Disembarkation of nearly all of the passengers at the official destination port of Havana, Cuba, was refused in the midst of Cuban political turmoil and corruption.

[citation needed] When Schröder returned to Germany in 1919, he found himself without a job following forced demilitarisation and the limit placed on the number of warships in the German Navy by the Treaty of Versailles.

Schröder was next appointed captain of MS St. Louis, and in 1939 he sailed from Germany to Cuba carrying 937 Jewish refugees seeking asylum.

He insisted that his passengers be treated with respect and allowed them to conduct religious services on board even though he knew that his leniency would be viewed unfavorably by the ruling Nazi Party.

The refugees were refused entry at Cuba and neither the United States nor Canada would let them land, forcing Schröder to return with them to Europe.

In the 1976 drama film about the St. Louis, Voyage of the Damned, Schröder is played by Swedish-French actor Max von Sydow.