III 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. RES. 111 

Recognizing June 6, 2009, as the 70th anniversary of the tragic date when 

the M.S. St. Louis, a ship carrying Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, 

returned to Europe after its passengers were refused admittance to 

the United States. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 23, 2009 

Mr. KOHL (for himself, Mr. VOINOVICH, Mr. BROWNBACK, and Mr. WYDEN) 

submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 

on the Judiciary 

MAY 19, 2009 

Committee discharged; considered and agreed to 

RESOLUTION 

Recognizing June 6, 2009, as the 70th anniversary of the 

tragic date when the M.S. St. Louis, a ship carrying 

Jewish refugees from Nazi Germany, returned to Europe 

after its passengers were refused admittance to the 

United States. 

Whereas on May 13, 1939, the ocean liner M.S. St. Louis departed from Hamburg, Germany for Havana, Cuba with 

937 passengers, most of whom were Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution; 

Whereas the Nazi regime in Germany in the 1930s implemented a program of violent persecution of Jews; 


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SRES 111 ATS 

Whereas the Kristallnacht, or Night of Broken Glass, pogrom 

of November 9 through 10, 1938, signaled an increase in 

violent anti-Semitism; 

Whereas after the Cuban Government, on May 27, 1939, refused entry to all except 28 passengers on board the M.S. 

St. Louis, the M.S. St. Louis proceeded to the coast of 

south Florida in hopes that the United States would accept the refugees; 

Whereas the United States refused to allow the M.S. St. 

Louis to dock and thereby provide a haven for the Jewish 

refugees; 

Whereas the Immigration Act of 1924 placed strict limits on 

immigration; 

Whereas a United States Coast Guard cutter patrolled near 

the M.S. St. Louis to prevent any passengers from jumping to freedom; 

Whereas following denial of admittance of the passengers to 

Cuba, the United States, and Canada, the M.S. St. Louis 

set sail on June 6, 1939, for return to Antwerp, Belgium 

with the refugees; and 

Whereas 254 former passengers of the M.S. St. Louis died 

under Nazi rule: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the Senate— 

2 (1) recognizes that June 6, 2009, marks the 

3 70th anniversary of the tragic date when the M.S. 

4 St. Louis returned to Europe after its passengers 

5 were refused admittance to the United States and 

6 other countries in the Western Hemisphere; 


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SRES 111 ATS 

1 (2) honors the memory of the 937 refugees 

2 aboard the M.S. St. Louis, most of whom were Jews 

3 fleeing Nazi oppression, and 254 of whom subse4 quently died during the Holocaust; 

5 (3) acknowledges the suffering of those refugees 

6 caused by the refusal of the United States, Cuban, 

7 and Canadian governments to provide them political 

8 asylum; and 

9 (4) recognizes the 70th anniversary of the M.S. 

10 St. Louis tragedy as an opportunity for public offi11 cials and educators to raise awareness about an im12 portant historical event, the lessons of which are rel13 evant to current and future generations. 

Æ 


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