During 1938 and 1939, the Nazi regime forced many German Jews to emigrate and leave for any country that would accept them. Consequently, in April 1939, Germany's Hamburg-America Line announced that a ship named the St. Louis will be leaving for Cuba. The response was astonishing as thousands of Jews hurried to purchase tickets, which were gone within a few weeks.

On May 13, 1939, the St. Louis set sail from Hamburg carrying 937 passengers, most of which were Jewish. The trip was to take two weeks, but circumstances warranted a different outcome. Unbeknown to the ship's passengers, the political situation in Cuba was extremely volatile, and the Cuban president at that time - Laredo Bru, invalidated - just eight days before the St. Louis left Germany - the passengers' landing permits. These certificates were arranged by the Cuban director general of immigration , Manuel Benitez Gonazlez, as replacements to the usual immigration visas. Eventhough these permits were free of charge, Gonzalez made a personal profit by charging as much as $160 per permit, making the passengers believe they had the proper documents for entry into Cuba.

When the St. Louis docked in Havana on May 27, 1939, only 28 passengers holding proper Cuban visas were allowed to disembark. The remaining passengers were kept on the ship with no explanations as to what was happening. Some negotiations began such as the one between the American Jewish Joint Distribution Commitee (JDC) and the Cuban government, but to no avail.

The St. Louis was ordered to leave Havana on June 2, with its captain, Gustav Schroder, steering it in the direction of Florida.


Once at the Floridian coast, the American government would not allow the refugees to enter the United States. It managed, though, to have the Cuban government agree to a $500 bond per refugee that the JDC was to deposit the following day. As the amount was too high, the St. Louis was forced to set sail back to Europe on June 6. The atmosphere on the ship was horrific. Passengers felt as though a second death sentence was put on their heads, and many tried to commit suicide.

On the way back to Europe, a few countries showed some kindness. Britain took in 287 refugees, Belgium took 214, France took 224 and the Netherland - 181. Nevertheless, these numbers were too few and too late. The ship docked in Antwerp on June 17, 1939 and most of its remaining refugees met their end as victims of the "Final Solution".

Bibliography:
Silberklang, David. "St. Louis." Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Ed. Israel Gutman. 4 Vols. New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1990.

"St. Louis." Encyclopedia of the Holocaust. Eds. Robert Rozett and shmuel Spector. New York:Facts on File, 2000.