The dispersal of German culture across different countries and continents led to a redefinition of German identity in exile. The portrayed personalities had to preserve their cultural identity in foreign lands while simultaneously reinterpreting it.

The book shows how art, science, and literature became tools of resistance against National Socialism. The portrayed exiles fought against the Hitler regime using their intellectual and artistic means.

The documentation illustrates how German cultural heritage was preserved and simultaneously transformed through emigration. The encounter with other cultures led to new artistic and intellectual forms of expression.