Villa Stiassni
Villa Stiassni was built in 1927-1929 for the Jewish textile manufacturer Alfred Stiassni, according to designs by the famous Brno architect Ernst Wiesner (1890-1971. Alfred Stiassni lived in the villa with his wife Hermine and daughter Susanne for just nine years. The couple acquired several building lots with a combined area of 32,174 m2. This was amassed one of the largest private lots of land in Brno. In parallel with construction of the home, other buildings such as a head gardener's house, stables, driver's apartment, greenhouses, swimming pool and tennis court, also a garden was established. In 1938 the entire family fled before the imminent Nazi occupation.
Highlights
In the minds of most Czechs the villa is strongly associated with the idea of government. It was first seen in this light shortly after World War II, when it was visited by Czech politician and statesman Edvard Bene, who was President of Czechoslovakia from 1935 to 1938 and again from 1945 to 1948. Later it was used to accommodate famous and important visitors whenever they stayed in Brno. After the Velvet Revolution the villa was hired out to celebrate birthdays and weddings. The latest chapter in the building's history began in 2009, when the villa was brought under the administration of the National Heritage Institute, which set about its restoration. The building was officially opened to visitors December 2014.