On May 13 1939 the SS St Louis, a German ocean liner, set sail from Hamburg. On board were 915 Jewish refugees hoping to escape gathering oppression in Europe. There were dances and concerts aboard the luxury vessel and the indulgent captain permitted passengers to throw a tablecloth over an offending bust of Adolf Hitler. Two weeks later, the ship dropped anchor in Havana, pending what passengers, who had purchased Cuban visas, fully expected to be a warm reception. It was not to be. The Cuban authorities turned them away as, subsequently, did those of the US and Canada. The St Louis was obliged to return to Europe. An estimated quarter of its passengers ended up perishing in Nazi concentration camps.
1939年5月13日，德国远洋班轮“圣路易斯号”(SS St Louis)从汉堡起航。船上有915名犹太难民，他们希望逃离欧洲日益逼近的迫害。这艘豪华客轮上频频举办舞会和音乐会，宽宏大量的船长还允许乘客在令人不悦的阿道夫•希特勒(Adolf Hitler)半身像上盖上桌布。两周后，该船抵达古巴哈瓦那，已经购买了古巴签证的乘客们满心期待着热情的接待。结果并非如此。古巴当局拒绝他们入境，后来美国和加拿大有关部门也作出同样的决定。圣路易斯号被迫返回欧洲。据估计，其1/4的乘客最后死于纳粹集中营。