The Mayor of Brno will meet with the Tugendhats regarding the rare villa

Brno - The Mayor of Brno, Roman Onderka, and Deputy Barbora Javorová will meet with the Tugendhat siblings. They want to explain to them what plans Brno has regarding the reconstruction of the functionalist Tugendhat villa. The Mayor told reporters today that the meeting could take place in Brno, but the politicians are also prepared to travel abroad to meet the family. The descendants of the original owners have requested the return of the monument, as they believe the city has delayed the necessary repairs for too long. However, the councilors rejected their request on Tuesday.
    This year, nearly 55 million crowns have been allocated in the Brno budget for the restoration of the monument. The total cost of the repairs, including restoration work, is expected to be around 140 million crowns. The Deputy responsible for investments, Ladislav Macek, is to prepare a schedule to expedite the renovation work following the decision of the councilors on Tuesday.
    Attorney for the family, Augustin Kohoutek, disagrees with the councilors’ decision not to return the villa. He told reporters on Tuesday that he would approach the city with further requests on how the Tugendhats could reclaim the monument without Brno having to pay exorbitant sums in taxes and fees. If these avenues also fail, the family is prepared to sue.
    Mayor Onderka today rejected any other possibilities for the return of the monument. According to him, the councilors not only rejected the request in which the Tugendhats demanded the return of the villa based on the law on the alleviation of certain injustices caused by the Holocaust, but also other routes for the villa's return. This is evidenced by the councilors' voting on two proposals from the opposition ODS party. Councilor Leo Venclík (ODS) proposed a transfer without compensation, while his party colleague Petr Paulczyňski proposed a sale for one crown and the establishment of a foundation into which both Brno and the Tugendhats would contribute funds needed for the repair. Neither proposal received support. Additionally, the voting device showed that not a single politician from the coalition supported the opposition's proposals, Onderka mentioned today.
    The Tugendhat villa is one of the unique examples of interwar functionalist architecture. Designed in 1928 by the German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886 to 1969), who is regarded as the father of 20th-century modern architecture. The villa set new standards for modern living; the glazed main living area with a winter garden is only subtly divided by free walls - the architect breathed life into the idea of a habitable continuous space. The building also featured original furnishings, bathroom solutions, toilets, and heating elements.
    The house is owned by Brno and is managed by the Museum of the City of Brno, which has equipped the main living space with replicas of the original furniture. In 2001, the Tugendhat villa was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as the only monument of modern architecture in the Czech Republic. The museum is now preparing for a demanding reconstruction of the building and its structurally disturbed foundations.