El Colegio de México is a vibrant center for teaching and research in the Social Sciences and Humanities, founded in 1940. Yet, in 1938, its predecessor, la Casa de España was created by President Lázaro Cárdenas in the midst of the Spanish Civil War. The purpose was to provide a temporary heaven for intellectual émigrés from the Peninsula during the armed conflict. With the defeat of the Republic in the Spring of 1939 and the ensuing international conflagration, Mexico open its doors to welcome thousands of refugees. La Casa served both as a center for research and lecturing, not only as a placement center for newcomers, aiding them to find jobs in universities, laboratories, hospitals, but also in museums, publishing houses, schools, etc. By 1940, several changes occurred nationally, and it was deemed necessary to reorient the activities of the institution and turn it into a permanent center for advanced studies which gave birth to El Colegio. This article focuses on the years leading to the creation of La Casa and its transformation in 1940, taking an in-depth look at the impact of Spanish intellectuals on Mexican high culture, research and learning.