On May 13, 1939 the St. Louis set sail for Havanna with more than 900 Jewish refugees, who all possessed landing certificates for Cuba. However, the landing certificates they had purchased were canceled by the Cuban government, and despite intense negotiations, they were denied entry and were forced to return to Europe. The refugees were taken in by other European countries, and many of the passengers ultimately perished during the Holocaust - including all of the members of rhe Kaufherr family pictured here.