1940); 8 Olive Road, London (1953).[18]

Footnotes

  1. ^ Eva Schloss, Herinneringen van een Joods meisje 1938 – 1945, 3e druk, Breda: De Geus, 2005, p. 23.
  2. ^ Tot 1938 was dat de Jekerschool, de school die Margot Frank bezocht.
  3. ^ Stadsarchief Amsterdam (SAA), Het Amsterdams Lyceum, toegang 902, inv. nr. 2713: Notitie in leerlingendossier van Eva Minni Geiringer.
  4. ^ Nationaal Archief (NL-HaNA), Den Haag, Centraal Archief van de Bijzondere Rechtspleging (CABR), toegang 2.09.09, inv. nr. 75212: p.v.b. no. 188, Politieke Recherche Afdeling van de Gemeentepolitie Soest.
  5. ^ Familiearchief Anne Frank Fonds (AFF), Bazel, Familiearchief Frank-Elias, OtF_pdoc_019, tien kaarten aan Katee-Walda, 1943; privécollectie Eva Schloss-Geiringer: kaart aan Katee-Walda, 1943. Hier: OtF pdoc 019: kaart 23 november 1943.
  6. ^ AFF, OtF pdoc 019: kaart 19 december 1943.
  7. ^ NL-HaNA, CABR, inv. nr. 75212: p.v.b. no. 188, p. 9.
  8. ^ Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Anne Frank Collectie (AFC), reg. code A_OFrank_I_001: 18 lijsten opgemaakt door Centraal Registratie Bureau voor Joden met namen van Joodse overlevenden, 1945, lijst no. 3, lijst van Joden, via Odessa in Marseille aangekomen.
  9. ^ SAA, Het Amsterdams Lyceum, toegang 902, inv. nr. 2713: Leerlingendossier van Eva Minni Geiringer.
  10. ^ AFS, Getuigenverhalen: Transcriptie interview Eva Schloss-Geiringer door David de Jongh, 12 en 13 november 2008, tijdcode 1:01:16.
  11. ^ AFS, Getuigenverhalen: transcriptie interview Evan Schloss-Geiringer, tijdcode 00:26:42.
  12. ^ AFS, AFC, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_074: Notitie Eva Schloss op briefpapier van de zaak, ongedateerd.
  13. ^ 'Eva Schloss: Anne Frank was gewoon meisje', Het Parool, 13 februari 1986.
  14. ^ 'De terugkeer van Eva Schloss', Trouw, 22 april 1984.
  15. ^ AFS, AFC, Getuigenarchief E. Schloss-Geiringer: E-mail Hilary Dixon van Northumbria, 18 juni 2021. 
  16. ^ Eva Schloss: 'Why I took Austrian citizenship aged 92', BBC News, 22 June 2021.
  17. ^ Wiener Adressbuch. Lehmann’s allgemeiner Wohnungs-Anzeiger I, Wenen: Österreichische Anzeige-Gesellschaft AG, 1935, p. 353.
  18. ^ AFS, AFC, OFA, reg. code: OFA_010: Agenda 1953, Adressen.