Brno wants to buy original furniture for the Tugendhat villa for 7 million

photo by David Židlický

Brno - Brno is striving to reclaim four pieces of original furniture for the Tugendhat villa, which was renovated and opened to the public in 2012. The price of the sideboard, bench, table, and armchair is around seven million crowns, said Pavel Žára, spokesperson for the Brno city hall, today. The furniture is housed in the depository of the Moravian Gallery in Brno, and the city has reached an agreement with the heirs of the Tugendhats for its purchase.
    The intention to buy from the family was discussed by the city council. Part of the proposal is to submit a request for a grant. "The city will do everything possible to secure the necessary half of the contribution for the purchase of the four pieces of furniture to the ownership of Brno. The goal is not only to return the originals to the Tugendhat villa but also to offer them as an additional attractive point for public tours," stated Brno Mayor Roman Onderka (ČSSD).
    Vienna will provide support amounting to approximately half a million crowns to Brno. Mayor Michael Häupl promised the money to Onderka in a letter, stating that the villa listed on UNESCO's World Heritage list has extraordinary significance. Vienna and Brno are members of the European region CENTROPE, which collaborates on development.
    Daniela Hammer-Tugendhatová, representing two other heirs, approached the city with an offer to sell back in 2011. The heirs are demanding 275,000 euros for the furniture, which has been declared a cultural monument, which is approximately seven million crowns. A condition set by the family is to finalize the purchase with the city by the end of this year.
    The Tugendhat villa is a unique functionalist work by German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who designed the building for spouses Greta and Fritz Tugendhat. The villa was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2001. Brno renovated it and opened it to the public in 2012.