Doomed at Sea? Maritime Spaces and the Jewish Refugee Crisis in the 1930s

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article provides new insights into the history of forced migration during the Nazi regime by investigating the maritime space of the ‘ship’ and its inscribed notions and perceptions in times of persecution and oppression. It highlights the various functions and transformations of the ‘ship’, but also analyses the conflicting social, political and economic interests of the different protagonists. Using the ships Königstein and Caribia as case studies, the paper opens up new perspectives on the processes of Jewish forced migration and illustrates the importance of maritime spaces for a better understanding of the Jewish refugee crisis in the 1930s.