In May 1939, 937 refugees — most of them Jewish — fled Nazi Germany hoping to find safety in the Americas. Instead, they spent more than a month drifting at sea, denied entry first by Cuba and then by the United States, before finally returning to Europe — where many would face the horrors of the Holocaust.
A Journey Begun in Desperation
On May 13, 1939, the SS St. Louis, a German ocean liner, left Hamburg carrying hundreds of Jewish families escaping increasing persecution. Many had already endured the trauma of Kristallnacht in November 1938, when Jewish homes, synagogues, and businesses across Germany were destroyed.
The passengers planned to stop in Havana, Cuba, where they would wait for U.S. immigration visas before traveling to America.
Cuba Refuses to Let the Ship Land
When the St. Louis reached Havana on May 27, the refugees were met with resistance. Economic instability and political tension had fueled negative sentiment toward accepting more migrants.
A government decree issued shortly before the ship’s arrival invalidated many landing permits, leaving only 28 passengers legally allowed to disembark.
The rest — over 900 people — remained stranded on the ship as it was ordered to leave Cuban waters.
A Desperate Appeal to the United States
Captain Gustav Schröder attempted to sail toward Florida in the hope that the United States might offer refuge. Passengers sent telegrams to American officials, humanitarian groups intervened, and letters were even addressed to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
The U.S. government, however, maintained strict immigration quotas at the time and ultimately denied entry.
Though conditions on board were humane and compassionate — thanks to Schröder’s efforts to treat passengers with dignity — the ship was given no permission to dock. U.S. Coast Guard vessels shadowed the liner, ensuring it did not approach the shore.
With no options left, the captain turned the ship back toward Europe.
A Final Search for Safety
Jewish aid organizations urgently negotiated with European governments to prevent the refugees from being forced back to Nazi Germany. Eventually, four countries agreed to accept them:
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Great Britain: 288 passengers
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France: 224 passengers
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Belgium: 214 passengers
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The Netherlands: 181 passengers
The ship docked in Antwerp, Belgium, in June 1939, and passengers were distributed among these host nations.
The Impact of War
When Germany invaded Western Europe in 1940, 532 of the St. Louis passengers found themselves once again in danger. Of those, 278 survived the war. Sadly, 254 were murdered in the Holocaust.
Despite everything, Captain Schröder was later honored for his lifesaving efforts; he had fought tirelessly to protect his passengers and refused to return them to Germany.
A Legacy That Still Echoes
The voyage of the SS St. Louis remains a powerful symbol of:
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the human cost of restrictive immigration policies
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the desperation faced by refugees
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the tragic consequences of being denied safe haven
Today, the story is remembered as a reminder of the importance of compassion in times of crisis — and of the lives that might have been saved had the world chosen differently.