Eva Schloss did a talk at George Mason University last week. Eva is 88 and in a few years there will be no survivors to tell first hand stories so I'm glad my youngest got hear it too. It was pretty powerful.

Eva lived near Anne Frank's family early in life and after the war Anne Frank's father married her mother. Her family lived in Austria but emigrated to Netherlands. It was her mom, dad, brother and her and they went into hiding in the Netherlands. They moved from house to house at night. Slept during the day stayed up during the night - when homes were searched. A nurse reported them to the Gestapo. The nurse turned in '200 people - after the war she got just 4yrs in prison.

Eva Schloss' family was transported by cattle car to Auschwitz. Upon arrival 1/2 of the people (young and old were immediately gassed). She (15) and her mom went to the women's camp (Birkenau) and her father and brother to the men's camp. She never saw her father or brother again - they died in the death marches. Upon arrival, she was stripped, shaved, tattooed, given 1 coat and 2 shoes. Her and her mom were 'lucky' in that they were only in Auschwitz for 9 months before Russian troops liberated the camp. When the Russians came they feed them but their stomachs couldn't tolerate the influx of much food so it made them sick. They had to learn to eat slowly.

She was most critical of the Germans citizens that let this all happen. They didn't stand up.

Obviously, the whole experience was horrible, but she said one of the worst things was when her father told her after they were captured by the Gestapo "I can't protect you anymore."