The owners are permanently opening the Winternitz Villa to the public
The Winternitz Villa by Adolf Loos and Karel Lhoty in Prague's Smíchov will permanently open to the public as a gallery starting April 25, 2017.
Prague - Winternitz Villa of the famous architect Adolf Loos and Karel Lhoty will permanently open as a gallery on April 25, 2017, due to great public interest. It is possible to visit it every Sunday to Wednesday between 12 PM and 6 PM. Visitors can not only calmly view the works of Adolf Loos but also current exhibitions. Moreover, they will learn about the fate that accompanied the villa since the 1930s.
The Smíchov Villa is named after the lawyer Josef Winternitz, who had it built for his family in 1932. He chose Adolf Loos and Karel Lhoty as the architects. The family inhabited the villa only until 1941, when they were forced, under pressure from racial persecution, to transfer the villa to the Auswanderungsfond für Böhmen und Mähren (Emigration Fund). The municipality of Prague bought the property from this fund and established a kindergarten in the villa. It continuously operated here until 1997. The entire family was transported to Terezín in 1943 and later to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Only Jenny Winternitz and her daughter Suzana returned, but they never saw the villa again. The descendants only learned about the villa in 1991 during the restitution preparations.
"The newly established gallery will focus on exhibitions related to modern architecture. In available time slots, we would also like to give space to young artists whose art will be in harmony with the building, thus helping to uncover new artistic talents. One floor will be dedicated to the history of the family and the villa, allowing people to recall the historical contexts associated with the building. Above all, it will remind us of the tragedy of the Holocaust and the hardships of the original owners," plans David Cysař, the great-grandson of Josef Winternitz.
Currently, there is an exhibition in the villa, which was also viewable in February as part of the event "In the Villa." Around ten authors from various genres are exhibiting here. The spaces are filled with sculptures, paintings, and photographs, mostly works by contemporary creators such as Michal Cimala, Denisa Grimmová, and Pavel Smolík, among others. The 1930s are represented by the sculptor Hana Wichterlová.
"We will strive to operate the villa as a vibrant space that offers visitors a comprehensive experience of architecture. Therefore, we plan a rich accompanying program full of theater, lectures, and perhaps even a themed dance party in the style of the 1930s. The third type of activities is more practical. To sustain the gallery, it will be possible to rent it for private events, parties, filming, or weddings. However, it will be crucial for us that everything aligns with the spirit of the villa," emphasizes David Cysař.
With the opening of another Loos realization to the public, the Czech Republic becomes a unique tourist destination not only for lovers of modern architecture. "The response from foreign guests as well as the domestic audience (in February, more than 5,000 visitors visited the villa) is significant and was also an important factor why we, as the owners, decided to open this object to the public and moved away from long-term leases to companies, as it had been until now." says David Cysař.
You can visit the Smíchov Winternitz Villa and the exhibition on Na Cihlářce Street every Sunday to Wednesday between 12 PM and 6 PM. Admission is 180 CZK. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and families. Entry is without registration and only with a printed guide. Visitors can spend as much time as they wish in the villa.
More information about the gallery and accompanying programs can be found here: www.loosovavila.cz and https://www.facebook.com/WinternitzovaVila
PR contact: Kristina Cysařová, loosovavila@gmail.com, +420 776 711 382
Address of the Winternitz Villa: Na Cihlářce 10, Prague 5
Entry: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM.
Admission: Basic 180 CZK, reduced (students and seniors) 100 CZK, and family 400 CZK
Entry is without registration.
The Smíchov Villa is named after the lawyer Josef Winternitz, who had it built for his family in 1932. He chose Adolf Loos and Karel Lhoty as the architects. The family inhabited the villa only until 1941, when they were forced, under pressure from racial persecution, to transfer the villa to the Auswanderungsfond für Böhmen und Mähren (Emigration Fund). The municipality of Prague bought the property from this fund and established a kindergarten in the villa. It continuously operated here until 1997. The entire family was transported to Terezín in 1943 and later to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Only Jenny Winternitz and her daughter Suzana returned, but they never saw the villa again. The descendants only learned about the villa in 1991 during the restitution preparations.
"The newly established gallery will focus on exhibitions related to modern architecture. In available time slots, we would also like to give space to young artists whose art will be in harmony with the building, thus helping to uncover new artistic talents. One floor will be dedicated to the history of the family and the villa, allowing people to recall the historical contexts associated with the building. Above all, it will remind us of the tragedy of the Holocaust and the hardships of the original owners," plans David Cysař, the great-grandson of Josef Winternitz.
Currently, there is an exhibition in the villa, which was also viewable in February as part of the event "In the Villa." Around ten authors from various genres are exhibiting here. The spaces are filled with sculptures, paintings, and photographs, mostly works by contemporary creators such as Michal Cimala, Denisa Grimmová, and Pavel Smolík, among others. The 1930s are represented by the sculptor Hana Wichterlová.
"We will strive to operate the villa as a vibrant space that offers visitors a comprehensive experience of architecture. Therefore, we plan a rich accompanying program full of theater, lectures, and perhaps even a themed dance party in the style of the 1930s. The third type of activities is more practical. To sustain the gallery, it will be possible to rent it for private events, parties, filming, or weddings. However, it will be crucial for us that everything aligns with the spirit of the villa," emphasizes David Cysař.
With the opening of another Loos realization to the public, the Czech Republic becomes a unique tourist destination not only for lovers of modern architecture. "The response from foreign guests as well as the domestic audience (in February, more than 5,000 visitors visited the villa) is significant and was also an important factor why we, as the owners, decided to open this object to the public and moved away from long-term leases to companies, as it had been until now." says David Cysař.
You can visit the Smíchov Winternitz Villa and the exhibition on Na Cihlářce Street every Sunday to Wednesday between 12 PM and 6 PM. Admission is 180 CZK. Discounts are available for students, seniors, and families. Entry is without registration and only with a printed guide. Visitors can spend as much time as they wish in the villa.
More information about the gallery and accompanying programs can be found here: www.loosovavila.cz and https://www.facebook.com/WinternitzovaVila
PR contact: Kristina Cysařová, loosovavila@gmail.com, +420 776 711 382
Address of the Winternitz Villa: Na Cihlářce 10, Prague 5
Entry: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - 12:00 PM - 6:00 PM.
Admission: Basic 180 CZK, reduced (students and seniors) 100 CZK, and family 400 CZK
Entry is without registration.
History of the Villa
The villa was commissioned by the Prague lawyer JUDr. Josef Winternitz from Adolf Loos and Karel Lhoty in 1931 as a family villa for his wife Jenny Winternitz, daughter Suzana, and son Petr. It is one of the last projects by Loos and shares many similar elements with the Müller Villa, including the method of spatial organization (so-called raumplan), which was characteristic for Loos. The construction of the villa, including all preparations, plans, and permits, took one year, and on September 9, 1932, the "Permit for Using the Building" was issued. The family inhabited the villa until 1941, when they were forced under pressure from racial persecution to transfer it to the Auswanderungsfond für Böhmen und Mähren (Emigration Fund). The municipality of Prague purchased the property from this fund and established a kindergarten in the villa. It operated continuously until 1997. The entire family was transported to Terezín in 1943 and later to the Auschwitz concentration camp. Jenny Winternitz and her daughter Suzana survived the concentration camp and returned to Prague after the war, but they never regained access to their family villa. Their claim for the return of the villa was recognized by the Czechoslovak state, which restored ownership rights to JUDr. Josef Winternitz, but imposed inheritance and millionaire taxes on the heirs. The return of the villa was conditioned on the fulfillment of these payment obligations and was encumbered with an execution. Since Jenny and Suzana had no property or income and were unable to meet these conditions, they offered to donate the villa and other properties to the Czechoslovak state in exchange for the cancellation of the executions and other claims arising from the struggle for the return of the property. The donation letter ended with Jenny Winternitz's exclamation, "To peace and success." They never went to the villa again or spoke about it in the family. The rest of the family learned about the villa only in 1991 during restituent preparations. Neither Jenny nor Suzana lived to see the return of the villa. The family managed to reconstruct the villa only thanks to the immense energy and work of JUDr. Josef Winternitz's grandson, Ing. Stanislav Cysař, who passed away in 2016.The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
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