Start of Main Content
In 1939, Freya Maier set sail on the MS St. Louis with more than 900 Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi Germany.
What they thought would be their passage to freedom took a dark turn when they were forced to return to Europe. By the end of the Holocaust, 254 of the refugees had been killed.
Learn the fate of Freya and her dress that symbolized the hope she had for a new life.
Artifacts shown in the video were donated to the Museum by Lynn J. Maier and Sonja Maier Geismar. Read more about the voyage of the St. Louis in this Holocaust Encyclopedia article.
This Section
The Museum's Collections
Look through a curated list of frequently searched collection types and themes.