The Villa Aurora at 520 Paseo Miramar is located in

Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles Pacific Palisades is a neighborhood in the Westside region of Los Angeles, California, situated about west of Downtown Los Angeles. Pacific Palisades was formally founded in 1921 by a Methodist organization, and in the years that followed be ...

and has been used as an artists' residence since 1995. It is the former home of the German-

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""T ...

author

Lion Feuchtwanger Lion Feuchtwanger (; 7 July 1884 – 21 December 1958) was a German Jewish novelist and playwright. A prominent figure in the literary world of Weimar Germany, he influenced contemporaries including playwright Bertolt Brecht. Feuchtwanger's ...

and his wife Marta. The Feuchtwangers bought this Spanish-style

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property la ...

in 1943 for only $9,000, the annual salary of a school teacher. The house was a popular meeting place for

artists An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse refers to a practitioner in the visual arts only. However, th ...

and the community of German-speaking émigrés. Lion Feuchtwanger wrote six of his historical

novels A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...

in this house: ''Der Tag wird kommen'', ''Waffen für Amerika'', ''Die Jüdin von Toledo'', ''Narrenweisheit oder Tod und Verklärung des Jean-Jacques Rousseau'', ''Jefta und seine Töchter'', and '' Goya oder der arge Weg der Erkenntnis''.

Construction

Villa Aurora was part of a building project initiated by Arthur Weber and George Ley in cooperation with the ''

Los Angeles Times The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the U ...

'', which reported routinely on the construction of this "demonstration house". Weber hired architect Mark Daniels and interior designer Rodney Benso. The house pipe organ was built by Santa Monica Artcraft. Villa Aurora was inspired by the Teruel Cathedral outside Sevilla, Spain. The wood for the ceilings was brought in from Spain and the fountains came from Italy. Malibu Potteries supplied the decorative tiles throughout the entire house. When Villa Aurora was finished in 1928, it featured the latest technological inventions and novelties in domestic design such as an electric garage openers, a dishwasher, a fridge and a gas range. Due to the depression, it was not sold, and the developer Weber and his family were forced to move in themselves in 1931. Financial problems forced Weber to leave the house in 1939 and the property sat idle.

Villa Aurora and the Feuchtwangers

In 1941, Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta arrived in Los Angeles via New York and Mexico after having escaped from the South of France. Despite the fact that the Villa was in deplorable condition (with windows broken, the cellar full of debris, the garden overgrown) they bought the house in 1943 for the price of $9,000. They appreciated the location all the more as the landscape of Pacific Palisades reminded them of the Mediterranean where they had travelled extensively during the early days of their marriage. With gasoline rationing in effect, travel between Pacific Palisades and Los Angeles was difficult, making purchase of outlying real estate unappealing for most. But Lion Feuchtwanger liked the solitude for his work and the decision to purchase the house came easily. Here, Feuchtwanger created his third library. Marta bought the used furniture and took care of the garden. While Lion used to buy books whenever there was money to spend, Marta bought plants and created a huge garden, which was over time diminished in size through

landslides Landslides, also known as landslips, are several forms of mass wasting that may include a wide range of ground movements, such as rockfalls, deep-seated slope failures, mudflows, and debris flows. Landslides occur in a variety of environments, ...

. During the war the Villa became a meeting place for fellow émigrés, just as Salka and Berthold Viertel's house in Santa Monica. Prominent members of the German emigre community who would meet at the houses included

Thomas Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the A ...

and

Heinrich Mann Luiz Heinrich Mann (; 27 March 1871 – 11 March 1950), best known as simply Heinrich Mann, was a German author known for his socio-political novels. From 1930 until 1933, he was president of the fine poetry division of the Prussian Academy ...

Arnold Schoenberg Arnold Schoenberg or Schönberg (, ; ; 13 September 187413 July 1951) was an Austrian-American composer, music theorist, teacher, writer, and painter. He is widely considered one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He was as ...

Vicki Baum Hedwig "Vicki" Baum (; he, ויקי באום; January 24, 1888 – August 29, 1960) was an Austrian writer. She is known for the novel ''Menschen im Hotel'' ("People at a Hotel", 1929 — published in English as '' Grand Hotel''), one of h ...

, Bruno Frank,

Ludwig Marcuse Ludwig Marcuse (February 8, 1894 in Berlin – August 2, 1971 in Bad Wiessee), was a German philosopher and writer of Jewish origin. From 1933 to 1940 Marcuse lived in France, settling with other German exiles in Sanary-sur-Mer. From 1940 to 19 ...

Franz Werfel Franz Viktor Werfel (; 10 September 1890 – 26 August 1945) was an Austrian-Bohemian novelist, playwright, and poet whose career spanned World War I, the Interwar period, and World War II. He is primarily known as the author of ''The Forty ...

and

Bertolt Brecht Eugen Berthold Friedrich Brecht (10 February 1898 – 14 August 1956), known professionally as Bertolt Brecht, was a German theatre practitioner, playwright, and poet. Coming of age during the Weimar Republic, he had his first successes as a pl ...

, as well as other European expatriates like

Charlie Chaplin Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin Jr. (16 April 188925 December 1977) was an English comic actor, filmmaker, and composer who rose to fame in the era of silent film. He became a worldwide icon through his screen persona, the Tramp, and is conside ...

and

Charles Laughton Charles Laughton (1 July 1899 – 15 December 1962) was a British actor. He was trained in London at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and first appeared professionally on the stage in 1926. In 1927, he was cast in a play with his future w ...

. After Lion's death in 1958 the house was left to the

University of Southern California , mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it" , religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist , established = , accreditation = WSCUC , type = Private research university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $ ...

with the stipulation that Marta would be allowed to stay for the remainder of her life and was made the caretaker of the library, which had grown to 30,000 volumes. At present the Villa is still home to 22,000 books, with the most valuable copies having been moved to the USC Feuchtwanger Memorial Library.

Villa Aurora as an artists residence

Marta Feuchtwanger lived at Villa Aurora until her death in 1987. After Marta's death the University of Southern California was looking to sell the property. The sale of the dilapidated Villa seemed imminent and USC professor Harold von Hofe asked the journalist and Feuchtwanger biographer Volker Skierka to launch an initiative to save the Villa Aurora. He also won the support of many public figures in politics and the media, such as the former head of the publishing house Rowohlt, Fritz J. Raddatz, and member of the German parliament,

Freimut Duve Freimut Duve (26 November 1936 – 3 March 2020) was a German journalist, writer, politician and human rights activist. From 1980 to 1998 he was a member of the Bundestag for the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD). He was the first OSC ...

. The goal was to create a "Villa Massimo on the Pacific" modeled after the artists residency

Villa Massimo Villa Massimo, short for Deutsche Akademie Rom Villa Massimo ( it, Accademia Tedesca Roma Villa Massimo), is a German cultural institution in Rome, established in 1910 and located in the Villa Massimo. The fellowship of the German Academy in Rom ...

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. In order to preserve the house as the only existing monument to European and German exiles to the West Coast of the United States, the association "Friends and Supporters of Villa Aurora" was founded in Berlin. The non-profit organization secured public funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the

Berlin Senate The Senate of Berlin (german: Berliner Senat) is the executive body governing the city of Berlin, which at the same time is a state of Germany. According to the the Senate consists of the Governing Mayor of Berlin and up to ten senators appoint ...

, the Berlin Lottery Foundation and the

Tagesspiegel ''Der Tagesspiegel'' (meaning ''The Daily Mirror'') is a German daily newspaper. It has regional correspondent offices in Washington D.C. and Potsdam. It is the only major newspaper in the capital to have increased its circulation, now 148,000, ...

Foundation and was able to purchase and renovate the house. Prof. Frank Dimster,

FAIA Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA) is a postnominal title or membership, designating an individual who has been named a fellow of the American Institute of Architects (AIA). Fellowship is bestowed by the institute on AIA-membe ...

, restored the house and received the City of Los Angeles Historic Preservation Award in 1996. The Feuchtwanger House was landmarked as one of the

Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monuments are sites which have been designated by the Los Angeles, California, Cultural Heritage Commission as worthy of preservation based on architectural, historic and cultural criteria. History The Historic-Cult ...

and also by the Pacific Palisades Historical Society. The historic organ that in addition to Marta Feuchtwanger, Bruno Walter,

Ernst Toch Ernst Toch (; 7 December 1887 – 1 October 1964) was an Austrian composer of classical music and film scores. He sought throughout his life to introduce new approaches to music. Biography Toch was born in Leopoldstadt, Vienna, into the famil ...

and

Hanns Eisler Hanns Eisler (6 July 1898 – 6 September 1962) was an Austrian composer (his father was Austrian, and Eisler fought in a Hungarian regiment in World War I). He is best known for composing the national anthem of East Germany, for his long arti ...

had played on, was restored in 2010. The historic furniture, including the beds of Marta and Lion, and their desks and chairs, are still on the premises. Today, Villa Aurora is an artists residence offering fellowships for German-based writers, visual artists, composers and filmmakers selected by independent committees. Together with the USC Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, the organization awards an annual Feuchtwanger Fellowship to artists who are persecuted in their home countries in memory of the history of German

emigration Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...

in the 1930s. Villa Aurora is funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media. Sponsors and private donations further help to maintain the historic property. The Villa stands as a reminder of German exile in the United States and is a memorial to German-Exile-Culture and the persecution of the German Jews. Villa Aurora is a place for cultural encounters, creative debates and joint projects. Since 1995 around 300 artists have enlivened this place and have themselves been inspired by U.S. culture and the exiles' traces. The Villa Aurora Forum in Berlin organizes the meetings of the selection committees which choose the fellows of Villa Aurora. The Forum also presents the results of the artists' works to the German public through exhibitions, screenings, readings, concerts and the publishing of editions. At the annual 'Villa Aurora Nacht' in Berlin, the newly chosen fellows are presented along with the work of the ones from the previous year.

The name "Villa Aurora"

The origin of the name "Villa Aurora" is most likely from the famous Roman residence built for Cardinal Francesco Maria Del Monte. The residence Casa di Villa Boncompagni Ludovisi boasts a fresco of Aurora painted by Guercino.

Villa Aurora – Berlin Office

The Villa Aurora is operated by two institutions: the "Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House e.V." situated in Berlin and the "Friends of Villa Aurora Inc" in Los Angeles. In addition to administering the selection of grant recipients and the organization's overall funding, the Berlin Office produces programs and publications featuring alumni presenting results of their stays in Los Angeles to the German public. The Berlin Office also develops programs focused on current transatlantic debates as well as the history of exile. Regular events include both an annual reception, which brings future fellows and alumni together with representatives from culture, politics, media, the sciences and humanities, as well as the commemoration of the Burning of the Books on May 10, 1933. The office is situated at the

Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities (german: Berlin-Brandenburgische Akademie der Wissenschaften), abbreviated BBAW, is the official academic society for the natural sciences and humanities for the German states of Berlin a ...

on Gendarmenmarkt. Once a year, the organization arranges meetings of the juries responsible for selecting artists for the Villa Aurora Fellowships and intellectuals addressing fundamental issues of our time for the Thomas Mann Fellowships. As a result of intense discussion, experts choose recipients for the subsequent year from a large number of applicants. For those selected, the Berlin Office is the first point of contact: It is where they outline their projects and plans and work with the Berlin team to initiate contacts with partners in Los Angeles. Together with

Reporters Without Borders Reporters Without Borders (RWB; french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as fou ...

and the University of Southern California's Feuchtwanger Memorial Library, Villa Aurora and Thomas Mann House e.V. grants its annual Feuchtwanger Fellowship to a writer or journalist committed to human rights or facing censorship and persecution in their home countries. Additionally, the Berlin team, in cooperation with a partner institution, invites an artist from Los Angeles to Berlin to foster sustainable cultural exchange with Villa Aurora and Thomas Mann House alumni.

20 Years Villa Aurora

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Villa Aurora as an institution for cultural exchange in the US, the event ''Checkpoint California'' took place at the . Between June 12 and 28, 2015, Villa Aurora Fellows (e.g.

Dietrich Brüggemann Dietrich Brüggemann (born 23 February 1976) is a German film director screenwriter and musician. He collaborates closely with his sister Anna Brüggemann on several screenplays for his films. They were awarded the Silver Bear for Best Screenplay ...

, Stefan Kriekhaus, Uljana Wolf, Heinz Emigholz,

Rosa von Praunheim Holger Bernhard Bruno Mischwitzky (born Holger Radtke; 25 November 1942), known professionally as Rosa von Praunheim, is a German film director, author, painter and one of the most famous gay rights activists in the German-speaking world. In ov ...

, Steven Warwick, Veronika Kellndorfer, Steve Rowell, Felicitas Hoppe) presented their work, gave lectures and talked about their current projects. During the last day, moderator Jörg Heiser led a panel with future Villa Aurora fellow Susan Philipsz and former fellow Christian Jankowski. ''Checkpoint California'' ended with a performance by Matan Zamir, Nicola Mascia, Claudia De Serpa Soares and Jeff Wood.

Fellows (extract)

Source: *

Maren Ade Maren Ade (; born 12 December 1976) is a German film director, screenwriter and producer. Ade lives in Berlin, teaching screenwriting at the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg in Ludwigsburg. Together with Janine Jackowski and Jonas Dornbach, she ...

, 2012 * Peter Ablinger, 2001 * Wolfgang Becker, 2000 * Vajiko Chachkhiani, 2019 * Irene Dische, 1997 * Gerald Eckert, 2010 * Jochen Alexander Freydank, 2010 * Stefan Goldmann, 2017 *

Durs Grünbein Durs Grünbein (born 1962) is a German poet and essayist. Life and career Durs Grünbein was born and grew up in Dresden. He studied Theater Studies in East Berlin, to which he moved in 1985. Since the Peaceful Revolution nonviolently toppled ...

, 1997 * Helene Hegemann, 2011 * Thomas Hettche, 2002 * Christoph Hochhäusler, 2005 * Felicitas Hoppe, 2012 *

Kemal Kurt Kemal Kurt (29 October 1947 in Çorlu, Turkey – 21 October 2002 in Berlin, Germany) was an author, translator and photographer. Vita * 1966–72 studies in Turkey and in United States * since 1975 living in Berlin * since 1977 artistic photog ...

, 1999 * Philipp Lachenmann, 2003 * Michael Lentz, 2001 *

Klaus Modick Klaus Modick (born 3 May 1951) is a German author and literary translator. Education and early career Klaus Modick was born in Oldenburg and completed his secondary education at the Altes Gymnasium there in 1971. He then attended Hamburg Univ ...

, 2009 *

Heiner Müller Heiner Müller (; 9 January 1929 – 30 December 1995) was a German (formerly East German) dramatist, poet, writer, essayist and theatre director. His "enigmatic, fragmentary pieces" are a significant contribution to postmodern drama and post ...

, 1995 * Carsten Nicolai, 2004 * Marc Sabat, 2010 * , 2010 * Judith Schalansky, 2010 *

Hannes Stöhr Hannes Stöhr (born 1970) is a German film director and screenwriter. He studied scriptwriting and directing at the Deutsche Film- und Fernsehakademie Berlin from 1994 to 1999. In 2006 Stöhr was a Villa Aurora grant recipient and lived for six m ...

, 2006 * Thomas Struth, 2013 * Yoko Tawada, 1997 * Ilija Trojanow, 2006 *

, 1998 *

Sasha Waltz Sacha, Sasha, Sascha, or ''variant'' may refer to: People * Sasha (name), includes list of people with the name and the variants Sascha or Sacha Musicians * Sasha (DJ) (born 1969), born Alexander Coe * Sasha (German singer) (born 1972), born S ...

, 2015 * Hendrik Weber, 2014 * André Werner, 2000 * Haegue Yang, 2017

Literature

*Marta Feuchtwanger. An Emigre Life: Munich, Berlin, Sanary, Pacific Palisades. Interviewed by Lawrence M. Weschler. University of California, Los Angeles 1976. *Marta Feuchtwanger: Only a Woman, Years Days Hours, Aufbau Verlag Berlin Leipzig, 1984.

Notes

External links

* {{Coord, 34.04626, -118.55599, format=dms, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title Exilliteratur Jews and Judaism in California Houses completed in 1928 Houses in Los Angeles Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles Spanish Revival architecture in California University of Southern California buildings and structures