Some Holocaust stories feel distant because history books flatten them into dates and numbers. Gabi Goslar’s story doesn’t. It stays personal, specific, and uncomfortable in the way real lives always are.
Gabi is a Holocaust survivor whose life intersected closely with Anne Frank. Their connection gives her memories a rare weight, but her story stands on its own. It’s about childhood interrupted, separation, survival, and what it means to carry those experiences for decades after the war ended.
Gabi’s Early Life
Gabi Goslar was born on October 25, 1940, in Amsterdam. Her earliest years were ordinary and safe in the way childhood should be.
That ended quickly. By 1942, Nazi persecution of Jewish families had intensified, and daily life became dangerous. Like many others, Gabi’s family went into hiding to avoid deportation. What had been a normal home life turned into constant fear and secrecy.
Is Gabi Goslar Still Alive?
Yes. Gabi Goslar is still alive. She turned 85 in October 2025 and is reported to live in Israel. She has spent many years speaking publicly about her experiences, particularly with younger audiences who may only know the Holocaust as a chapter in a textbook.
Gabi’s Connection to Anne Frank
Gabi’s family hid in a building connected to the same complex where Anne Frank and her family were in hiding. The girls knew each other before the war, and their bond continued during those years underground.
This connection later became one of the most painful aspects of Gabi’s story. She would eventually encounter Anne again under horrific circumstances, long after their lives had been torn apart by arrests and deportation.
Gabi’s sister, Hannah Goslar, was one of Anne Frank’s closest friends.
The Separation
In August 1944, both families were arrested by the Gestapo.
Gabi and her sister Hanneli were deported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where they spent nearly two years in concentration camps. During this time, Gabi suffered from a severe ear infection that required surgery, a terrifying prospect in camp conditions.
Despite starvation, forced labor, illness, and constant fear, both sisters survived.
Gabi later spoke about holding onto memories of Anne and the brief moments of connection they shared, even after being separated by barbed wire.
Survival After the Camps
Liberation came in 1945, when Auschwitz was freed by Soviet forces. Survival didn’t mean life returned to normal. Like many survivors, Gabi emerged into a world where family members were gone and certainty no longer existed.
After the war, Otto Frank helped Gabi relocate to Switzerland, where she lived with her uncle. This move marked the start of rebuilding a life shaped by loss and memory.
Speaking Out and Being Seen
Gabi chose not to disappear into silence. She has spoken for decades at schools, universities, and Holocaust remembrance events, sharing her experiences in a direct, unsentimental way.
Her talks focus less on heroic framing and more on what actually happened: how easily lives were dismantled, how quickly rights vanished, and how ordinary people were forced into impossible situations.
Why Her Story Still Resonates
Gabi Goslar is remembered because she kept speaking long after the war ended. Not to summarize history, not to soften it, and not to turn it into something symbolic.
Her voice adds detail where history often becomes too abstract. It keeps individual lives visible in a story that is often reduced to numbers and dates. For many people, hearing her speak is the first time the Holocaust stops feeling distant and starts feeling real.
Her story remains relevant because she never allowed it to be simplified.
