Learn More About The Galapagos Affair: Read Books & Watch Movies

If you’ve found yourself reading this post, chances are you fall into one of two camps

1. You’ve heard about The Galapagos Affair, think it’s a wild story, and want to dive deeper, or
   
2. You have no idea what you’ve stumbled into—yet a few paragraphs from now, you’ll be curious enough to learn more about the Galapagos Affair yourself.

I was firmly in Camp #2 until I listened to an episode of My Favorite Murder where the hosts unraveled a twisted tale of deceit, survival, mystery, and death in one of the most beautiful places on earth: the Galapagos Islands.

I found myself on a personal deep dive—every Galapagos Affair book I could find, a couple of films, and eventually, a visit to Floreana Island, the stage for this strange drama. I met descendants of the key players, had a book signed by one of them, and stood on the very ground where paradise turned poisonous.

The True Story of the Galapagos Affair

In the early 1930s, as Europe braced for war, a handful of dreamers fled civilization to start new lives on an uninhabited island. What could possibly go wrong?

Friedrich Ritter and Dore Strauch

In 1929, Dr. Friedrich Ritter, a Berlin physician (with somewhat non-traditional ideas), and his lover Dore Strauch left Germany for a self-sufficient life on Floreana, one of the most remote Galapagos Islands. Bringing only the bare essentials, they sought solitude and a return to nature.

Friedrich, guided by a strict philosophy, and Dore, whose writing vividly captured their experiences, lived in relative peace—until their unusual lifestyle attracted attention from newspapers and curious wanderers.

The Arrival of the Wittmers

A few years later, Margret Wittmer, her husband Heinz, and their young son arrived—soon joined by another child born on the island. Like the Ritters, they were searching for paradise. Though never close friends, the two households maintained a coexistence, bound by the challenges of island life.

Margret would later document her years there in Floreana: A Woman’s Pilgrimage to the Galapagos, becoming one of the most prominent voices in retelling the events.

Then Came the Baroness

In 1932, Baroness Eloise Wehrborn de Wagner-Bousquet swept ashore with two lovers, Robert Philippson and Rudolf Lorenz, declaring herself “Empress of Floreana” and announcing plans for a luxury hotel. (Some accounts say there was a third Ecuadorian lover for at least a little bit.)

Her bold personality, penchant for posing in bikinis with a pistol, and disregard for the island’s delicate balance quickly stirred tension among the settlers.

Disappearances and Deaths

On March 27, 1934, the Baroness and Philippson vanished. Margret Wittmer said they left for Tahiti—but no ship had arrived or departed…and their bodies were never recovered.

Lorenz attempted to flee soon after, but his body was later found on another island beside a Norwegian fisherman.

Not long after, Friedrich Ritter died from eating tainted chicken(!)—odd, considering he was a vegetarian. Suspicion fell on Dore Strauch, but no charges were ever filed. She eventually returned to Germany and wrote her own account of events.

Margret Wittmer and her family remained, and thanks to her memoir and other writings, multiple versions of the story survive—yet none reveal the full truth.

To recap, of the seven main people living on Floreana in the early 1930s:

• Two vanished: the Baroness and Philippson
  
• Two died mysteriously: Lorenz and Ritter
  
• Three survived: Dore, Margret, Heinz

My Visit to Floreana

As a true-crime lover and travel addict, I couldn’t resist the chance to visit the scene of the story. During a trip to the Galapagos Islands, I spent time on Floreana—a quiet island with black sand beaches and remnants of this haunting tale.

I met the granddaughters of Margret Wittmer, who still live on the island. I got a signed copy of Margret’s book from her daughter and visited a special museum dedicated to the settling of the island that included many pictures of those early days. Seeing the old Wittmer homestead, walking the lava-rock trails, and knowing what unfolded there made the experience incredibly memorable.

And yes—there’s something about Floreana that feels…off. Peaceful, yes, but with a kind of ghostly air. You can’t help but look around and wonder: what really happened here?

Books about the Galapagos Affair

If you’re ready to fall down this true-crime-meets-exotic-paradise rabbit hole and learn more about The Galapagos Affair, here are several great reads—each offering a different perspective (including that’s a fun fictional attempt at explaining what happened).

Movies and Documentaries about The Galapagos Affair

Of course, movies can be just as educational and fascinating as books. Here are a few screen versions of The Galapagos Affair worth watching:

(For more book-to-film adaptations that explore real places and events, check out this list of travel books that are also movies—perfect for your next armchair adventure.)

Final Thoughts: Why This Story Endures

I’m not exactly sure why this story has captured my attention so strongly , but I think it has to do with my love of real-life mysteries, human psychology, and the sometimes incorrect idea that a new location is paradise.