Gustav Schröder: The German Captain Who Refused to Abandon More Than 900 Jewish Refugees

Gustav Schröder: The German Captain Who Refused to Abandon More Than 900 Jewish Refugees

What would you have done if hundreds of lives depended upon your refusal to follow orders?

Today I want to find out a little about Gustav Schröder. He was a German sea captain who became known for his determined efforts to protect 937 Jewish refugees aboard the MS St. Louis in 1939.

Gustav was born on the 27th of September 1885 in Hadersleben, then part of the German Empire. He began working at sea when he was sixteen and spent many years serving aboard both sailing ships and passenger vessels.

By 1939, Gustav was captain of the MS St. Louis. In May that year, the ship left Hamburg carrying Jewish passengers who were attempting to escape increasing persecution in Germany. Most hoped to get refuge in Cuba.

During the voyage, Gustav insisted that his passengers should be treated with dignity. He allowed religious services to take place and instructed his crew to behave respectfully, despite knowing that officials might disapprove.

When the ship arrived in Havana, however, the Cuban authorities refused to allow most of the passengers to disembark. Attempts to gain permission to land in the United States and Canada were also unsuccessful.

Gustav understood the danger his passengers faced if they were returned directly to Germany. He continued searching for somewhere that would accept them and reportedly considered desperate alternatives rather than surrendering them to the authorities.

Eventually, Britain, France, Belgium and the Netherlands agreed to receive the refugees. Although many reached safety, others were later trapped when German forces occupied much of Western Europe.

After the outbreak of the Second World War, Gustav was eventually assigned an administrative position and never went to sea again. Following the war, surviving passengers supposedly spoke in his defence after the war.

He died in Hamburg on the 10th of January 1959. In 1993, Yad Vashem recognised Gustav Schröder as Righteous Among the Nations for his efforts to protect his Jewish passengers.