In 1939 the MS St. Louis carried more than 900 Jewish refugees across Atlantic searching for safety

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]In 1939, the German ocean liner Mississippi St. Louis crossed the Atlantic carrying more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution only to find that no country would let them stay. The passenger ship Mississippi St. Louis departed Hamburg, Germany carrying hundreds of Jewish refugees seeking safety from Nazi rule. Most passengers believed they were escaping certain persecution in Europe. Their destination was Cuba where many hoped to begin new lives far from the growing danger in Germany. Families boarded the ship carrying only a few possessions and uncertain hopes for the future. As the liner crossed the Atlantic, conditions aboard remained calm compared to the fear many had left behind. Captain Gustav Schroeder treated the passengers with unusual humanity during the voyage.

[00:00:53]When the ship arrived in Havana in May 1939, the Cuban government refused to recognize most passenger entry permits.

[00:01:01]Only a small number of refugees were allowed to disembark. The Mississippi St. Louis remained trapped offshore as desperate negotiations continued.

[00:01:11]Passengers watched the lights of Havana from the deck while uncertainty spread throughout the ship. Attempts to secure refuge in the United States and Canada also failed. With no safe harbor available, the ship was forced to return across the Atlantic. Several European countries later accepted portions of the refugees. But many passengers eventually became trapped once again under Nazi occupation during World War II. The voyage of the Mississippi St. Louis became one of the most tragic refugee stories in maritime history. Today, the ship remains a powerful symbol of displacement, fear, and the consequences of closed borders during humanitarian crises.