Fort
Ontario
Emergency
Refugee
Shelter

During World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt designated Fort Ontario in Oswego, New York as a shelter for refugees fleeing the Nazis and concentration camps in Europe. From August, 1944 to February 1946, 982 European refugees found safety at the camp.

Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum is dedicated to keeping alive the stories of the 982 refugees from World War II who were allowed into the United States as “guests” of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. For more information, go to their website:  http://safehavenmuseum.com.  (Image above is of the barracks at Fort Ontario, courtesy of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.)

Slide shows:

The Arrival to the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter: This slide show contains information as to the arrival process of the refugees from Italy to Oswego, NY and contains images, documents, and newspaper articles.

Life at the Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter: This slide show contains information as to the daily lives of the refugees in the shelter and contains images, documents, and newspaper articles.

Refugee Citizenship and Closing the Shelter: This slide show contains information regarding the immigrant status of the refugees and the closing of the shelter.