ALACHUA, FL.—The Spanish Civil War of 1936, followed shortly by the outbreak of World War II, forced hundreds of European artists and intellectuals to leave their homelands. Their political beliefs and cultural commitments made them targets, while Jews across the continent became victims of relentless persecution that started with the rise of Nazism. Confronted with this terrifying reality, many families sought safety across the Atlantic, hoping to rebuild their lives in the Americas and escape the growing shadows of exile.

Among these stories of survival is that of André Breton, poet, critic, and father of Surrealism. After the German occupation of Paris in June 1940, Breton fled from Marseille to Martinique. However, his stay was brief: the island was under the control of the collaborationist regime, which Germany effectively ruled. After being detained and forced to leave, he arrived in Santo Domingo, where he connected with a remarkable circle of German-Jewish intellectuals who had also escaped persecution. Among them were the archaeologist Erwin........

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