He originated the concept of lebensraum, or living space, which relates human groups to the spatial units where they develop. Set in the brutal yet alluring landscape of the galapagos islands, it interweaves an unsolved whodunnit from the 1930s. Shortly after marrying margret in 1931, he announced that they were moving to the galapagos. When satan came to eden is a story ripped from the headlines, although this mystery has been around for close to a century. The balconies face the waves, on a gorgeous black sand beach. Renee, an ecuador trip specialist at knowmad adventures a travel company focused on active, authentic and sustainable travel in south america, first met claudio a few years ago on a trip to the galapagos islands. Satan came to eden is both a murdermystery documentary, with aspects of hitchcock and agatha christie, and an exploration of humanitys perennial search for paradise. Over halfacentury ago fanciful and exotic stories began to appear in the worlds press about settlers on the remote galapagos island of floreana.
They built a house and started farming before margret gave birth to rolf wittmer, the first person who was ever born in the galapagos islands. The gruesome history of the galapagos islands nietzsche. Friedrich ritter was an eccentric doctor who removed all his teeth before coming to floreana with his mistress, dore strauch. She elected herself the pirate queen of galapagos and she did put floreana on the map. Alamy inspired by their toothless countryman, more germans made for. The impressive cast includes cate blanchett and diane kruger. In the garden of hacienda paradiso, floreana island, galapagos. You do not really learn much about the galapagos, but you do learn a great deal about living life on a remote island. Ritter chose to settle in the galapagos along with his lover and patient, dore strauch, after reading william beebes popular book, galapagos worlds end. The empress of the galapagos islands, part 3 smithsonian. Galapagos is definitely an unlikely location for a german colony credit.
Yet, audiences may be most startled initially by the underlying fact that san francisco married filmmakers dayna goldfine and dan geller have made a movie on the remote galapagos. 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. Satan came to eden, or read the book, also called the galapagos affair, by john treherne, based on a true story that unfolded on this very island. According to the wittmers, he said before dying that his lover had poisoned him. Birds, mammals and reptiles of the galapagos islands. The first settlers of floreana were berlin doctor friedrich ritter and his lover dore strauch. Books to read before you travel to the galapagos holbrook travel. 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. Frederick ritter and dore strauch fled the social and economic turmoil of postworld. The story is about the family, how they survived, and the interesting people who tried to live on the island or sailed in to see them. Denver post photo archive 1934 frederick ritter dr berlin socialite galapagos mystery press photo photo description you are bidding on an original press photo from 1934 featuring 12111934 galapagos island mystery galapagos islands. Before embarking on any galapagos tour, especially one that envisions floreana, we do suggest you watch the documentary the galapagos affair. The wittmers remained on the islands and became wealthy years later when tourism boomed. Friedrich ritter, an eccentric german intellectual, and his longsuffering companion dora strauch, were.
Formed by volcanic activity, the galapagos archipelago is made up of major islands, with seven smaller islands. Snorkeling there is a dream, with sea turtles, and so much more. Dore strauch returned to germany and wrote a book, fascinating not only for the sordid tales of the galapagos affair but for its look at the hard life of the early settlers. Jill and i went to the galapagos islands in 1996, something we had wanted to do for several years. Blue footed boobie in galapagos islands national park. The strange story of friedrich ritte and the murder in.
In the main part of the village, marine iguanas bask in the street as well as upon volcanic rocks at the waters edge, and lazy sea lions lounge all over. In preparation, we collected information on the islands by previous travelers, and this is the first of many books we read about these isolated islands in the pacific, roughly 600 miles west of ecuador on the south american mainland. 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. Wittmer and her husband left their home and family in germany, seeking a new life in a place not yet touched. Heinz wittmer had been fascinated by published stories of dr. The galapagos islands are best known for their giant tortoises, but theyre also the site of one of the most bizarre homesteading misadventures ever, complete with protohippies, a polyamorous. He was equally absorbed as was much of the world by william beebes book, galapagos, end of the world. Frederick ritter and dore strauch fled the social and economic turmoil of post world. Ritter and dores journey to and life in the galapagos. When ritter and strauch landed on floreana, the volcanic island proved unforgiving and harsh, subject to droughts and blistering heat, the pair managed to. To this day the disappearance of the baroness and her lover and the circumstances surrounding the deaths of her other lover and of dr. Friedrich ritter, an eccentric german intellectual, and his longsuffering companion dora strauch, were the first arrivals. Here is a list of the best books about galapagos that we recommend before. Treherne, john galapagos affair gardners books, 2002 colorful early settlers including dr.
A survivors account of the galapagos affair 9781497424326. According to the wittmers, he said before dying that dore strauch had poisoned him. The mysterious murder that rocked the galapagos islands. The story began with the arrival in 1929 of two germans, dr friedrich ritter and his mistress dore strauch. Margret wittmer and her family left their native land of germany in 1932 and arrived on the little island of floreana. The above group picture was found by the crew of the santo amaro with the bodios of lorenz and niggerud. She left galapagos not long after and returned to germany, where she wrote a book about her experiences. Satan came to eden is a darkly amusing historical documentary about the fruitless search for paradise on earth by vainglorious. The galapagos affair satan came to eden zeitgeist films. Ritter died, apparently of food poisoning after eating some poorly preserved chicken. 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. When ritter and strauch landed on floreana, the volcanic island proved unforgiving and harsh, subject to droughts and blistering heat, the pair managed to carve a home for themselves among the elements. Margret wittmer 19042000 was one of the original settlers of floreana island.
Last week i watched an excellent documentary film, the galapagos affair. Ritter at work on his book, 1934 waldo schmitt papers, ru 7312 box 89. This is a great example of a living book about a family who moves to the galapagos island of floreana in 1932. She was her own press agent and a darn good one at that. It took wittmer and her family weeks to travel to the island in 1932. The best galapagos books to read before you go oars. Galapagos affair, historical documentary of island. This book is highly recommended for educators and others in the life sciences. Friedrich ratzel, german geographer and ethnographer and a principal influence in the modern development of both disciplines. People like german dentist friedrich ritter who left his wife and eloped with. 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. Satan came to eden is a 20 featurelength documentary directed by daniel geller and dayna goldfine.
Featuring voiceover performances by cate blanchett, diane kruger, connie nielsen, sebastian koch, thomas kretschmann, gustaf skarsgard and josh radnor, this film skillfully interweaves an unsolved 1930s murder mystery with stories of present day galapagos pioneers a handful of europeans, americans and ecuadoreans who settled idiosyncratically. In 1929, friedrich ritter abandoned his wife and berlin dental practice and eloped. Although there have been many inquiries, no one has ever gotten to the bottom of the disappearance of the countess and the deaths of lorenz and ritter, and the galapagos affair remains one of latin americas most enduring mysteries to this day. 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. I had read this book twenty years ago while visiting the galapagos as well as some other books about the unusual people and bizarre events that occurred there involving the earliest settlers to the dry volcanic island of floreana. Ritter chose to settle in the galapagos along with his lover and patient, dore. Margret wittmer, her husband heinz, and her stepson harry. Satan came to eden documentary from the books, journals, articles and letters of getting started. A devout follower of nietzsche, ritter hoped to become a great, published philosopher in his own right while emulating the nietzschean doctrine of the superman on the island of floreana.
The tales were of nudism, free love communes, stainless steel dentures a latterday garden of eden. Photo shows ed farrand, vernon lange, ernest reimer. Like ritter, she established her home under a tin roof and called it hacienda paradise. Ritter s book is of theosophical leanings, but it is the type of theosophical writing that no one cares to read after seeing the first page or two. The remarkable firsthand account of margret wittmer, who settled the island of floreana in the galapagos 600 miles from the mainland of ecuador. Floreanas little shop of horrors late 1920s1934 floreanas little shop of horrors late 1920s1934.
Ritter became a sensation, though he didnt know it. From epic narratives of discovery and exploration to comprehensive field guides and engaging novels, these mustread galapagos books dive deep into the. When satan came to eden when berlin physician friedrich ritter came to the island. Friedrich ritter abandoned his wife and berlin dental practice and eloped with his patient and lover, a married teacher named dore. It is about a series of unsolved disappearances on the galapagos island of floreana in the 1930s among the largely european expatriate residents at the time.