Alfred Stiassni

Birth record https://www.geni.com/documents/view?doc_id=6000000141139373808

Marriage record: ÚSTÍ NAD LABEM (o. Ústí nad Labem) 2280 O 1870-1918 (106/146)

In 1928, Alfred built the renowned "Villa Stiassny," recently restored, at Brno, Czech. Rep. See at http://bydleni.idnes.cz/vila-stiassni-zapomenuty-skvost-brnenske-ar...

"His wife, Hermine nee Weinmann, came from a family of North Bohemian coal enterprises and the family of Alfred Stiassny was devoted mainly to the textile industry."

"When Hermine and Alfred moved to Brno, he wanted to integrate into the local community. She became a member of several charities, including the League for Human Rights, where she met Grete Tugendhat. Not only did they have interests in common, but each family wanted to build a new house at that time. Both families were aware of Ernst Wiesner's designs for villas, but when Tugendhat met Mies van der Rohe, she decided to use him; Wiesner suggested a house for the Stiassný family. Alfred Stiassny had collaborated with the Brno architect several times before, having entrusted him with the design of a house for his father and with rebuilding of the family factory.

The newlyweds received from Alfred's father, Joseph Stiassný, a generous gift: a three-hectare plot in Pisarky. Land in this part of town was selling rapidly. In the hilly terrain, owners had a view of the valley, there was a popular promenade along the river, and most importantly, all around were villas built by business leaders from the Jewish community. Wiesner wanted to follow what he had done in all previous projects: a simple style and a focus on functionality. Alfred apparently agreed, but Hermina had the final word. She was accustomed to another approach. Finally there was a compromise, with the facade designed according to Wiesner and the interior by the Viennese architect Franz Wilfert . . . [the house's] austere facade contrasted sharply with what was locally customary.

. . . The Stiassný family lived in the villa until 1938. The family left in 1938 to America. They left the villa very quickly, leaving all the valuable paintings and tapestries. The house was occupied by the Gestapo, who established there an officers' casino. President Edvard Beneš twice stayed there; the house was afterward referred to as "a government villa." After 1948, the house fell to the state. The Stiassný family never asked for the return of the property. The villa's [survival] was mainly due to its sumptuous interior. Unlike the Tugendhat House, where the interior was vandalized or looted [during/after the war], with Stiassný villa it helped that the Communist chiefs liked the interiors. There remain the original staircase, chandeliers and fireplaces.

In the 1980s the villa underwent repairs and workers wanted to throw the bathroom [fixtures] in a landfill. The chief engineer saved and hid them. When [recent] renovations began, returned them to the villa. The house had been inaccessible to the public for decades. The Communist regime invited all sorts of VIPs there, including Fidel Castro and Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser.

. . . In 2010, the National Heritage Institute [Czech Republic] managed to obtain funding from the European program for the construction of methodological centers, including . . . one concerning functionalist architecture in Brno, Czech Republic and abroad. Now the house is finally open to the public. Year-round on weekdays it serves study and research purposes, and on weekends every hour there is a guided tour for the public. On the ground floor operates a specialist library and reading room."

2 LEDNA 2015 in http://www.lidovky.cz/bydlel-tu-benes-i-castro-brno-zpristupnuje-fu...

The Stiassni family arrived in New York with daughter Susanne on September 30, 1940, having sailed from London via Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Their immediate destination was Alfred's brother Rudolf's home, 399 Park Ave., New York. Alfred's brother Ernest (Arnost) Stiassni, his wife and daughter appear on the same ship's manifest, heading for son Charles in New Haven, Conn with final destination stated as New York. Ernest Stiassni had traveled previously to New York in July 1907 (New York, Passenger Lists, 1820-1957 for Alfred Stiassni," search run on Ancestry.com).

Alfred & Hermine Stiassni are buried in Hollywood, California (FindAGrave).

Lived Apr 1934: Stiftgasse 3, Brno, Czechoslovakia Lived Jan 1936: Brno, Czechoslovakia