He was accompanied by his devoted disciple and girlfriend, dore koerwein, who was known to. The galapagos affair the real story, history and the movie. They set up a homestead on floreana island and worked very hard there, moving. Apr 04, 2014 friedrich ritter and dore strauch, residents of berlin, were two such dreamers. In july 1929, they set sail from amsterdam, bound for the galapagos islands, which the british scientist charles darwin had explored in the 19th century. The tales were of nudism, free love communes, stainless steel dentures a latterday garden of eden. Satan came to eden cate blanchett dore strauch, thomas kretschmann friedrich ritter, josh radnor john garth diane kruger margret wittmer, sebastian koch heinz wittmer, connie nielson the baroness gustaf skarsgard rolf blumberg. The impressive cast includes cate blanchett and diane kruger. A few sentences later, she is my comrade, and later, dore. Dore and friedrich were in many ways living out their own embodiment of adam and eve and they were called the adam and eve of the galapagos, said goldfine. In 1929 a german doctor named friedrich ritter and his former patient dore strauch landed on floreana, a thenuninhabited island in the galapagos archipelago features book marks. The galapagos affair is a documentary that plays like. Friedo was the name that friedrich ritter and dore strauch dubbed their settlement on floreana.
In 1929, friedrich ritter, a humorless nietzschean and his loveracolyte, dore strauch, left their spouses and set off together to live apart from civilization in the remote galapagos island of. Friedrich ritter, a physician and philosopher, and his companion, dore strauch, landed on floreana, fleeing from civilization and anxious to remake their lives in harmony with nature. Ive written about both books here, as well as a later account written by. Turns out to be a bad deal for dore, as ritter embraces not just the philosophy but also the misogyny of his ubermensch idol. Jul 28, 2014 drawing largely on home movies shot by the subjects in the 1930s, the picture pieces together the circumstances that led to several unexplained deaths. Friedrich ritter, a 43 yearold german dentist, left his wife and brought a patient of his with a limp, dore strauch when he decided to leave the world behind and go live a paradisical, isolated, experimental life on floreana. Dore and friedrich were in many ways living out their own embodiment of adam and eve and they were. In 1932 heinz and margret wittmer arrived with their son harry, and shortly afterwards their son rolf was born there, the first citizen of the island known to have been born in the galapagos.
Galapagos affair, historical documentary of island expats. Another volume on their shelf specified the location. Shortly after marrying margret in 1931, he announced that they were moving to the galapagos. Friedrich ritter and dore strauch, residents of berlin, were two such dreamers. Fleeing conventional society, a berlin doctor and his mistress start a new life on uninhabited floreana island. The silent scene is taken from old footage left by a handful of german and germanic. Friedrich ritter voiced by thomas kretschmann friedrich ritter was born in the little town of wollbach near germanys black forrest. The galapagos affair needlessly pads a fascinating historical. Dore strauch returned to germany and wrote a book, fascinating not only for the sordid tales of the. He brought with him one of his patients, dore strauch.
He was equally absorbed as was much of the world by william beebes book, galapagos, end of the world. In 1929, friedrich ritter and dore strauch arrived in guayaquil from berlin to settle on floreana, and sent letters back that were widely reported in the press, encouraging others to follow. She was 28yearsold when, in july 1929, she left berlin and her husband behind in order to migrate permanently to the uninhabited galapagos island of floreana with her lover and physician, dr. Or rather, she loves him, while he suspects she might be a cut above most weak and cowardly women. Oct 18, 2019 in 1929 a german doctor named friedrich ritter and his former patient dore strauch landed on floreana, a thenuninhabited island in the galapagos archipelago off the coast of ecuador. Dore strauch and friedrich ritter in the galapagos affair. Frederick ritter and dore strauch showed up with a plan to create a utopia for two. Satan came to eden is more than a little disturbing. In 1929, a nietzscheobsessed doctor, friedrich ritter, left his wife and his german homeland to flee with his mistress, dore strauch, to floreana, a.
The gruesome history of the galapagos islands nietzsche. Friedrich ritter abandoned his wife and berlin dental practice and eloped with his patient and lover, a married teacher named dore strauch, to floreana. Apr 04, 2014 the galapagos affair is a documentary that plays like strange fiction. The galapagos affair satan came to eden zeitgeist films. Originally published in 1936, satan came to eden meticulously recounts ritter and strauch s often bizarre, truelife struggle from a survivors point of viewan account lost to the public for nearly 80 years. Ritteror perhaps his atlantic monthly editor refers to her as dore ritter, thereby implying they were a married couple. Friedrich ritter who was eager to leave civilization behind and embark on an experiment living as far away from the outside world as possible. This book, which is the story of our life together, is published to the memory of my. Both dore strauch and margret wittmer wrote books describing their experiences and the hardship as early settlers, as well as their own interpretation of the mysterious deaths and disappearances on this remote tropical island.
The pair embarked on a fourweek journey from berlin to south america, where they waited a month in guayaquil before sailing to the island of floreana. Heinz wittmer had been fascinated by published stories of dr. Suffering is something to endure and learn from, the compact, muscular german expat physician friedrich ritter tells his msafflicted mistress and fellow exile dore strauch in dayna goldfine and dan gellers painstakingly executed, strangely fascinating documentary the galapagos affair. For berlin doctor friedrich ritter and his lover and former patient, dore strauch, the promise of solitude was too much to resist. Friedo has been long since overgrown, and the site is currently on the cruz familys property. It started with an eccentric professor, dr friedrich ritter, and his lover, dore strauch, who fled to galapagos as hitler was rising to power. Syrian civil war series starring james purefoy ordered at hulu. Friedrich ritter, an eccentric german intellectual, and his longsuffering companion dora strauch, were the first arrivals. The empress of the galapagos islands, part 3 smithsonian. The mysterious murder that rocked the galapagos islands. Frederick ritter and dore strauch fled the social a.
She arrived on floreana in 1929, and left soon after the death of her companion, dr. In 1929 a german doctor named friedrich ritter and his former patient dore strauch landed on floreana, a thenuninhabited island in the galapagos archipelago off the coast of ecuador. Throughout his youth fritz was told countless stories about ritter, dore strauch and other floreana. Apr 04, 2014 its original adam and eve friedrich ritter, a german physician, and his younger lover, dore strauch, who were both married to others abandoned their mates to put down roots in this. Stars such as cate blanchett read from diaries and books.
In 1929, german doctor friedrich ritter abandoned his practice and moved to the islands, feeling he needed a new start in a faraway place. Apr 10, 2014 the cast of voices, the galapagos affair. Satan came to eden cate blanchett dore strauch, thomas kretschmann friedrich ritter, josh radnor john garth diane kruger margret wittmer, sebastian koch heinz wittmer, connie nielson the. This book is also a memoir written by one of the parties involved, dore strauch, who had come to the island with her lover and mentor, dr. In fact, both were married to others, and her name was dore strauch koerwin emphases added. Ritter and dores journey to and life in the galapagos. No teeth til eden strauch wrote a memoir about her life on. Satan came to eden jeanpaul sartre wrote that hell is other people. Running off with one of his patients, dore strauch, he made his way to the.
The book satan came to eden really narrates in a most vivid way the turmoil of a. Jul 12, 2019 in 1929, german doctor friedrich ritter abandoned his practice and moved to the islands, feeling he needed a new start in a faraway place. Frederick ritters historic series of newspaper articles, adam and eve in the galapagos, frederick ritter, books on demand. Back in the 30s, the galapagos were largely uninhabited and far from the tourist attraction it has morphed into today. Friedrich ritter and dore strauch galapagos history. Set in the late 1920s and based on a true story, the pic will follow german doctor friedrich ritter and his patient, dore strauch, as they leave their spouses to pursue a utopian dream on the. Friedrich ritter was born in the little town of wollbach near germanys black. They could scarcely have been further away from germany, which was the idea. Dore strauch and friedrich ritter holding tools in their garden at friedo. Margret wittmer 19042000 was one of the original settlers of floreana island she was born in cologne on 12 july 1904.
In 1932 heinz and margret wittmer arrived with their son harry, and shortly afterwards their son rolf was born there, the first citizen of the island known. Documenting drama in the galapagos affair the boston globe. A survivors account of the galapagos affair by dore strauch, discusses the strange disappearance of an even stranger woman who called herself the baroness from the small island of floreana in the galapagos archipelago in the mid 1930s. May 08, 2014 in 1929, a nietzscheobsessed doctor, friedrich ritter, left his wife and his german homeland to flee with his mistress, dore strauch, to floreana, a deserted island in the galapagos archipelago. Margrets book is especially worth reading because of the many. Friedrich karl ritter of berlin was a dentist who longed for a retreat where he could indulge his raw food theories and complete his magnum opus, a philosophical theosophist treatise. Friedrich ritter, who seems to have succumbed from food poisoning in 1934.
Dayna goldfine, daniel geller, celeste schaefer snyder, dore strauch from the books, journals, articles and letters of, margret wittmer from the books, journals, articles and letters of, friedrich ritter from the books, journals, articles and letters of, hinz wittmer from the books, journals, articles and letters of, john garth from the books, journals, articles and letters of. Editor joseph troise supplements strauch s original memoir with previously unpublished photographs and an informative preface. In 1935, dore published her book satan came to eden in which she provided her version of the events on floreana. He grew up in brombach, germanynot far from wollbach, the childhood home of friedrich. The galapagos affair needlessly pads a fascinating. John treherne, in his book the galapagos affair, describes how lorenz fled to live. More than a century later, in 1929, a german doctor named frederick ritter and his lover dore strauch arrived at floreana island to settle just like early european pioneers did in north america and elsewhere. Frederick ritter and dore strauch fled the social and economic. Friedrich ritter abandoned his wife and berlin dental practice and eloped with his patient and lover, a married teacher named dore strauch. Satan came to eden meticulously retells a longago murder mystery. Friedrich ritter and dore strauch at their home in floreana island. Having both left their spouses theyd set out to create paradise, far from their despised bourgeois milieu back in germany.
Both dore strauch and margret wittmer wound up writing books about their experiences on the islandthe films subtitle, satan came to eden, comes from strauch s bookand the galapagos affair works best when it sticks close to their frequently conflicting narratives, ably brought to life by the international cast which also, somewhat jarringly, includes josh radnor as the voice of an. Margret, her husband heinz, and her stepson harry moved to floreana island in 1932, following the arrival of german doctor friedrich ritter and his wife, dore strauch. Floreana travel guide overnight trips floreana forum. Satan came to eden would have probably agreed with him. Adam and eve in the galapagos by frederick ritter overdrive. Dore strauch and friedrich ritter were a couple of berliners under the influence of the robinsonaden who decided to act out their fancy. Satan came to eden is a fascinating documentary portrait of a 1930s murder mystery as strange and alluring as the famous archipelago itself. Ritters tragic and still mysterious death and dore strauchs return. Galapagos a compelling truelife mystery orange county. Their story was widely covered in the press encouraging many others to follow. Floreana by margret wittmer is another book which along with satan came to eden. In 1929, a nietzscheobsessed doctor, friedrich ritter, left his wife and his german homeland to flee with his mistress, dore strauch, to floreana, a deserted island in. Galapagos affair, historical documentary of island. Satan came to eden 20 cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more.
In 1929, a nietzscheobsessed doctor, friedrich ritter, left his wife and his german homeland to flee with his mistress, dore strauch, to floreana, a deserted island in the galapagos archipelago off the coast of ecuador. Fritz hieber is the grandnephew of friedrich ritter. Adam and eve in the galapagos frederick ritters historic. In 1929, german doctor friedrich ritter felt the need to get out of germany.
In this time, the only other two inhabitants on the island were the german friedrich ritter and his partner dore strauch. Margret was in the fourth month of her first pregnancy, and she gave birth to a son and a daughter while. Its original adam and eve friedrich ritter, a german physician, and his younger lover, dore strauch, who were both married to others abandoned their mates to put down roots in this. The first settlers of floreana were berlin doctor friedrich ritter and his lover dore strauch. Jul 02, 2014 margret wittmer, in her book floreana, describes her decision to emigrate with her husband and little son from cologne, germany to floreana in 1932. He was accompanied by his devoted disciple and girlfriend, dore koerwein, who was known to island visitors as dore ritter, although their respective spouses. Dec 17, 2019 5 books for the perfect literary escape. Margret wittmer, in her book floreana, describes her decision to emigrate with her husband and little son from cologne, germany to floreana in 1932.