Erich Dublon

Erich Dublon was a German-Jewish diarist from Erfurt, Germany, who lived during the rise of Nazi persecution. In 1939, he attempted to emigrate to Cuba with his brother Wilhelm Dublon, his sister-in-law Erna Dublon, and their two young daughters, Lore and Eva.

The Dublon family boarded the MS St. Louis, a German, diesel-powered, ocean liner bound for Cuba that carried hundreds of Jewish refugees fleeing persecution in Europe. After a sixteen-day transatlantic voyage, the ship reached Havana Harbor, where passengers were forced to remain on board while Cuban authorities debated whether to admit them. The refugees were ultimately denied entry into both Cuba and the United States. After the Nazi occupation of Belgium and the intensification of extermination policies, the family was deported and murdered at the Auschwitz concentration camp.

Early life Erich Dublon was born on November 6, 1890, in Apolda, Germany. As an adult, he lived in Erfurt, Germany, with his brother Willi Dublon, sister-in-law Erna, and their daughters. Erich and Willi co-owned a shoe store called Salamander Schuhe.

After the Third Reich came to power, the government imposed economic restrictions aimed at excluding Jews from German society. The Nuremberg Laws, enacted in September 1935, introduced a legal framework that distinguished between Germans and Jews. In the wake of the Great Depression, public opposition to immigration grew, fueled by fears that foreign workers would compete for scarce jobs. In May 1940, however, German forces occupied the country. The occupation authorities soon implemented anti-Jewish measures, including a census to identify the Jewish population.

At the age of 50, Erich Dublon was deported to the Mechelen transit camp and later transported to the Auschwitz complex. He was not sent directly to the gas chambers but was instead selected for forced labor. Auschwitz records state that he died of a heart attack on September 3, 1942.

His brother Willi was arrested by the Gestapo and sent to the Mechelen camp on December 23, 1943. Erna Dublon and her daughters, Lore and Eva, were also captured on January 8, 1944. The family was deported to Auschwitz on January 17, 1944. Upon arrival, Willi (aged 54), Erna (aged 40), and Eva (aged 10) were killed in the gas chambers. Lore, aged 16, was selected for forced labor and transferred to the Golleschau subcamp, where she later died.

Legacy Erich Dublon's travel diary provides a detailed account of the voyage of the MS St. Louis. It documents the daily lives of the passengers and records their emotional distress when entry into Havana was denied. The diary has contributed to the historical understanding of Jewish migration during World War II and the experiences of the MS St. Louis passengers.