The St. Louis

The St. Louis

World & Cultural Geography

Fleeing German Persecution

• On May 13, 1939, the passenger ship St. Louis departed Hamburg, Germany, and sailed to the island of Cuba and its capitol city of Havana

• On board the ship were 937 passengers, almost all of them Jews, who were leaving Germany to escape the discrimination and violence Jews faced on a daily basis under Nazi rule

The Escape and Rejection

• The trip to Havana took the St. Louis two weeks

• Upon their arrival in Cuba, unfortunately, the passengers were not allowed to disembark

• Cuban officials claimed that the travel visas of the passengers were invalid due to corruption

• 22 passengers were allowed to get off of the ship

The U.S. and Canada

• Upon leaving Cuba, the ship sailed slowly towards Miami

• The captain and crew of the St. Louis made requests with the White House and the U.S. State Department, seeking permission to dock and to allow for the passengers to enter the United States. All requests were denied

• Canadian authorities rejected overtures as well, fearing that if the country accepted this ship full of refugees that more ships would come

Multiple Choice

In what year did the St. Louis sail to Cuba?

• 1938

• 1940

• 1949

• 1939

Multiple Select

Why do you think the passengers of the St. Louis were fleeing Germany? (check all that apply)

• Discrimination against Jews

• Hatred towards Jews

• Targeted violence of Jews

• Their German Visas had expired

What's Next?

• The St. Louis had no other option but to return to Europe

• Prior to the ship's arrival back in Europe, permission was received for the St. Louis to dock in Antwerp, Belgium, which took place on June 17, 1939

Fate of the Passengers

• Once the passengers arrived in Belgium, help was given in finding new homes.

• Belgium, France, Great Britain, and the Netherlands all took refugees

• Unfortunately, once the war started and the Germans took large swaths of Europe, many of the passengers found themselves under Nazi threat once again

• It is estimated that around 250 of the St. Louis passengers did not survive to see the end of the war

Multiple Choice

True or False: The St. Louis returned to Hamburg, Germany, with all of its passengers except for those who got off in Cuba.

• False

• True

Multiple Choice

Of the 900 or so passengers who returned to Europe, about how many survived the war?

• 100

• 650

• 800

• 250

Open Ended

What universe of obligation scenario do you see in regards to the experiences of the St. Louis and its passengers?