Hamburg-Amerika Line orange and white luggage tag used by a Jewish family on the MS St. Louis
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 6.125 inches (15.558 cm) | Width: 4.250 inches (10.795 cm)
Creator(s)
- Evelyn Altman (Subject)
Biographical History
Evelyn Klein Altman was born on June 12, 1930, near Vienna, Austria, to Maria Hermanda. Her mother later married Miklos (Nicolaus) Klein and she and Evelyn adopted his last name. By 1939, many Jews were seeking to escape countries and regions that, like Austria, were under the control of Nazi Germany, or, like Hungary, were close allies. In 1939, the Kleins acquired entry visas and landing permits for Havana, Cuba, and purchased tickets for the Hamburg-Amerika luxury liner, Ms. St. Louis. The family left Hamburg, Germany, for Havana aboard the ship on May 13, 1939. They reached Havana on May 27. The Kleins were among the 28 passengers, out of 937, whose landing permits for Cuba and visas for the United States were considered valid by the Cuban government. The ship, with the remaining passengers, nearly all Jewish refugees from Nazi controlled countries, was forced to return to Europe. The Kleins disembarked in Havana, where they stayed until 1941 when they left for the United States. Hermanda died in 1988. Evelyn married and had three children. She died in Denver, Colorado, age 71, on July 5, 2001.
Archival History
The MS St. Louis travel label was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2010 by Don Altman, the husband of Evelyn Klein Altman.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Don Altman
Funding Note: The cataloging of this artifact has been supported by a grant from the Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.
Scope and Content
Orange and white luggage tag used by 8 year old Evelyn Klein, her mother, Maria Hermanda, and her stepfather, Nicolaus (Miklos) during their voyage aboard the Ms St. Louis to Havana, Cuba, on May 13-27, 1939. By 1939, many Jews were seeking to escape areas of Europe that were controlled by Nazi Germany. In 1939, the Klein family, residents of Hungary, acquired landing permits for Cuba and entry visas for the United States and sailed on the luxury liner from Hamburg to Havana. The majority of the 937 passengers were Jews fleeing Nazi Germany. When the ship arrived on May 27, the Cuban government declared that only 28 passengers had valid landing permits. The Klein family was among those allowed to disembark. For over a week, the passengers on board the ship petitioned Cuba and the US to give them refuge; however, on June 6, the boat had to sail back to Europe. The Klein family remained in Havana until 1941, when they emigrated to the United States.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
Oval, white cardboard luggage tag with an orange background and narrow white border. At the top is a punch hole with a paper and metal grommet with a white string tied through it. One side has an image of an ocean liner in dark orange and white ink, beneath this is a banner with the company name in German. The remainder has a white shield shaped design with preprinted lines in English, French, German, and Spanish and handwritten text completing the form. On the reverse are red pencilled markings and a circular paper sticker with the company logo in black, blue, and yellow.
front, center, preprinted in black ink, handwritten in pencil : Klein Nicoleuis (handwritten) / NAME NAME NOMBRE / St. Louis (handwritten) / SCHIFF VESSEL VAPOR / 13. V.39 (handwritten) / ABFAHRTSTAG DATE OF SAILING FECHA DE SALIDA / Habana[?] (handwritten) / BESTIMMUNGSHAFEN PORT OF DESTINATION PUERTO DE DESTINO / 2/. (handwritten) / KAMMER ROOM CAMROTE / Nr. reverse, red pencil : L / 5
Corporate Bodies
- St. Louis (Ship)
Subjects
- Jewish refugees--Cuba.
- Jewish refugees--United States.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--Cuba.
- Hungary--Emigration and immigration.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--United States.
Genre
- Object
- Identifying Artifacts