Here are the human stories behind the fateful 1939 voyage of the S.S. St. Louis on which so many German refugees pinned their hope for survival. Ten years in the search, Ogilvie, and later Miller, followed up every lead from every country and when those led to a blind alley, somehow found another way to approach it. For their tenacity, perseverance, dedication and sheer brilliance, they deserve thanks from all, especially those of us who are interested in every dimension of the Holocaust, and in our country’s less than admirable role in saving Jews; although ultimately, half of the original 937 passengers were revealed to have eventually emigrated to the United States.
If you ask anyone, even we who are involved in Holocaust Studies, what happened to the St. Louis passengers after they had to return to Europe, we might say that except for the 200 plus selected to disembark in England most perished. There were 620 passengers hosted by France, Belgium, and Holland. The authors discovered that 87 were able to emigrate prior to the German invasion, 532 remained in those countries, and 254 died under Nazi occupation.
This book is far more than a search story. Another of the authors’ goals was to uncover every bit of history, every nuance of each person they had researched and by presenting their stories provide a lasting memorial for each one — not only an account of what happened to them, but a portrait of each one’s personality. They more than accomplished this by employing a graceful narrative style, so that the book is good reading as well as informative.
Ogilvie and Miller, who were so determined and resourceful, write: “when one searches for the fates of individuals from sixty years ago, there is no absolute end… the more testimony, the more facts, though at the same time the more complications— it can now be said that the fates and stories of the 937 St. Louis passengers…have been accounted for.” We owe them a debt of thanks.
