Renowned psychologist and Holocaust survivor Edith Eger has died at the age of 98 in San Diego. Born in 1927 in Košice, then part of Czechoslovakia, she was a talented ballet dancer and gymnast before her life was upended by the Second World War. In 1944, she and her family were deported to Auschwitz, where her parents were killed and she endured forced labor, starvation, and a death march before being liberated in 1945.

After the war, Eger recovered from severe illness and injuries and eventually emigrated to the United States with her husband. Inspired by psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, she pursued a career in psychology, earning a doctorate and founding a clinical practice while teaching at the University of California in San Diego. She became known for her work helping patients overcome trauma and for publishing two books in her nineties.

Eger returned to Auschwitz decades after the war, describing the visit as a crucial step in reclaiming her sense of freedom and confronting her past. Throughout her life, she emphasized resilience, personal responsibility, and the possibility of joy despite profound suffering, dedicating her career to guiding others toward healing.