St. Louis Blues

"The Dutch-language opera St. Louis Blues is based on true events in the year 1939. In that year, the St. Louis passenger ship sails with 937 Jewish passengers from Hamburg to Havana. The refugees hope to bring themselves into safety from persecution by the Nazi’s, and to obtain in Cuba an entry visa for the US. What starts as a journey full of euphoria ends in deception: Cuba, the US and South America close their borders to refugees. With more than 900 Jews, the ship is forced to return to Europe, where a horrible fate awaits many of them. For most, it was the same fate that befell as millions of Jews during World War II. Does history repeat itself? 80 years later, it is bitter to find that the fate of boat refugees is still uncertain today. Thus, the opera connects the past with the present: by reflecting on the past, we might be encouraged to re-think the present. Is there a place for humanity today? Or is that a bridge too far?" (Donemus)