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The life and legacy of Eva Schloss, part 1

Part one of the late Eva Schloss鈥� extraordinary Holocaust testimony and her childhood memories of Anne Frank.

Eva Schloss, the Holocaust survivor and stepsister of Anne Frank, died on 3 January 2026 at the age of 96.

In 2022, she spoke to Outlook鈥檚 Emily Webb about being childhood friends and neighbours with Anne Frank in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. Eva remembers Anne鈥檚 nickname was 鈥楳iss Quack Quack鈥� because she always loved talking. Then, like the Franks, Eva鈥檚 Jewish family was forced into hiding. Both families were ultimately betrayed and deported to Auschwitz, the most notorious of the Nazi death camps. After the war, Eva became Anne鈥檚 posthumous stepsister when her mother married Otto Frank, Anne鈥檚 father. Together they worked tirelessly to promote Anne Frank鈥檚 legacy through her diary.

Eva shared her extraordinary Holocaust testimony over two episodes. In this first episode, she describes her life before Auschwitz and her family鈥檚 eventual capture. In part two, you can hear about Eva鈥檚 memories of the liberation of Auschwitz, sitting with Otto Frank as he discovers Anne鈥檚 diary, and her efforts to keep her brother Heinz鈥檚 memory alive.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Maryam Maruf

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: A black and white photo of Eva Schloss aged 11 in 1940. She is wearing a black dress with a light-coloured collar and is sitting at a desk holding a pen. Credit: Courtesy of Eva Schloss)

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Thu 8 Jan 2026 12:06GMT
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  • Fri 9 Jan 2026 03:06GMT

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