I was wondering if any one here ever had a history class (particularly in High School) that mentions the fact that countries all over the world refused to take refuges from Germany before Hitler stopped emigration of Jews (and other targeted groups) in Germany. (Or for that matter if this is common knowledge.) I read about this in my own reading and the History channel. I have taken over 30 hours of history in College and this was never brought up.
I am not defending Germanys position in the Holocaust but I wonder why we don’t point out the racist attitudes that were present in all the other countries in the world.
John Wagner
I remember being taught that in College when I was there about 6 years ago. I think that the subject of the Holocaust is constantly shifting, and certain areas of focus tend to go into and out of vogue.
I went to a Catholic high school 30 years ago (and Catholics had a little explaining of their own to do about the persecution of Jews) but I distinctly recall learning about “the ship of the damned” (or maybe it was the “doomed”) full of Jewish refugees that was turned away by several countries.
I garduated from HS in 1992. We did learn about this, as well as the US internment camps, etc. The message I took away (a good one, I think): no one’s hands were clean in WWII.
Let me preface by saying that I did not learn any of the following in school and nothing that I am about to say should be taken as denying the existance of racism/anti-semitism; especially in the 1930s.
That out of the way, let me just make the following points;
Lots of countries have a history of being open to Jewish immigration, these would include the US, Canada, England, Argentina, and Germany (ironically).
No country is ever thrilled at the prospect of large numbers of refugees; see our own recent problems with Haitian and Cuban refugees.
In the 1930s the entire world was gripped by the Great Depression; I think that the unemployment rate in the US was something like 40% and much of the World was even worse. Immigration in general was not real popular at the time.
Despite this, many countries did take Jewish refugees from Germany, including Yugoslavia, China, Japan and Belgium. Unfortunately, many of these refugees went to parts of Europe that would eventually come under Nazi domination.
If you are specifically talking about the “Voyage of the Damned”/SS St Louis incident then it is a little more complicated than sometimes portrayed. The Nazis made this into a highly publicized incident while it was happening, spreading stories that all of the people on the boat were criminals, organizing demonstrations in Cuba, etc.
Despite all this, none of the people were returned to Germany, they found refuge in England, France and Belgium. As pointed out above, those who went to France and Belgium were out of luck.