Behind the Glass

Villa Tugendhat, an iconic work by architect Mies van der Rohe, was commissioned by Mr and Mrs Tugendhat. This book is not just a portrait of the house, but primarily of the family connected to it. It traces the family's roots back to the Jewish ghetto, noting the development of their industrial businesses, their social standing during the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the First Republic, and the moment the family members were forced to flee from the Nazis and found themselves scattered across the globe. No less interesting is the story of the villa itself, from its creation through the devastating events of the war and the communist era, the hesitant trials of the post-revolutionary years, to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage list and the successful completion of its reconstruction.