In Brno, the repair of the Art Nouveau Löw-Beer Villa has begun for 65 million

Brno - The repair of the Art Nouveau Löw-Beer Villa in Brno has begun, costing 65 million crowns. The villa of Greta Tugendhat's parents is adjacent to the famous Tugendhat villa. The gardens of both monuments will be connected, and visitors will be able to familiarize themselves in detail with the life of the Löw-Beer family as well as with the textile industry in Brno, which is associated with them, after the Löw-Beer villa opens. The villa, built in 1903, is expected to open to the public in the second half of next year.
    The reconstruction of the villa will be supported by 47 million crowns from the EU. The Jewish Löw-Beer family bought the house in 1913 and occupied it until 1940 when it was expropriated by the Nazis. From 1962 until last year, it served as accommodation for students of the Masaryk Student House. High school students lived there. "That's how the house currently looks. However, it's evident that the Masaryk Student House probably didn't have much money, so many things remained in their unique original state," said Iveta Černá, the manager of the Tugendhat villa, to ČTK.
    For example, the gas-lit fireplace in the central hall, Art Nouveau chandeliers, and railings have been preserved. However, there is no furniture in the villa. "Therefore, creating a fully-fledged interior replica is not possible," Černá noted. Thus, after the repairs are completed, there will be an exhibition called The World of the Brno Bourgeoisie between Löw-Beer and Tugendhat in the villa. Themes from the history of the Brno upper class will be connected with the history of architecture here.
    The villa also has a large garden, at the upper end of which there used to be a vineyard. The Löw-Beer couple donated this part to their daughter Greta as a wedding gift so that the Tugendhat couple could build their villa on it. This villa underwent a major reconstruction in recent years costing 172 million crowns and was reopened to the public in the spring of 2012. Tours of the Tugendhat villa are often booked well in advance, so according to Černá, the Löw-Beer villa could become an alternative for those who come to Brno and cannot get a tour of the Tugendhat villa.