Stern Family Villa
Author: unknown, Carl Witzmann ?
Author: unknown, Carl Witzmann ?
Address: Hroznová 79/10, Brno
Investor: Emil Stern
Realization: 1925–1927
| part I. | → part II. – Nazi Occupation |
Vila Stern in Hroznové The story of a Brno business family
part I.
Albert Stern was born on March 3, 1839, into a Jewish family in Koryčany in the Kroměříž region. Sometime during the 1860s, he married Rosa Reiss, a native of Kroměříž, born in 1837. The couple had three children. Their daughter Gizella was born on December 2, 1867, their second daughter Pauline was born no later than 1870, and their only son Emil was born on May 23, 1872.
Albert Stern's arrival in Brno can most likely be placed in the 1860s. It was probably he who became a public partner in the Brno firm B. Fischer & Comp.[1] However, we currently know little about the early years of his life in the city. The 1870 census captures Albert Stern in a house at Orlí Street No. 8 and associates him with the trade of fine glass and porcelain goods (“Glas- und Porzellanfeinwaren”). Living with him were his wife Rosa and their two daughters Gizella and Pauline.
In 1867, the same year that Mr. and Mrs. Stern welcomed their daughter Gizella, Albert Stern established a glass goods shop on Minoritská Street in Brno. During its first eleven years, the store was located in some unidentified buildings on this street. Emil Stern later recalled the original premises, as well as the beginnings of his father’s business, in the Lidové noviny during the 65th anniversary of the company's founding: “In 1867, Albert Stern, the father of the current owner of the firm, opened a modest shop for glass and Karlovy Vary porcelain in what was then the quiet Minoritská Street, which he moved in 1878 to the nearby house No. 10.”[2]
The earliest newspaper advertisement found for Stern's shop dates back to January 1870. The newspaper Tagesbote aus Mähren lists only Minoritská Street as the location, with no house number. The advertisement also implies that the business involved not just direct sales but also the rental of selected goods: “Mirrors, chandeliers, wall sconces, and all kinds of tableware are available for renting at A. Stern, porcelain and glass shop, Minoritská Street.”[3]
A significant expansion of the business occurred in 1878. In May of that year, Albert and Rosa Stern purchased a baroque house at Minoritská Street No. 10 from the imperial councilor Johann Ritter von Lachnit. From this point onward, this address began to appear regularly in the company's advertisements.
Shortly after acquiring the property, Albert Stern had the premises modified for his business needs and transferred the entire shop to this address. In June 1878, he announced the upcoming relocation “within his own house, Minoritská Street 10”[4] and in this context offered his goods at discounted prices. An advertisement from the following month likely reflects the ongoing construction work in the house on Minoritská 10: “Beneficial for construction entrepreneurs. For sale cheaply: a beautiful stone frame from the house's front door, as well as 20 wings of double windows, glazed, older, but in good condition. A. Stern, shop for glass and porcelain, Minoritská Street.”[5]
The extent of the construction intervention at that time is not yet precisely known. However, it can be assumed that it primarily involved the ground floor and areas designated for commercial operation. Probably in connection with some of the modifications to the house, enamelled round panels were also created and placed on the façade between the first and second-floor windows, featuring motifs of glassware offered in Stern's shop.
A photograph deposited in the Moravian Regional Library captures the appearance of Stern's house and shop, probably taken around 1909 to 1910.[6] The image shows the house at Minoritská 10 with a prominently marked store "Albert Stern" and the mentioned round panels with motifs of glass products are also clearly visible on the façade, which served as an ideal advertising medium. A closer look at the photograph also reveals the figures of an older man and woman in one of the first-floor windows. Given that Albert and Rosa Stern owned the house and also lived in it, and considering the approximate age of the captured individuals, it cannot be ruled out that these figures are indeed Mr. and Mrs. Stern. However, without further sources, such identification cannot be deemed certain.[7]
The purchase of their own house and the establishment of stable business foundations created conditions for the further development of Stern's enterprise. However, during Albert's management, according to later assessments by his son Emil, it still had a rather traditional character: “Here he served his customers with good commercial success, but at a calm and uniformly neighborly pace.”[8]
In addition to the shop and the Stern family's apartment, some other areas of the house were rented out. In 1880, Ludwig Turnowsky worked here according to period advertisements, who “provides information on all stock exchange matters.”[9] Approximately from 1888, a tailor's salon run by Sofie Longery[10] was located on the second floor of the house, in 1898 the lawyer Jaroslav Peka had his office here[11], and a tailor's salon continued to operate in the house into the early 20th century.[12] The house is also associated with a remarkable chapter in the history of Czech education in Brno. On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the company's founding, the Lidové noviny noted in 1937 that the first Czech kindergarten in the city was supposed to have operated here: “Interesting are also the memories of the beginnings of the firm. So in the house of Stern, there was the first Czech kindergarten in Brno, which the owners at that time provided with the necessary rooms in their house.”[13]
Until the mid-1890s, advertisements for Stern's business appeared in period press rather sporadically and the firm was generally referred to as a glass and porcelain shop (“Glas- und Porzellanhandlung”). In March 1890, the firm Albert Stern, trade in glass and porcelain goods in Brno was registered in the commercial register, with then fifty-one-year-old Albert Stern as the sole owner.[14]
At the beginning of 1892, Albert Stern announced to the imperial county court in Brno that since February 1 of that year, Emil Stern had joined his firm as a partner: “with all rights and obligations.”[15] A retrospective article published on the firm's 65th anniversary, meanwhile, placed an important divide as late as 1896: “Only in 1896, when his son, the current senior chief Emil Stern, became a co-leader of the business, did a period of changes and expansions begin.”[16] Both pieces of information do not necessarily contradict each other. The first captures Emil’s formal entry into the company, while the second may indicate the moment when he began to significantly influence its actual management and future direction.
The definitive generational change in the management of the company took place at the turn of the century. From October 1, 1900, Emil Stern took over the management of the firm. Albert justified his decision with his age while expressing his consent for the business to continue under the established name: “Since I have reached an age at which I can no longer personally run the firm Albert Stern, I hereby consent to my son Emil Stern, as a partner in my enterprise, entering into business management. I expressly agree that the firm continues to be conducted under the name Albert Stern, and I also transfer my commercial authorization to my son Emil Stern.”[17]
From 1901 onwards, Emil Stern is listed in city directories at the address Minoritská 10 as a trader in glass and porcelain (“Glas- und Porzellanhändler”).
Albert Stern maintained his professional authority in his field even toward the end of his active business career. In 1900, he was appointed as a court expert for porcelain and glass goods.[18]
The census operator from 1900 documents Albert and Rosa Stern at Minoritská 10, who listed their official language as German. Their unmarried son Emil, recorded as the owner of the glass and porcelain shop, and a maid Ludmila Sova, born in 1879 in Deblín, still lived in their household. Among the tenants of the house were also private women, sisters Rosalie Löw, a widow, and the single Katharine Eisler.
A significant change in Emil Stern's personal life came in the following year. In January 1901, twenty-eight-year-old Emil married eighteen-year-old Ida Rosenberg. Ida came from a Jewish family in Brno. Her parents were Gustav Rosenberg and Josephine, née Spitzer, who had owned a now non-existent house at 1 Hlinky Street since 1887.[19]
On January 3, 1901, the engaged couple drew up a marriage contract with notary Franz Winsor. Among other things, it included a quite high dowry: “As a dowry, Miss Ida Rosenberg provides her fiancé Mr. Emil Stern with the amount of 40,000 crowns, in words forty thousand crowns, and this amount was paid in cash before the contract was signed.”[20]
In addition to the financial dowry, Ida brought a corresponding household inventory that, according to the contract, remained her property for the duration of the marriage. Emil Stern supplemented her dowry with an amount of 20,000 crowns. The marriage contract was subsequently also recorded in the commercial register of the firm Albert Stern.
Emil Stern and Ida Rosenberg's marriage took place three days later, on January 6, 1901, according to the Jewish ceremony. In October of the same year, the couple welcomed twins Erich and Irene.
The development of the family business was also accompanied by an expansion of the Stern family's real estate assets. In April 1902, Emil and Ida Stern purchased a house from Franz Kupetz on nearby Orlí Street No. 13. [22]
The original structure was demolished in May of the following year, and still during 1903, a new Art Nouveau tenement house was built on its site. After its completion, Emil and Ida moved here, while they rented out the other apartments. Albert Stern and his wife Rosa continued to live in the family house at Minoritská 10.
The demolition of the old building at Orlí 13 was also documented by the period press. An article recalled the previous owners of the house as well as the former inn “Zum Alten Jakob” and informed about the planned new construction: “Today we are bringing you images of two houses on Adlergasse No. 11 and 13, which are to be demolished to make way for new construction and to allow regulation of the mentioned street. […] The house No. 13 will certainly not escape demolition, as it has already begun. […] The Kupec family owned the house until 1902, when it was purchased by Emil and Ida Stern. Previously, the famous inn ‘Zum Alten Jakob’ was located in this house. A modern new construction in the Art Nouveau style is to be built on the site of this house.”[23]
The younger generation's entry into the firm was reflected not only in the expansion of family real estate but also in changes within the business itself and in its presentation. From 1903 onwards, advertisements for the firm Albert Stern began to regularly appear in city directories, while the offered range of goods was expanded along with connections to significant manufacturers of porcelain, glass, and other goods.
Adressbuch von Brünn starting from 1903 lists the firm Albert Stern at Minoritská 10 as a representative of the Karlovy Vary porcelain factory Pfeifer & Löwenstein and simultaneously in connection with the glass company S. Reich & Co. from Kyjov. In the years 1903–1910, directories also document Stern's business association with the company Gebrüder Schütz from Olomučany, a manufacturer of tile and chamotte goods. The Brno representation of this firm was situated precisely at Stern's place on Minoritská 10, thus further expanding the store’s range to include stove products.[24]
Besides the house on Minoritská Street, Albert Stern also owned a smaller house with land in Dolní Heršpice, which he offered for sale in 1908: “A small house in Dolní Heršpice with a piece of land – cheap for sale. Information readily provided by Albert Stern, Brno, Minoritská Street.” [25]
The family life of Emil and Ida also continued to develop. Following the twins Erich and Irene, born in 1901, their third daughter Marianne was born in October 1909.
The year 1909 brought another significant change in the family’s property situation. In August, Emil and Ida Stern purchased the house at Minoritská 10 from Albert and Rosa Stern. The period press reported this property transaction with the words: “Mr. Emil and Mrs. Ida Stern purchased from Mr. Albert Stern and his wife Rosa Stern the house No. 10 on Minoritengasse […] for 65,375.” [26]
The new owners, similar to several years earlier on Orlí Street, decided to replace the older baroque house with a modern rental and commercial building that would meet the growing needs of the family business. Therefore, in January 1910, Emil and Ida submitted an application for a building permit.[27]
Between March and autumn of the same year, the old house was removed and a new representative building was erected in its place. To avoid disruption to the business during construction, Emil Stern moved the shop to the nearby house at Orlí 13.
The new commercial premises at Minoritská 10 were opened to the public in October 1910. The period press, on this occasion, recalled not only the long tradition of the firm but also the authors of the new building and its exceptionally generous business facilities: “This renowned firm, founded in 1867, built a truly representative building on the site of the old house according to the plans of Brno architect Georg Rohr and city builder Martin Fleischhacker, which comprises extensive storage and sales areas across four floors. We can confidently state that in Brno – in fact throughout Moravia – it is impossible to find a sales area of a specialized business of such extent and with such modern equipment as the company Stern now has.” [28]
Particular emphasis was placed on the ground floor of the building, especially on the display windows of Stern's shop. These represented one of the main means of the firm’s presentation and modern department store. Therefore, the promotional slogan frequently emphasized that their windows “are worth seeing”. Their high-quality design received public recognition already in 1911 at the first Brno window display competition: “The first prize, along with a special award, was awarded to the firms Albert Stern and Brüder Wittrich. The first prize consisted of a large silver medal with the corresponding diploma. In addition, Albert Stern was also granted a special recognition from the jury for the exceptionally impressive arrangement of the display window.” [29]
The reconstruction of Minoritská 10 also marked a change in the living conditions of the individual generations of the family. Albert Stern probably moved in February 1910 to Orlí 13 in connection with the preparations for the demolition of the old house, where he was also recorded by the Adressbuch von Brünn in 1915. On the contrary, Emil and Ida Stern, along with their children, moved into the house on Minoritská after the completion of the new building. Notification slips document Emil's registration at this address as of March 1, 1911.
At the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, the Sterns thus owned two modern tenement houses with commercial spaces on Minoritská and Orlí Street. The property card for the house at Minoritská 10 indicates that there were only two apartments in the building. Unfortunately, the original construction documentation for either of the two properties has not been preserved. However, the later record sheet of the immovable cultural monument from 1987 incorrectly attributes the authorship of the house on Minoritská to the architect Dušan Jurkovič. [30]
However, shortly after the completion of the new building, the family was struck by loss. On November 30, 1910, Rosa Stern passed away, and she was subsequently buried in the Brno Jewish cemetery.
After the opening of the new department store, the firm's product assortment likely changed as well. The stove products of the company Gebrüder Schütz disappeared from their offerings, while lighting devices gained increasing importance. The firm Albert Stern offered Auer lighting and also functioned as a sales outlet for Osram bulbs. An advertisement in the directory from 1912 invited people to “the largest selection in Moravia and Silesia” and counted among its main assortment glass, porcelain, and lamps, specializing in wedding and gift items.
In 1912, the firm also seemingly first appeared in Czech advertisements in the Lidové noviny.[12] An interesting piece of evidence reflecting the adaptation of its advertising to the Czech linguistic environment is the Czechified version of the founder's name, Albert Stern, noted here as “Vojtěch Stern.”
However, the family itself lived predominantly in a German linguistic and cultural environment. This is supported by census records and other sources; a more detailed characterization is provided by a post-war survey from 1947. Given the time and purpose of the creation of this source, however, its assessment must be interpreted with due caution. The report stated: “The named individual reported to the Police Directorate in Brno always in German […] In Emil Stern's household, only German was spoken, and he did not even properly master the Czech language. The books of the Stern firm, Brno, Minoritská were kept in German, and the firm was likewise registered with financial authorities as a German one. […] Emil Stern himself was a member of exclusively German clubs and the Jewish religious community.” [31] The report further noted his membership in the Deutsche Theaterbaugemeinde, Verein Deutsches Haus, and Deutscher Theaterverein.
The Stern family and their firm also participated in charitable and public service activities. In 1912, for example, the department store Albert Stern contributed 20 crowns to the collection “Gifts for the Border Guards”. [32]
Their charitable activities were more pronounced during the First World War. The firm or individual family members contributed, among others, to the Brno Red Cross, the Red Cross, the Bulgarian Red Cross, the city war relief fund, or the Brno fund for the poor. In 1915, they donated 50 crowns to provide warm footwear for poor schoolchildren. In 1917, Ida Stern contributed 200 crowns to the city’s relief fund. Charitable activities continued even after the end of the war: in 1919, the firm donated 100 crowns to a collection for the tuberculosis sanatorium and the same amount to the organization caring for children and the day care center of the German Social Democratic Women's Organization in Brno.
However, the First World War also directly impacted the operation of the family business. Emil Stern was called to military service. This is documented, among other things, by an article from 1917 published on the occasion of the firm’s fiftieth anniversary, which recalled “the son of the current owner Emil Stern, who assumed the management of this enterprise and is currently on the battlefield.” [33]
The census operator from 1921 captures Emil Stern as the owner of the house, his wife Ida, and their children Irene, Erich, and Marianne. The household also included a nanny, Marie Kaufmann, born in 1901, and a cook, Marie Faslová, born in 1876. Among the tenants of the house was Johann Wschiansky, born in 1882, who was also an employee of the Stern firm and lived there with his wife Anna and children Arthur, Elisabeth, and Josefine.
A fundamental change occurred in the business in 1922, when Emil Stern decided to adapt some of its spaces for an art salon meant for the presentation of luxury glass and artistic ceramics. The period press rated the new solution extremely favorably: “The Albert Stern firm created a special exhibition space for its artistic ceramic goods and luxury glass that – in terms of functionality and taste of decor – presents, not only compared to similar, unfortunately only rarely occurring interiors in Brno, but also, objectively, the peak of intimate artistic space.” [34]
The adaptation was designed by Vienna architect and designer Carl Witzmann, and the implementation was carried out by Brno builder Josef Müller. Period descriptions highlighted especially the overall composition of the interior: “The new art salon primarily has an extraordinarily effective wallpaper, which impressively frames all the beautiful objects arranged in niches, shelves, and showcases.”[35] The newly arranged salon was not solely intended for regular sales but was designed to attract public attention on its own. Therefore, the firm explicitly invited customers to view it. In December 1922, for instance, the Lidové noviny announced: “Department store Albert Stern, Minoritská. On Sunday the 17th, open from 8 to 12 and from 2 to 6 o'clock. Free viewing of the new art-industry salon.” [36]
The circumstances under which Emil Stern approached Carl Witzmann are not yet known. However, the choice of the Vienna architect corresponded to the character of the space that was to be created. Witzmann, born in 1883, studied at the Vienna School of Applied Arts and worked professionally in the environment of Vienna Modernism. Besides architecture, he engaged in scenography and also designed furniture, carpets, lighting, and other applied arts.
For his Brno assignment, it is significant that he was not unfamiliar with the city. As early as 1909, he designed the interior of a tenement house for builder Josef Müller at No. 3 Kotlářská Street, including the furnishings of Müller’s own apartment. Although there is currently no direct evidence of who recommended Witzmann to Stern, previous collaboration between the two men represents an important connection in his Brno activities.
The establishment of Stern’s art salon fit well into the gradual transformation of the firm’s assortment and overall orientation. In addition to the long-term representation of the Karlovy Vary porcelain factory Pfeifer & Löwenstein, Stern's enterprise began to increasingly offer luxurious artistic glass from significant manufacturers. From 1924, it was the exclusive seller of French glass by Émile Gallé from Nancy. [37]
In October 1925, it gained exclusive representation for Moser glassworks in Brno. The Moser firm announced this change with the words: “From today, we are passing the management of our Brno factory warehouse and the exclusive sale of all our products for the purpose of greater expansion to the firm Albert Stern, Brno, Minoritská 10.” [38]
By 1926 at the latest, the Stern firm also began to use a new visual identity. Its distinctive element became a prominent logo consisting of an inverted triangle with a stylized handwritten inscription “Stern”, above which was depicted a cup with a saucer, referencing the firm's main product assortment. From 1926 onwards, this logo appeared not only in the firm's advertising and promotional materials but also directly on the porcelain goods sold by the firm.
The combination of the newly conceived exhibition interior with the exclusive representation of leading manufacturers shows how significant a transformation the family business underwent during the first decades of the 20th century. From the original modest shop for glass and Karlovy Vary porcelain opened by Albert Stern in 1867, it became during two generations a representative department store focused, among other things, on luxury glass, porcelain, and objects of artistic craftsmanship.
Her account of her entry and subsequent professional advancement describes: “After two months of searching for a job, she finally had luck when she was selected from among 80 applicants. She began as an office worker in the wholesale porcelain warehouse at the Albert Stern firm. She started on September 22, 1922. […] After three months, her salary increased by one hundred crowns, and she became the chief accountant.” [40]
Tušlová ultimately worked at the firm for nearly ten years. She left her employment on July 31, 1932, to dedicate herself, according to the preserved record, to family life. Her professional advancement from office worker to chief accountant provides one of the few concrete views into the employee base and internal functioning of Stern's enterprise.
Meanwhile, transformations were also taking place within the family itself. On June 29, 1924, Emil and Ida's daughter Irene Stern married the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer, born January 1, 1895. The marriage was led by Dr. Ludwig Levy, and it was witnessed by Josef Heller and Abraham Deutsch. After the wedding, Irene presumably moved to Moravská Ostrava with her husband.
On December 22, 1924, the firm Albert Stern, represented by Emil Stern, concluded a purchase agreement with the Brno shoe factory Brünner Schuhfabrik, a. g. for still undeveloped plots numbered 509/1, 511/1, and 511/2 along Hroznová Street. The purchase price was 125,000 crowns, of which 90,000 was to be paid in cash at the signing of the contract, and the remaining 35,000 by March 1, 1925, with a six percent annual interest. The plots were to be handed over to the buyer for use starting January 1, 1925.
Important information about the preparations for the construction is provided by documentation preserved in the Archive of Brno's Water and Sewage. The firm Albert Stern submitted a request for a building permit on June 22, 1925, and the city granted it on October 7 of the same year under several special conditions. For regulatory and communication reasons, a curve with a radius of 300 meters was to be created at the northern corner of the construction site, corresponding to the newly determined building line. The part of the plot exceeding this line was to be ceded free of charge and without burden for communication purposes and adjusted at the builder's expense.
However, the actual construction of the villa was prolonged. According to the property card, the building was granted occupancy on June 18, 1927, and the permit for its use was issued on July 15 of that year. The construction was commissioned to the Eisler brothers' firm. This is evidenced, among other things, by a form regarding the connection of the new building to the municipal water supply from November 25, 1926, indicating that payment orders for water taken during the construction were to be sent to the address “Ing. Artur Eisler, builder, Brno, Tovární 7”. [42]
Between the issuance of the building permit in the autumn of 1925 and the completion of the house in the summer of 1927, nearly two years elapsed. The exact course of building work cannot be reconstructed due to the lack of original construction documentation.
During the preparations for the new family residence, Emil Stern's position in the Brno Jewish community was also strengthened. In 1926, he was elected to the extended board of the Jewish religious community in Brno. [43]
Such a possibility corresponds not only to the previous collaboration between the two men but also to Witzmann's contemporaneous work. Since the beginning of the 20th century, he had also been involved in designing family houses and villas. In Vienna, he implemented villa structures on Angermayergasse 1, Meytensgasse 19, and Meytensgasse 27.[44]
Some elements of these realizations exhibit parallels with the Stern family's villa in Brno. Thus, formal comparisons could support the hypothesis of Witzmann's authorship; however, without direct archival evidence, it cannot yet be deemed proven.
The first consists of two undated plans signed by architect Wilhelm Bisom, labeled “Traubengasse 10, Luftschutzraum”. They were likely created during the Protectorate and relate to the planned construction of an air raid shelter in the villa's basement. The other two plans, labeled “Plan des Hauses No 10. Traubengasse in Brünn” and dated in Brno in February 1945, depict the then layout of the house.
However, the most significant for understanding the original appearance of the villa is the third set. It consists of seven detailed drawings labeled “Plán obytného domu, Brno-Pisárky, Hroznová č. 10”. The documentation is undated, unsigned, and described in Czech, but it depicts the layout of the house in a form that likely closely corresponds to its original state.
An important clue for dating the third set is the site plan. Notably, it marks the curve at the northern corner of the plot, which corresponds to the newly designated building line. The part of the plot that exceeds this line was to be ceded to the city for communication purposes, according to the conditions of the building permit from 1925. The same requirement is captured in the decision regarding the building permit: “to establish a curve at the northern corner of the construction site with a radius of 300 m as indicated in the site plan.”[45] The set may thus derive from the original project documentation or represent a later redraw of it. However, without additional documents, its exact origin and time of creation cannot currently be determined.
The last preserved set is a separate, undated, and unsigned ground plan of the first floor marked with a stamp from interwar builder Hermann Mainx.[46] The drawing likely corresponds to some of the later modifications to the villa, probably conducted during the 1930s. Thus, it illustrates partial construction interventions that the villa underwent after its completion.
The preserved plans allow for a fairly detailed reconstruction of the house's internal arrangement. The basement housed a two-room apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet, as well as facilities and technical support – a storehouse, laundry room, chamber, boiler room, and two cellars.
The house was accessed through a central entrance from Hroznová Street via a vestibule into a hall with the main staircase. On the left side of the ground floor were the kitchen, pantry, and maid's room, which were connected to a separate service staircase. In contrast, the right side contained the bathroom and toilet. The living and common rooms mainly opened toward the garden. The house also had a garage.
The first floor was organized around another central hall and its basic layout largely corresponded to that of the ground floor. Here, too, there was a kitchen, while access to a veranda or winter garden was provided from one of the living rooms. A service staircase on the left side of the house connected the basement, ground floor, and first floor and allowed staff to move separately from the main staircase.
In the attic, the living space was smaller due to the roof structure. From the hall, three rooms overlooking the garden, a bathroom, a chamber, and a drying room were accessible.
The generous spatial arrangement of the house, the existence of both main and service staircases, separate facilities for staff, a winter garden, and a garage corresponded to the living standard of a wealthy Brno entrepreneurial family in the late 1920s.
On July 15, 1927, the day the permit for the house's use was issued, Emil Stern announced a change of residence from Minoritská 10 to Hroznová 10. Thus, during the summer, he could move with his wife Ida and children Erich and Marianne to the new family residence. Their older daughter Irene was already married to the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer and was living outside of Brno. In the same year, Erich Stern also married Hedvika (Heda) Nasch, coming from another significant Moravian entrepreneurial family: “Heda was an outstanding pianist since childhood. She loved classical music and continued to play for hours every day well into her nineties.”[47] Thus, she also became a resident of the new villa, which from the outset was home to two generations of the Stern family.
Only a year later, the family suffered another, significantly more unexpected loss. On April 16, 1929, Emil's wife Ida Stern, née Rosenberg, died at the age of 46. The obituary emphasized her life “full of tireless work” and termed her a “rare woman”. The cause of death was noted as pulmonary embolism related to thrombophlebitis.[50] She was also buried in the Brno Jewish cemetery.
As a result of family events, the composition of the household at Hroznová gradually changed in the following years. The aforementioned undated adaptation plan of the ground floor of the villa, stamped by builder Hermann Mainx, may be related to these changes. A certain trace in this regard is represented by Emil Stern's notification slip. According to it, he changed his residence on August 9, 1930, from Hroznová 10 to Výstavní Třída 16. Four months later, on December 15 of the same year, he re-registered back to his house on Hroznová.[51]
The several-month stay outside the villa could be related to construction modifications of the house, but direct evidence for such connection is currently lacking.
More pronounced changes in the composition of the household occurred in 1933. Emil's older sister Gizella Feitlerová, who had been living in Vienna since 1921 and had become a widow in the meantime, moved in with her brother on Hroznová 10, according to a notification slip dated June 26, 1933. As her occupation, the document states “Antiquitäten-Händlerin”, and also “Beamters Witwe”, that is, merchants of antiquities and widows of a clerk. Significant changes in the lives of Emil’s children also took place in the same year. In July, a daughter, Edith Ruth, was born to Erich and Hedvika Stern, while Marianne Stern married in August and subsequently lived with her husband at Orlí 13. Thus, familial changes directly influenced the composition of the household in the villa on Hroznová and might have prompted adjustments in its internal arrangement. However, without further sources, it cannot be reliably established whether the preserved plan by Mainx corresponds to these changes.
The family life of Erich and Hedy Stern was also intertwined with numerous travels abroad during their first years together, where business interests merged with exploring different countries. Their granddaughter Karen Hall states based on family memories: “In 1934, just a few months after my mother was born, Erich and Heda set out on an almost year-long journey across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They left my mother and uncle in the care of a British nanny and domestic staff. For secular, highly cultured Jewish families of that time, it was nothing unusual, though it was a bit sad for my mother and uncle.” [52]
At that same time, investments in the firm's business base also continued. In 1930, Emil Stern had the construction connected between his houses at Minoritská 10 and Orlí 13 with a covered passage. There is a drawing signed by builder Artur Eisler preserved in the City Archive of Brno related to this adaptation. [53]
Simultaneously, the third generation of the family gradually began to engage in the management of the business. In January 1928, Emil and Ida's son Erich Stern became the procurator of the firm.[55]
After Ida Stern's death, the family’s property relations also changed. According to the transfer certificate dated March 12, 1930, her share of the house on Minoritská 10 passed on to Emil and the children Erich and Marianne. [56]
The firm continued to intensively present itself to the public. In 1930, it featured its porcelain at the Brno furniture fairs[57] and regularly held thematic sales exhibitions in its own showroom. In November 1931, for instance, an exhibition titled “A Modernly Set Table” was held there.[58] A significant milestone was the year 1932 when the enterprise celebrated its 65th anniversary. The annual article explicitly highlighted the emergence of the third generation: “Since then, the company has been served by the third generation – the grandson of the founders – who strives, supported by 65 employees, to satisfy the numerous clientele from all over Moravia and Slovakia in every respect.” [59]
The same text emphasized the scope of exclusive representations of significant manufacturers, among which it listed the firms Rosenthal, Epiag-Loket, Haas and Čížek, Moser from Karlovy Vary, the glass factory Schreiber, the Vienna porcelain factory Augarten, or the crystal grinding companies Zahn.[6] Although the annual article had a clearly promotional character, and therefore its claims about the extraordinary standing of the firm must be evaluated with some reservation, the extent of the mentioned commercial ties well documents the transformation of the original family shop into a significant wholesale enterprise.
Another proof of the firm’s expansion was the acquisition of an extensive storage area in Brno's Komárov. By purchase agreements dated August 9 and 16, 1932, Emil Stern, Erich Stern, and Marianne Stern each gained one-third ownership of the property at 10 Komárovská Street. The purchase price amounted to 580,000 crowns. Part of the complex was a one-story warehouse building from 1921, which was reconstructed for the needs of the Sterns in the same year.[60] The extent of the storage base was also recalled by the period press in 1937, according to which Stern's department store “near Rosice station” had a warehouse with a capacity of up to seventy wagons of goods. [61]
Although the statement comes from a promotional text, it nevertheless vividly illustrates how significant a component of the company’s operations had become wholesale activity in the 1930s.
At the beginning of the 1930s, a branch of the firm was also established in Moravská Ostrava, located in a house at 10 Jiráskovo náměstí. The annual article from 1932 indicated that “the branch Stern and Co. in Moravská Ostrava is led by the same principles and gained surprising popularity with the local populace.”[62]
The creation of the Ostrava branch is also interesting in a family context. Since 1924, Emil's daughter Irene had lived there with her husband, the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer. Whether this family connection played any role in the firm’s expansion into Ostrava is yet to be verified.
Together with the Ostrava branch, the firm employed approximately 75 people according to a report from 1937. [63]
The company's assortment also attracted other prominent customers. In 1936, the Romanian marshal of the court Ernest Urdăreanu visited the department store accompanied by Czechoslovak diplomatic representatives. According to period press reports, he purchased cut items made of Czech crystal here and appreciated the range of goods offered. [65]
The firm, meanwhile, did not limit itself to selling ready-made goods. In the 1930s, it also operated its own workshop for engraving and sanding glass and a workshop for the production of lighting. [66] This enabled it to execute more complex contracts. In 1935, for example, it supplied glass, porcelain, and lighting fixtures to the newly renovated Alcron café in the Brno Hotel Padowetz, which was created according to the design of architect Otmar Skrabal. [67]
In 1933, for instance, a sales exhibition titled “Modern Vases and Flowers” was held here,[68] and in May of the following year, the Brno association Žena organized an excursion to the firm combined with a demonstration of cooking in practical dishes. [69]
The presentation of glass from Železný Brod also gained remarkable attention. At one of the exhibitions, a glassmaker demonstrated in front of visitors the production of small glass items. Another exhibition combined applied arts with popular illustration. Around eighty drawings by Ondřej Sekora from the series Ferda Mravenec and Captain Ani Muk in Africa were displayed in the store, complemented by blown glass figurines made according to Sekora’s ideas. [70]
After the wedding, Leopold moved out from his parents' house at Masarykova Street No. 32 and, together with his wife Marianne, moved into the Stern family house at Orlí 13. The couple lived here for the next two years. In October 1936, the Schlesinger family welcomed their daughter Eva.
Preserved documents show that Schlesinger subsequently worked for the firm Albert Stern and was also engaged in managing the family properties on Minoritská and Orlí Streets. His professional activity thus, at least in the first half of the 1930s, significantly intertwined with the family business into which he married.
The fire engulfed the storage spaces equipped with wooden shelves and straw used to protect fragile goods. According to period reports, the cause of the fire was likely a failure of electrical wiring. The firefighting lasted about two hours; three firefighters inhaled fumes, and the damage was estimated at around 30,000 crowns.
A period article from 1937 referred to it as one of Brno's attractions. Special attention was drawn to the solution of large glass surfaces, the construction of which was suppressed to such an extent that the storefront created the illusion of an open space: “There in Orlí Street, crowds of curious people gather daily and somewhat comically disperse their fingers into the display to convince themselves as disbelievers that someone indeed dared such a revolution and bought a display without glass. However, they hit their fingers against glass, which is so cleverly constructed that it is really invisible and gives the impression that the display is not protected at all. The goods displayed inside thereby emerge plastically as though they were not behind a glass wall at all.” [73]
The storefront is captured in photographs from 1936 stored in the collections of the Technical Museum in Brno, as well as in another image preserved in a private archive of the family descendants. The construction solution indeed suppressed frames and other elements behind stone cladding, creating the effect of almost invisible glazing described by the period press.
The portal remained, albeit in a modified and damaged state, until the early 1990s and was also recorded in the catalogue documentation of architect Jindřich Škrabal. Given that Leopold Schlesinger was an architect, worked for the firm, and managed its properties, one might consider his possible contribution to the design of the commercial portal.
In 1934, Hermine Beranová and her daughter Cornelia, married Lappertová, decided to construct a pair of rental houses in the lower part of the garden of their house on today's Drobného Street. The preserved plumbing plan from November 1934 lists Hermine Beranová and Nelly Lappertová as the builders of both houses.
The author of the project for house No. 28a was indeed Leopold Schlesinger, while the neighboring house No. 28b was designed by Otto Eisler. The building permit for the four-story rental house with ten apartments was issued on April 29, 1935, and Artur Eisler was entrusted with the construction.
During its construction, the property also passed into the ownership of the Stern family. By the purchase agreement dated July 4, 1935, Emil Stern acquired a share of 5/8, Erich Stern 2/8, and Marianne Schlesinger 1/8 of the new rental house. [75]
Both the approval and the permit for its use were issued on September 23, 1935. After the house was completed, Marianne and Leopold Schlesinger moved here from Orlí 13, as evidenced by Leopold's registration slip from September 26, 1935. His occupation is listed as “official,” which corresponds to his documented position at the firm Albert Stern. Emil Stern continued to live in the villa at Hroznová 10 along with his son Erich and family, and Emil's sister Gizella Feitlerová, who was also listed at this address in the Brno city directory of 1934.
The firm simultaneously continued its representative and charitable activities. In 1937, for example, it donated a crystal cup from its artistic glass-cutting workshop as a prize for the best Czechoslovak racer at the Masaryk Circuit.[77]
Emil Stern simultaneously kept the memory of his deceased wife Ida alive when he donated 200 crowns to the Dagmar Children's Home in her name in 1938.[78] A small glimpse into the life of the Sterns in the villa on Hroznová is offered by an advertisement in the period press from the late 1930s. Someone from the family at that time was looking for a new maid for the household: “Perfect maid next to the cook for 2 persons wanted. Permanent position. Please introduce yourself between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brno, Hroznová 10/I. floor.” [79]
Albert Stern's arrival in Brno can most likely be placed in the 1860s. It was probably he who became a public partner in the Brno firm B. Fischer & Comp.[1] However, we currently know little about the early years of his life in the city. The 1870 census captures Albert Stern in a house at Orlí Street No. 8 and associates him with the trade of fine glass and porcelain goods (“Glas- und Porzellanfeinwaren”). Living with him were his wife Rosa and their two daughters Gizella and Pauline.
In 1867, the same year that Mr. and Mrs. Stern welcomed their daughter Gizella, Albert Stern established a glass goods shop on Minoritská Street in Brno. During its first eleven years, the store was located in some unidentified buildings on this street. Emil Stern later recalled the original premises, as well as the beginnings of his father’s business, in the Lidové noviny during the 65th anniversary of the company's founding: “In 1867, Albert Stern, the father of the current owner of the firm, opened a modest shop for glass and Karlovy Vary porcelain in what was then the quiet Minoritská Street, which he moved in 1878 to the nearby house No. 10.”[2]
The earliest newspaper advertisement found for Stern's shop dates back to January 1870. The newspaper Tagesbote aus Mähren lists only Minoritská Street as the location, with no house number. The advertisement also implies that the business involved not just direct sales but also the rental of selected goods: “Mirrors, chandeliers, wall sconces, and all kinds of tableware are available for renting at A. Stern, porcelain and glass shop, Minoritská Street.”[3]
A significant expansion of the business occurred in 1878. In May of that year, Albert and Rosa Stern purchased a baroque house at Minoritská Street No. 10 from the imperial councilor Johann Ritter von Lachnit. From this point onward, this address began to appear regularly in the company's advertisements.
Shortly after acquiring the property, Albert Stern had the premises modified for his business needs and transferred the entire shop to this address. In June 1878, he announced the upcoming relocation “within his own house, Minoritská Street 10”[4] and in this context offered his goods at discounted prices. An advertisement from the following month likely reflects the ongoing construction work in the house on Minoritská 10: “Beneficial for construction entrepreneurs. For sale cheaply: a beautiful stone frame from the house's front door, as well as 20 wings of double windows, glazed, older, but in good condition. A. Stern, shop for glass and porcelain, Minoritská Street.”[5]
The extent of the construction intervention at that time is not yet precisely known. However, it can be assumed that it primarily involved the ground floor and areas designated for commercial operation. Probably in connection with some of the modifications to the house, enamelled round panels were also created and placed on the façade between the first and second-floor windows, featuring motifs of glassware offered in Stern's shop.
A photograph deposited in the Moravian Regional Library captures the appearance of Stern's house and shop, probably taken around 1909 to 1910.[6] The image shows the house at Minoritská 10 with a prominently marked store "Albert Stern" and the mentioned round panels with motifs of glass products are also clearly visible on the façade, which served as an ideal advertising medium. A closer look at the photograph also reveals the figures of an older man and woman in one of the first-floor windows. Given that Albert and Rosa Stern owned the house and also lived in it, and considering the approximate age of the captured individuals, it cannot be ruled out that these figures are indeed Mr. and Mrs. Stern. However, without further sources, such identification cannot be deemed certain.[7]
The purchase of their own house and the establishment of stable business foundations created conditions for the further development of Stern's enterprise. However, during Albert's management, according to later assessments by his son Emil, it still had a rather traditional character: “Here he served his customers with good commercial success, but at a calm and uniformly neighborly pace.”[8]
In addition to the shop and the Stern family's apartment, some other areas of the house were rented out. In 1880, Ludwig Turnowsky worked here according to period advertisements, who “provides information on all stock exchange matters.”[9] Approximately from 1888, a tailor's salon run by Sofie Longery[10] was located on the second floor of the house, in 1898 the lawyer Jaroslav Peka had his office here[11], and a tailor's salon continued to operate in the house into the early 20th century.[12] The house is also associated with a remarkable chapter in the history of Czech education in Brno. On the occasion of the seventieth anniversary of the company's founding, the Lidové noviny noted in 1937 that the first Czech kindergarten in the city was supposed to have operated here: “Interesting are also the memories of the beginnings of the firm. So in the house of Stern, there was the first Czech kindergarten in Brno, which the owners at that time provided with the necessary rooms in their house.”[13]
The Advent of a New Generation
The 1890s marked a gradual involvement of Albert's only son Emil into the business activities of Stern's enterprise. Already in the 1890 census, Emil Stern is recorded under the occupation “Agency,” indicating his involvement in the firm at that time. Alongside the Stern family, Julius Liebel, born on April 11, 1856, in Svitávka, a Jewish of the profession of procurator, is also listed at the address Minoritská 10. He probably worked in Stern's business. The Stern household also included Josefa Götz, born in 1868 in Bučovice, who worked there as a maid.Until the mid-1890s, advertisements for Stern's business appeared in period press rather sporadically and the firm was generally referred to as a glass and porcelain shop (“Glas- und Porzellanhandlung”). In March 1890, the firm Albert Stern, trade in glass and porcelain goods in Brno was registered in the commercial register, with then fifty-one-year-old Albert Stern as the sole owner.[14]
At the beginning of 1892, Albert Stern announced to the imperial county court in Brno that since February 1 of that year, Emil Stern had joined his firm as a partner: “with all rights and obligations.”[15] A retrospective article published on the firm's 65th anniversary, meanwhile, placed an important divide as late as 1896: “Only in 1896, when his son, the current senior chief Emil Stern, became a co-leader of the business, did a period of changes and expansions begin.”[16] Both pieces of information do not necessarily contradict each other. The first captures Emil’s formal entry into the company, while the second may indicate the moment when he began to significantly influence its actual management and future direction.
The definitive generational change in the management of the company took place at the turn of the century. From October 1, 1900, Emil Stern took over the management of the firm. Albert justified his decision with his age while expressing his consent for the business to continue under the established name: “Since I have reached an age at which I can no longer personally run the firm Albert Stern, I hereby consent to my son Emil Stern, as a partner in my enterprise, entering into business management. I expressly agree that the firm continues to be conducted under the name Albert Stern, and I also transfer my commercial authorization to my son Emil Stern.”[17]
From 1901 onwards, Emil Stern is listed in city directories at the address Minoritská 10 as a trader in glass and porcelain (“Glas- und Porzellanhändler”).
Albert Stern maintained his professional authority in his field even toward the end of his active business career. In 1900, he was appointed as a court expert for porcelain and glass goods.[18]
The census operator from 1900 documents Albert and Rosa Stern at Minoritská 10, who listed their official language as German. Their unmarried son Emil, recorded as the owner of the glass and porcelain shop, and a maid Ludmila Sova, born in 1879 in Deblín, still lived in their household. Among the tenants of the house were also private women, sisters Rosalie Löw, a widow, and the single Katharine Eisler.
A significant change in Emil Stern's personal life came in the following year. In January 1901, twenty-eight-year-old Emil married eighteen-year-old Ida Rosenberg. Ida came from a Jewish family in Brno. Her parents were Gustav Rosenberg and Josephine, née Spitzer, who had owned a now non-existent house at 1 Hlinky Street since 1887.[19]
On January 3, 1901, the engaged couple drew up a marriage contract with notary Franz Winsor. Among other things, it included a quite high dowry: “As a dowry, Miss Ida Rosenberg provides her fiancé Mr. Emil Stern with the amount of 40,000 crowns, in words forty thousand crowns, and this amount was paid in cash before the contract was signed.”[20]
In addition to the financial dowry, Ida brought a corresponding household inventory that, according to the contract, remained her property for the duration of the marriage. Emil Stern supplemented her dowry with an amount of 20,000 crowns. The marriage contract was subsequently also recorded in the commercial register of the firm Albert Stern.
Emil Stern and Ida Rosenberg's marriage took place three days later, on January 6, 1901, according to the Jewish ceremony. In October of the same year, the couple welcomed twins Erich and Irene.
Development of the Company in the Early 20th Century
With Emil Stern's arrival at the helm of the family business, a period of significant development began. Emil's wife Ida also played an important role in this. A retrospective article published on the occasion of the firm's 65th anniversary assessed her involvement with the words: “The young, intelligent wife found in 1901 a wide field of activity and gained a great reputation through her great diligence and extraordinary business talent, along with her husband.”[21]The development of the family business was also accompanied by an expansion of the Stern family's real estate assets. In April 1902, Emil and Ida Stern purchased a house from Franz Kupetz on nearby Orlí Street No. 13. [22]
The original structure was demolished in May of the following year, and still during 1903, a new Art Nouveau tenement house was built on its site. After its completion, Emil and Ida moved here, while they rented out the other apartments. Albert Stern and his wife Rosa continued to live in the family house at Minoritská 10.
The demolition of the old building at Orlí 13 was also documented by the period press. An article recalled the previous owners of the house as well as the former inn “Zum Alten Jakob” and informed about the planned new construction: “Today we are bringing you images of two houses on Adlergasse No. 11 and 13, which are to be demolished to make way for new construction and to allow regulation of the mentioned street. […] The house No. 13 will certainly not escape demolition, as it has already begun. […] The Kupec family owned the house until 1902, when it was purchased by Emil and Ida Stern. Previously, the famous inn ‘Zum Alten Jakob’ was located in this house. A modern new construction in the Art Nouveau style is to be built on the site of this house.”[23]
The younger generation's entry into the firm was reflected not only in the expansion of family real estate but also in changes within the business itself and in its presentation. From 1903 onwards, advertisements for the firm Albert Stern began to regularly appear in city directories, while the offered range of goods was expanded along with connections to significant manufacturers of porcelain, glass, and other goods.
Adressbuch von Brünn starting from 1903 lists the firm Albert Stern at Minoritská 10 as a representative of the Karlovy Vary porcelain factory Pfeifer & Löwenstein and simultaneously in connection with the glass company S. Reich & Co. from Kyjov. In the years 1903–1910, directories also document Stern's business association with the company Gebrüder Schütz from Olomučany, a manufacturer of tile and chamotte goods. The Brno representation of this firm was situated precisely at Stern's place on Minoritská 10, thus further expanding the store’s range to include stove products.[24]
Besides the house on Minoritská Street, Albert Stern also owned a smaller house with land in Dolní Heršpice, which he offered for sale in 1908: “A small house in Dolní Heršpice with a piece of land – cheap for sale. Information readily provided by Albert Stern, Brno, Minoritská Street.” [25]
The family life of Emil and Ida also continued to develop. Following the twins Erich and Irene, born in 1901, their third daughter Marianne was born in October 1909.
The year 1909 brought another significant change in the family’s property situation. In August, Emil and Ida Stern purchased the house at Minoritská 10 from Albert and Rosa Stern. The period press reported this property transaction with the words: “Mr. Emil and Mrs. Ida Stern purchased from Mr. Albert Stern and his wife Rosa Stern the house No. 10 on Minoritengasse […] for 65,375.” [26]
The new owners, similar to several years earlier on Orlí Street, decided to replace the older baroque house with a modern rental and commercial building that would meet the growing needs of the family business. Therefore, in January 1910, Emil and Ida submitted an application for a building permit.[27]
Between March and autumn of the same year, the old house was removed and a new representative building was erected in its place. To avoid disruption to the business during construction, Emil Stern moved the shop to the nearby house at Orlí 13.
The new commercial premises at Minoritská 10 were opened to the public in October 1910. The period press, on this occasion, recalled not only the long tradition of the firm but also the authors of the new building and its exceptionally generous business facilities: “This renowned firm, founded in 1867, built a truly representative building on the site of the old house according to the plans of Brno architect Georg Rohr and city builder Martin Fleischhacker, which comprises extensive storage and sales areas across four floors. We can confidently state that in Brno – in fact throughout Moravia – it is impossible to find a sales area of a specialized business of such extent and with such modern equipment as the company Stern now has.” [28]
Modern Department Store
The new rental and commercial building on Minoritská Street was designed as a representative seat of the family firm, which had been operating in Brno for over four decades at that time. Dates 1867 and 1910 appeared on the façade, referring to the foundation of the firm and the construction of the new building. In the railing of the two balconies on the floor, where the owners' central apartment presumably was located, the letter “S” was added, referring to the name Stern. The enamelled round panels with motifs of glassware from the older house were also transferred to the new building and newly placed in the entrance hallway of the house.Particular emphasis was placed on the ground floor of the building, especially on the display windows of Stern's shop. These represented one of the main means of the firm’s presentation and modern department store. Therefore, the promotional slogan frequently emphasized that their windows “are worth seeing”. Their high-quality design received public recognition already in 1911 at the first Brno window display competition: “The first prize, along with a special award, was awarded to the firms Albert Stern and Brüder Wittrich. The first prize consisted of a large silver medal with the corresponding diploma. In addition, Albert Stern was also granted a special recognition from the jury for the exceptionally impressive arrangement of the display window.” [29]
The reconstruction of Minoritská 10 also marked a change in the living conditions of the individual generations of the family. Albert Stern probably moved in February 1910 to Orlí 13 in connection with the preparations for the demolition of the old house, where he was also recorded by the Adressbuch von Brünn in 1915. On the contrary, Emil and Ida Stern, along with their children, moved into the house on Minoritská after the completion of the new building. Notification slips document Emil's registration at this address as of March 1, 1911.
At the beginning of the second decade of the 20th century, the Sterns thus owned two modern tenement houses with commercial spaces on Minoritská and Orlí Street. The property card for the house at Minoritská 10 indicates that there were only two apartments in the building. Unfortunately, the original construction documentation for either of the two properties has not been preserved. However, the later record sheet of the immovable cultural monument from 1987 incorrectly attributes the authorship of the house on Minoritská to the architect Dušan Jurkovič. [30]
However, shortly after the completion of the new building, the family was struck by loss. On November 30, 1910, Rosa Stern passed away, and she was subsequently buried in the Brno Jewish cemetery.
After the opening of the new department store, the firm's product assortment likely changed as well. The stove products of the company Gebrüder Schütz disappeared from their offerings, while lighting devices gained increasing importance. The firm Albert Stern offered Auer lighting and also functioned as a sales outlet for Osram bulbs. An advertisement in the directory from 1912 invited people to “the largest selection in Moravia and Silesia” and counted among its main assortment glass, porcelain, and lamps, specializing in wedding and gift items.
In 1912, the firm also seemingly first appeared in Czech advertisements in the Lidové noviny.[12] An interesting piece of evidence reflecting the adaptation of its advertising to the Czech linguistic environment is the Czechified version of the founder's name, Albert Stern, noted here as “Vojtěch Stern.”
However, the family itself lived predominantly in a German linguistic and cultural environment. This is supported by census records and other sources; a more detailed characterization is provided by a post-war survey from 1947. Given the time and purpose of the creation of this source, however, its assessment must be interpreted with due caution. The report stated: “The named individual reported to the Police Directorate in Brno always in German […] In Emil Stern's household, only German was spoken, and he did not even properly master the Czech language. The books of the Stern firm, Brno, Minoritská were kept in German, and the firm was likewise registered with financial authorities as a German one. […] Emil Stern himself was a member of exclusively German clubs and the Jewish religious community.” [31] The report further noted his membership in the Deutsche Theaterbaugemeinde, Verein Deutsches Haus, and Deutscher Theaterverein.
The Stern family and their firm also participated in charitable and public service activities. In 1912, for example, the department store Albert Stern contributed 20 crowns to the collection “Gifts for the Border Guards”. [32]
Their charitable activities were more pronounced during the First World War. The firm or individual family members contributed, among others, to the Brno Red Cross, the Red Cross, the Bulgarian Red Cross, the city war relief fund, or the Brno fund for the poor. In 1915, they donated 50 crowns to provide warm footwear for poor schoolchildren. In 1917, Ida Stern contributed 200 crowns to the city’s relief fund. Charitable activities continued even after the end of the war: in 1919, the firm donated 100 crowns to a collection for the tuberculosis sanatorium and the same amount to the organization caring for children and the day care center of the German Social Democratic Women's Organization in Brno.
However, the First World War also directly impacted the operation of the family business. Emil Stern was called to military service. This is documented, among other things, by an article from 1917 published on the occasion of the firm’s fiftieth anniversary, which recalled “the son of the current owner Emil Stern, who assumed the management of this enterprise and is currently on the battlefield.” [33]
The Stern Firm After the Establishment of the Czechoslovak Republic
The establishment of Czechoslovakia and the new economic conditions marked another stage in the development of the firm Albert Stern. In the post-war years, the company strove to reach customers through new forms of presentation as well. In 1922, for example, it participated in Brno’s trade fairs held at the gymnasium Stadion on Kounicova Street. However, an even more significant transformation occurred in the same year in the commercial spaces of the firm at Minoritská 10.The census operator from 1921 captures Emil Stern as the owner of the house, his wife Ida, and their children Irene, Erich, and Marianne. The household also included a nanny, Marie Kaufmann, born in 1901, and a cook, Marie Faslová, born in 1876. Among the tenants of the house was Johann Wschiansky, born in 1882, who was also an employee of the Stern firm and lived there with his wife Anna and children Arthur, Elisabeth, and Josefine.
A fundamental change occurred in the business in 1922, when Emil Stern decided to adapt some of its spaces for an art salon meant for the presentation of luxury glass and artistic ceramics. The period press rated the new solution extremely favorably: “The Albert Stern firm created a special exhibition space for its artistic ceramic goods and luxury glass that – in terms of functionality and taste of decor – presents, not only compared to similar, unfortunately only rarely occurring interiors in Brno, but also, objectively, the peak of intimate artistic space.” [34]
The adaptation was designed by Vienna architect and designer Carl Witzmann, and the implementation was carried out by Brno builder Josef Müller. Period descriptions highlighted especially the overall composition of the interior: “The new art salon primarily has an extraordinarily effective wallpaper, which impressively frames all the beautiful objects arranged in niches, shelves, and showcases.”[35] The newly arranged salon was not solely intended for regular sales but was designed to attract public attention on its own. Therefore, the firm explicitly invited customers to view it. In December 1922, for instance, the Lidové noviny announced: “Department store Albert Stern, Minoritská. On Sunday the 17th, open from 8 to 12 and from 2 to 6 o'clock. Free viewing of the new art-industry salon.” [36]
The circumstances under which Emil Stern approached Carl Witzmann are not yet known. However, the choice of the Vienna architect corresponded to the character of the space that was to be created. Witzmann, born in 1883, studied at the Vienna School of Applied Arts and worked professionally in the environment of Vienna Modernism. Besides architecture, he engaged in scenography and also designed furniture, carpets, lighting, and other applied arts.
For his Brno assignment, it is significant that he was not unfamiliar with the city. As early as 1909, he designed the interior of a tenement house for builder Josef Müller at No. 3 Kotlářská Street, including the furnishings of Müller’s own apartment. Although there is currently no direct evidence of who recommended Witzmann to Stern, previous collaboration between the two men represents an important connection in his Brno activities.
The establishment of Stern’s art salon fit well into the gradual transformation of the firm’s assortment and overall orientation. In addition to the long-term representation of the Karlovy Vary porcelain factory Pfeifer & Löwenstein, Stern's enterprise began to increasingly offer luxurious artistic glass from significant manufacturers. From 1924, it was the exclusive seller of French glass by Émile Gallé from Nancy. [37]
In October 1925, it gained exclusive representation for Moser glassworks in Brno. The Moser firm announced this change with the words: “From today, we are passing the management of our Brno factory warehouse and the exclusive sale of all our products for the purpose of greater expansion to the firm Albert Stern, Brno, Minoritská 10.” [38]
By 1926 at the latest, the Stern firm also began to use a new visual identity. Its distinctive element became a prominent logo consisting of an inverted triangle with a stylized handwritten inscription “Stern”, above which was depicted a cup with a saucer, referencing the firm's main product assortment. From 1926 onwards, this logo appeared not only in the firm's advertising and promotional materials but also directly on the porcelain goods sold by the firm.
The combination of the newly conceived exhibition interior with the exclusive representation of leading manufacturers shows how significant a transformation the family business underwent during the first decades of the 20th century. From the original modest shop for glass and Karlovy Vary porcelain opened by Albert Stern in 1867, it became during two generations a representative department store focused, among other things, on luxury glass, porcelain, and objects of artistic craftsmanship.
Memory of Kristýna Tušlová
The memory of Kristýna Tušlová also allows a glimpse into the daily functioning of Stern's firm, where she began her employment in September 1922.[39] According to preserved records, she searched for employment for two months, and approximately eighty candidates applied for the position at the Albert Stern firm. Eventually, she was accepted as an office worker in the wholesale porcelain warehouse with an initial salary of 350 crowns.Her account of her entry and subsequent professional advancement describes: “After two months of searching for a job, she finally had luck when she was selected from among 80 applicants. She began as an office worker in the wholesale porcelain warehouse at the Albert Stern firm. She started on September 22, 1922. […] After three months, her salary increased by one hundred crowns, and she became the chief accountant.” [40]
Tušlová ultimately worked at the firm for nearly ten years. She left her employment on July 31, 1932, to dedicate herself, according to the preserved record, to family life. Her professional advancement from office worker to chief accountant provides one of the few concrete views into the employee base and internal functioning of Stern's enterprise.
Meanwhile, transformations were also taking place within the family itself. On June 29, 1924, Emil and Ida's daughter Irene Stern married the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer, born January 1, 1895. The marriage was led by Dr. Ludwig Levy, and it was witnessed by Josef Heller and Abraham Deutsch. After the wedding, Irene presumably moved to Moravská Ostrava with her husband.
Construction of the Villa on Hroznová
The economic development of the family business and changes in the life of the Stern family were probably among the circumstances that brought Emil Stern to the decision to leave the family home in the department store in central Brno and build a separate villa for his family in the developing residential area of Pisárky.On December 22, 1924, the firm Albert Stern, represented by Emil Stern, concluded a purchase agreement with the Brno shoe factory Brünner Schuhfabrik, a. g. for still undeveloped plots numbered 509/1, 511/1, and 511/2 along Hroznová Street. The purchase price was 125,000 crowns, of which 90,000 was to be paid in cash at the signing of the contract, and the remaining 35,000 by March 1, 1925, with a six percent annual interest. The plots were to be handed over to the buyer for use starting January 1, 1925.
Important information about the preparations for the construction is provided by documentation preserved in the Archive of Brno's Water and Sewage. The firm Albert Stern submitted a request for a building permit on June 22, 1925, and the city granted it on October 7 of the same year under several special conditions. For regulatory and communication reasons, a curve with a radius of 300 meters was to be created at the northern corner of the construction site, corresponding to the newly determined building line. The part of the plot exceeding this line was to be ceded free of charge and without burden for communication purposes and adjusted at the builder's expense.
However, the actual construction of the villa was prolonged. According to the property card, the building was granted occupancy on June 18, 1927, and the permit for its use was issued on July 15 of that year. The construction was commissioned to the Eisler brothers' firm. This is evidenced, among other things, by a form regarding the connection of the new building to the municipal water supply from November 25, 1926, indicating that payment orders for water taken during the construction were to be sent to the address “Ing. Artur Eisler, builder, Brno, Tovární 7”. [42]
Between the issuance of the building permit in the autumn of 1925 and the completion of the house in the summer of 1927, nearly two years elapsed. The exact course of building work cannot be reconstructed due to the lack of original construction documentation.
During the preparations for the new family residence, Emil Stern's position in the Brno Jewish community was also strengthened. In 1926, he was elected to the extended board of the Jewish religious community in Brno. [43]
The Question of Authorship of the Villa
One of the still unanswered questions remains who authored the architectural design of the villa. Original construction documentation that would clearly identify the architect has yet to be found. However, the Vienna architect Carl Witzmann, with whom Emil Stern collaborated just a few years earlier in adapting the art salon of the Albert Stern firm on Minoritská Street in 1922, comes into consideration.Such a possibility corresponds not only to the previous collaboration between the two men but also to Witzmann's contemporaneous work. Since the beginning of the 20th century, he had also been involved in designing family houses and villas. In Vienna, he implemented villa structures on Angermayergasse 1, Meytensgasse 19, and Meytensgasse 27.[44]
Some elements of these realizations exhibit parallels with the Stern family's villa in Brno. Thus, formal comparisons could support the hypothesis of Witzmann's authorship; however, without direct archival evidence, it cannot yet be deemed proven.
Appearance and Layout of the House
Although we lack the original signed project documentation, a set of a total of 21 drawings related to Stern's villa on Hroznová has been preserved in the City Archive of Brno in the collection B 1/18. There are at least four separate sets created in different periods.The first consists of two undated plans signed by architect Wilhelm Bisom, labeled “Traubengasse 10, Luftschutzraum”. They were likely created during the Protectorate and relate to the planned construction of an air raid shelter in the villa's basement. The other two plans, labeled “Plan des Hauses No 10. Traubengasse in Brünn” and dated in Brno in February 1945, depict the then layout of the house.
However, the most significant for understanding the original appearance of the villa is the third set. It consists of seven detailed drawings labeled “Plán obytného domu, Brno-Pisárky, Hroznová č. 10”. The documentation is undated, unsigned, and described in Czech, but it depicts the layout of the house in a form that likely closely corresponds to its original state.
An important clue for dating the third set is the site plan. Notably, it marks the curve at the northern corner of the plot, which corresponds to the newly designated building line. The part of the plot that exceeds this line was to be ceded to the city for communication purposes, according to the conditions of the building permit from 1925. The same requirement is captured in the decision regarding the building permit: “to establish a curve at the northern corner of the construction site with a radius of 300 m as indicated in the site plan.”[45] The set may thus derive from the original project documentation or represent a later redraw of it. However, without additional documents, its exact origin and time of creation cannot currently be determined.
The last preserved set is a separate, undated, and unsigned ground plan of the first floor marked with a stamp from interwar builder Hermann Mainx.[46] The drawing likely corresponds to some of the later modifications to the villa, probably conducted during the 1930s. Thus, it illustrates partial construction interventions that the villa underwent after its completion.
The preserved plans allow for a fairly detailed reconstruction of the house's internal arrangement. The basement housed a two-room apartment with a kitchen, bathroom, and toilet, as well as facilities and technical support – a storehouse, laundry room, chamber, boiler room, and two cellars.
The house was accessed through a central entrance from Hroznová Street via a vestibule into a hall with the main staircase. On the left side of the ground floor were the kitchen, pantry, and maid's room, which were connected to a separate service staircase. In contrast, the right side contained the bathroom and toilet. The living and common rooms mainly opened toward the garden. The house also had a garage.
The first floor was organized around another central hall and its basic layout largely corresponded to that of the ground floor. Here, too, there was a kitchen, while access to a veranda or winter garden was provided from one of the living rooms. A service staircase on the left side of the house connected the basement, ground floor, and first floor and allowed staff to move separately from the main staircase.
In the attic, the living space was smaller due to the roof structure. From the hall, three rooms overlooking the garden, a bathroom, a chamber, and a drying room were accessible.
The generous spatial arrangement of the house, the existence of both main and service staircases, separate facilities for staff, a winter garden, and a garage corresponded to the living standard of a wealthy Brno entrepreneurial family in the late 1920s.
On July 15, 1927, the day the permit for the house's use was issued, Emil Stern announced a change of residence from Minoritská 10 to Hroznová 10. Thus, during the summer, he could move with his wife Ida and children Erich and Marianne to the new family residence. Their older daughter Irene was already married to the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer and was living outside of Brno. In the same year, Erich Stern also married Hedvika (Heda) Nasch, coming from another significant Moravian entrepreneurial family: “Heda was an outstanding pianist since childhood. She loved classical music and continued to play for hours every day well into her nineties.”[47] Thus, she also became a resident of the new villa, which from the outset was home to two generations of the Stern family.
Death of Albert and Ida Stern
The period shortly after the completion of the new family residence, however, was marked by two deaths. On April 19, 1928, the founder of the firm Albert Stern passed away. The obituary remembered him as a “deeply loved father, grandfather, and great-grandfather” and founder of the firm Albert Stern, who died “as quietly and peacefully as he lived” after a short illness.[48] He was buried on April 22 in the Brno Jewish cemetery next to his wife Rosa.Only a year later, the family suffered another, significantly more unexpected loss. On April 16, 1929, Emil's wife Ida Stern, née Rosenberg, died at the age of 46. The obituary emphasized her life “full of tireless work” and termed her a “rare woman”. The cause of death was noted as pulmonary embolism related to thrombophlebitis.[50] She was also buried in the Brno Jewish cemetery.
As a result of family events, the composition of the household at Hroznová gradually changed in the following years. The aforementioned undated adaptation plan of the ground floor of the villa, stamped by builder Hermann Mainx, may be related to these changes. A certain trace in this regard is represented by Emil Stern's notification slip. According to it, he changed his residence on August 9, 1930, from Hroznová 10 to Výstavní Třída 16. Four months later, on December 15 of the same year, he re-registered back to his house on Hroznová.[51]
The several-month stay outside the villa could be related to construction modifications of the house, but direct evidence for such connection is currently lacking.
More pronounced changes in the composition of the household occurred in 1933. Emil's older sister Gizella Feitlerová, who had been living in Vienna since 1921 and had become a widow in the meantime, moved in with her brother on Hroznová 10, according to a notification slip dated June 26, 1933. As her occupation, the document states “Antiquitäten-Händlerin”, and also “Beamters Witwe”, that is, merchants of antiquities and widows of a clerk. Significant changes in the lives of Emil’s children also took place in the same year. In July, a daughter, Edith Ruth, was born to Erich and Hedvika Stern, while Marianne Stern married in August and subsequently lived with her husband at Orlí 13. Thus, familial changes directly influenced the composition of the household in the villa on Hroznová and might have prompted adjustments in its internal arrangement. However, without further sources, it cannot be reliably established whether the preserved plan by Mainx corresponds to these changes.
The family life of Erich and Hedy Stern was also intertwined with numerous travels abroad during their first years together, where business interests merged with exploring different countries. Their granddaughter Karen Hall states based on family memories: “In 1934, just a few months after my mother was born, Erich and Heda set out on an almost year-long journey across Europe, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They left my mother and uncle in the care of a British nanny and domestic staff. For secular, highly cultured Jewish families of that time, it was nothing unusual, though it was a bit sad for my mother and uncle.” [52]
At that same time, investments in the firm's business base also continued. In 1930, Emil Stern had the construction connected between his houses at Minoritská 10 and Orlí 13 with a covered passage. There is a drawing signed by builder Artur Eisler preserved in the City Archive of Brno related to this adaptation. [53]
Peak Development of the Firm in the 1930s
At the turn of the 1920s and 1930s, the firm Albert Stern had already become one of the established Brno trading companies dealing in glass, porcelain, and luxury utility goods. Its products were also employed in the furnishing of significant Brno establishments. In 1929, for example, it supplied “excellent glass and porcelain” for the Savoy café. [54]Simultaneously, the third generation of the family gradually began to engage in the management of the business. In January 1928, Emil and Ida's son Erich Stern became the procurator of the firm.[55]
After Ida Stern's death, the family’s property relations also changed. According to the transfer certificate dated March 12, 1930, her share of the house on Minoritská 10 passed on to Emil and the children Erich and Marianne. [56]
The firm continued to intensively present itself to the public. In 1930, it featured its porcelain at the Brno furniture fairs[57] and regularly held thematic sales exhibitions in its own showroom. In November 1931, for instance, an exhibition titled “A Modernly Set Table” was held there.[58] A significant milestone was the year 1932 when the enterprise celebrated its 65th anniversary. The annual article explicitly highlighted the emergence of the third generation: “Since then, the company has been served by the third generation – the grandson of the founders – who strives, supported by 65 employees, to satisfy the numerous clientele from all over Moravia and Slovakia in every respect.” [59]
The same text emphasized the scope of exclusive representations of significant manufacturers, among which it listed the firms Rosenthal, Epiag-Loket, Haas and Čížek, Moser from Karlovy Vary, the glass factory Schreiber, the Vienna porcelain factory Augarten, or the crystal grinding companies Zahn.[6] Although the annual article had a clearly promotional character, and therefore its claims about the extraordinary standing of the firm must be evaluated with some reservation, the extent of the mentioned commercial ties well documents the transformation of the original family shop into a significant wholesale enterprise.
Another proof of the firm’s expansion was the acquisition of an extensive storage area in Brno's Komárov. By purchase agreements dated August 9 and 16, 1932, Emil Stern, Erich Stern, and Marianne Stern each gained one-third ownership of the property at 10 Komárovská Street. The purchase price amounted to 580,000 crowns. Part of the complex was a one-story warehouse building from 1921, which was reconstructed for the needs of the Sterns in the same year.[60] The extent of the storage base was also recalled by the period press in 1937, according to which Stern's department store “near Rosice station” had a warehouse with a capacity of up to seventy wagons of goods. [61]
Although the statement comes from a promotional text, it nevertheless vividly illustrates how significant a component of the company’s operations had become wholesale activity in the 1930s.
At the beginning of the 1930s, a branch of the firm was also established in Moravská Ostrava, located in a house at 10 Jiráskovo náměstí. The annual article from 1932 indicated that “the branch Stern and Co. in Moravská Ostrava is led by the same principles and gained surprising popularity with the local populace.”[62]
The creation of the Ostrava branch is also interesting in a family context. Since 1924, Emil's daughter Irene had lived there with her husband, the Ostrava industrialist Otto Spitzer. Whether this family connection played any role in the firm’s expansion into Ostrava is yet to be verified.
Together with the Ostrava branch, the firm employed approximately 75 people according to a report from 1937. [63]
Luxury Goods and Significant Contracts
Preserved correspondence also shows how the firm communicated with wealthier clientele. In 1933, for example, it offered “genuine Loket dining service with a cobalt rim and real gold” for the villa of Eduard Seidel in Ždánice and emphasized its nobility and timeless elegance. [64]The company's assortment also attracted other prominent customers. In 1936, the Romanian marshal of the court Ernest Urdăreanu visited the department store accompanied by Czechoslovak diplomatic representatives. According to period press reports, he purchased cut items made of Czech crystal here and appreciated the range of goods offered. [65]
The firm, meanwhile, did not limit itself to selling ready-made goods. In the 1930s, it also operated its own workshop for engraving and sanding glass and a workshop for the production of lighting. [66] This enabled it to execute more complex contracts. In 1935, for example, it supplied glass, porcelain, and lighting fixtures to the newly renovated Alcron café in the Brno Hotel Padowetz, which was created according to the design of architect Otmar Skrabal. [67]
The Store as Exhibition Space
A significant part of the firm’s business strategy remained exhibitions and other public events. They therefore followed the concept of the art salon created by Carl Witzmann as early as 1922. Stern's department store was not only a place of sale but also a space for presenting modern design and craftsmanship.In 1933, for instance, a sales exhibition titled “Modern Vases and Flowers” was held here,[68] and in May of the following year, the Brno association Žena organized an excursion to the firm combined with a demonstration of cooking in practical dishes. [69]
The presentation of glass from Železný Brod also gained remarkable attention. At one of the exhibitions, a glassmaker demonstrated in front of visitors the production of small glass items. Another exhibition combined applied arts with popular illustration. Around eighty drawings by Ondřej Sekora from the series Ferda Mravenec and Captain Ani Muk in Africa were displayed in the store, complemented by blown glass figurines made according to Sekora’s ideas. [70]
Marianne Stern and Leopold Schlesinger
Transformations were also evident in the family life of the Sterns. On August 20, 1933, Emil's daughter Marianne Stern married freshly graduated architect Leopold Schlesinger at the Old Synagogue in Brno. The officiant was Dr. Ludwig Lewy, with witnesses Ignaz Mann and Moses Glaser.After the wedding, Leopold moved out from his parents' house at Masarykova Street No. 32 and, together with his wife Marianne, moved into the Stern family house at Orlí 13. The couple lived here for the next two years. In October 1936, the Schlesinger family welcomed their daughter Eva.
Preserved documents show that Schlesinger subsequently worked for the firm Albert Stern and was also engaged in managing the family properties on Minoritská and Orlí Streets. His professional activity thus, at least in the first half of the 1930s, significantly intertwined with the family business into which he married.
Fire at the Department Store
In the night of February 2, 1935, a fire struck the storage spaces beneath the store on Minoritská 10. Pedestrians noticed the smoke coming from the basement shortly after one in the morning and alerted the firm's staff. Period press recorded that a certain employee, Ms. Schlesinger[71], called the German volunteer firefighters, who were later joined by the city firefighters. [72]The fire engulfed the storage spaces equipped with wooden shelves and straw used to protect fragile goods. According to period reports, the cause of the fire was likely a failure of electrical wiring. The firefighting lasted about two hours; three firefighters inhaled fumes, and the damage was estimated at around 30,000 crowns.
Modernization of the Storefront
The modernity of the department store was also enhanced in the 1930s by the adjustment of the storefront on Orlí Street. Its exact dating and authorship have yet to be securely documented; however, according to photographic documentation, it was created at least by the mid-1930s.A period article from 1937 referred to it as one of Brno's attractions. Special attention was drawn to the solution of large glass surfaces, the construction of which was suppressed to such an extent that the storefront created the illusion of an open space: “There in Orlí Street, crowds of curious people gather daily and somewhat comically disperse their fingers into the display to convince themselves as disbelievers that someone indeed dared such a revolution and bought a display without glass. However, they hit their fingers against glass, which is so cleverly constructed that it is really invisible and gives the impression that the display is not protected at all. The goods displayed inside thereby emerge plastically as though they were not behind a glass wall at all.” [73]
The storefront is captured in photographs from 1936 stored in the collections of the Technical Museum in Brno, as well as in another image preserved in a private archive of the family descendants. The construction solution indeed suppressed frames and other elements behind stone cladding, creating the effect of almost invisible glazing described by the period press.
The portal remained, albeit in a modified and damaged state, until the early 1990s and was also recorded in the catalogue documentation of architect Jindřich Škrabal. Given that Leopold Schlesinger was an architect, worked for the firm, and managed its properties, one might consider his possible contribution to the design of the commercial portal.
Rental House on Drobného Street
Schlesinger's documented architectural activity is, on the other hand, associated with the rental house at today's Drobného Street No. 28a.In 1934, Hermine Beranová and her daughter Cornelia, married Lappertová, decided to construct a pair of rental houses in the lower part of the garden of their house on today's Drobného Street. The preserved plumbing plan from November 1934 lists Hermine Beranová and Nelly Lappertová as the builders of both houses.
The author of the project for house No. 28a was indeed Leopold Schlesinger, while the neighboring house No. 28b was designed by Otto Eisler. The building permit for the four-story rental house with ten apartments was issued on April 29, 1935, and Artur Eisler was entrusted with the construction.
During its construction, the property also passed into the ownership of the Stern family. By the purchase agreement dated July 4, 1935, Emil Stern acquired a share of 5/8, Erich Stern 2/8, and Marianne Schlesinger 1/8 of the new rental house. [75]
Both the approval and the permit for its use were issued on September 23, 1935. After the house was completed, Marianne and Leopold Schlesinger moved here from Orlí 13, as evidenced by Leopold's registration slip from September 26, 1935. His occupation is listed as “official,” which corresponds to his documented position at the firm Albert Stern. Emil Stern continued to live in the villa at Hroznová 10 along with his son Erich and family, and Emil's sister Gizella Feitlerová, who was also listed at this address in the Brno city directory of 1934.
The Firm at the Peak of Development
In the second half of the 1930s, the firm Albert Stern represented significantly larger enterprise than the shop founded by Albert Stern in 1867. In addition to its representative retail spaces on Minoritská and Orlí Streets, it possessed extensive storage facilities in Komárov and a branch in Moravská Ostrava, operating its own workshop for lighting fixtures, metal goods, and glass sanding. In all of its shops and manufacturing operations, “it employs approximately 90 people – workers and clerks. In the former Czechoslovak Republic, it was ranked among the largest firms in its field.” [76]The firm simultaneously continued its representative and charitable activities. In 1937, for example, it donated a crystal cup from its artistic glass-cutting workshop as a prize for the best Czechoslovak racer at the Masaryk Circuit.[77]
Emil Stern simultaneously kept the memory of his deceased wife Ida alive when he donated 200 crowns to the Dagmar Children's Home in her name in 1938.[78] A small glimpse into the life of the Sterns in the villa on Hroznová is offered by an advertisement in the period press from the late 1930s. Someone from the family at that time was looking for a new maid for the household: “Perfect maid next to the cook for 2 persons wanted. Permanent position. Please introduce yourself between 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Brno, Hroznová 10/I. floor.” [79]
| → Part II – Nazi Occupation |
Notes
- Brünner Zeitung, 16. 10. 1863, No. 237, annex, p. 1968.
- 65 years of Stern porcelain, Lidové noviny, 11. 9. 1932, No. 460, year 40, p. 5.
- Tagesbote aus Mähren, 16. 1. 1870, year 20, No. 12, p. 4.
- Mährisch-schlessischer Correspondent, 5. 6. 1878, year 18, p. 8.
- Mährisch-schlessischer Correspondent, 3. 7. 1878, year 18, p. 8.
- MZK, Sign. Skř.1-0091.416.
- Albert Stern is associated with the house at Minoritská 10 in the 1880 census. In 1881, he acquired citizenship in Brno based on a decision by the municipal council.
- 65 years of Stern porcelain, Lidové noviny, 11. 9. 1932, No. 460, year 40, p. 5.
- Mährisch-schlessischer Correspondent, 4. 2. 1880, year 20, p. 6.
- Brünner Zeitung, 29. 9. 1889, No. 224, p. 4.
- Lidové noviny, 8. 7. 1898, No. 152, year 6, p. 10.
- For example, Lidové noviny, 17. 5. 1904, No. 112, year 12, p. 8.
- Lidové noviny, 27. 3. 1937, No. 157, year 45, p. 13.
- Brünner Zeitung, 7. 3. 1890, No. 55, p. 1.
- MZA, fond C 11 – Krajský soud civilní Brno, box 746, Sign. Jd VI 143.
- 65 years of Stern porcelain, Lidové noviny, 11. 9. 1932, No. 460, year 40, p. 5.
- MZA, fond C 11 – Krajský soud civilní Brno, box 746, Sign. Jd VI 143.
- Lidové noviny, 3. 8. 1900, year 8, No. 175, p. 7.
- Excerpt from the land registry of the comprehensively closed cadastre of Staré Brno and Vienna, Kn. vl. No. 112.
- MZA, fond C 11 – Krajský soud civilní Brno, box 746, Sign. Jd VI 143.
- 65 years of Stern porcelain, Lidové noviny, 11. 9. 1932, No. 460, year 40, p. 5.
- Excerpt from the land registry of the comprehensively closed cadastre of Brno, Kn. vl. No. 421.
- Mährisch-schlesischer Correspondent, 5. 6. 1903, year 43, No. 127, p. 2.
- “Wilhelm Julinek and his wife Franziska, Alfred Basch in Boskovice, and Emil Mandl in Brno. Right of independent signature: Wilhelm Julinek. Main factory in Olomučany, tile goods factory. In Brno: Albert Stern, Minoritengasse 10.” Address Book of Brünn, 1909.
- Brünner Zeitung, 1908.
- Brünner Zeitung, 23. 9. 1909, No. 217, p. 3.
- Brünner Zeitung, 20. 1. 1910, No. 15, p. 2.
- Brünner Zeitung, 9. 10. 1910, No. 230, p. 4.
- Brünner Zeitung, 13. 10. 1911, No. 234, p. 3.
- https://iispp.npu.cz/mis_public/documentDetail.htm?id=916297.
- Central National Committee of the Land Capital City of Brno, on August 19, 1947. AMB, fond G3 – Housing Enterprise of the City of Brno, inv. No. 2480, box 96.
- Brünner Zeitung, 31. 12. 1912, No. 299.
- Lidové noviny, 4. 2. 1917, year 25, No. 33, p. 5.
- Die Wahrheit: cosmopolitan magazine, 1922, year 4, No. 3, p. 48.
- Same source.
- Lidové noviny, 16. 12. 1922, year 30, No. 630, p. 2.
- Lidové noviny, 12. 4. 1924, year 32, No. 187, p. 14.
- Lidové noviny, 21. 10. 1925, year 33, No. 526, p. 12.
- The preserved documentation was provided by the granddaughter of Kristýna Tušlová, Mrs. Helena Slámová.
- From the school essay of Kristýna Tušlová's daughter, provided by her granddaughter Mrs. Helena Slámová.
- The company Brünner Schuhfabrik, a.g. has owned the land since 1921. The previous owners from 1918 to 1921 were Hermann Czerny and from 1906 to 1918 were Adolf Schallinger. Excerpt from the land registry of the closed cadastre Křížová, Kn. vl. No. 318.
- Archive of Brno Water and Sewage.
- Lidové noviny, 12. 4. 1926, year 34, No. 186, p. 3.
- https://www.architektenlexikon.at/de/694.htm.
- Archive of Brno Water and Sewage.
- Hermann Mainx realized the villa of August and Alice Löw-Beer on Hlinky 132 in 1922-1923, or the adaptation of Felix and Augusta Löw-Beer's villa in 1928-1929 at Hlinky 104, for example.
- Memory of Karen Hall, granddaughter of Erich and Hedy Stern.
- Lidové noviny, 21. 4. 1928, year 36, No. 205, p. 13.
- “In deep sorrow, we inform all relatives and friends of the painful news that our dearly beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Mrs. Ida Stern, née Rosenberg, peacefully and quietly passed away early on April 16 after a brief, severe suffering at the age of 47, full of tireless work. We will bury our beloved on Thursday, April 18 at half past twelve in the ceremony hall of the Jewish cemetery in Brno. Everyone who knew this rare woman will surely empathize with our immense grief. Brno, April 17, 1929.” Lidové noviny, April 17, 1929, year 37, No. 196, p. 4.
- MZA, fond C 11 – Krajský soud civilní v Brně, box 746, Sign. JD VI 143.
- It was to be a one-story house from 1922 with an extension from 1926. The original owners were Klein Adolf and Kleinová Zdenka. From 1928, the owners were Neumann Emil and Neumannová Eugenie. Since 1940, the Exiles’ Fund.
- Memory of Karen Hall, granddaughter of Erich and Hedy Stern.
- AMB, fond U9 – Collection of Maps and Plans. Minoritská 10.
- Lidové noviny, 26. 9. 1937, year 45, No. 485, p. 12.
- Lidové noviny, 21. 4. 1938, year 46, No. 200, p. 11.
- Lidové noviny, 28. 7. 1938, No. 375, year 46, p. 4.
- Same source.
- MZA, fond D25 – Customs Investigation Office, Brno branch, box 31, Sign. E 2/39.
- MZA, fond D25 – Customs Investigation Office, Brno branch, box 31, Sign. E 2/39.
- Same source.
- Same source.
- Memory of Karen Hall, granddaughter of Erich and Hedy Stern.
- “Merchant and industrialist, member of the board of the central headquarters of the wire, nail, and rivet factory A. G. in Prague, and the insulating company Alfolmetall in Brno. Born in Brno in 1893, he married Helena, née Pauker, in 1920. After completing his studies and several years of practical experience in Austria and abroad, he joined his father's companies (Eduard Till and Eduard Till & Anton Heider). After his father's death in 1929, he took over the management of these companies. He is a member of several scientific and other associations.” Köpfe der Politik/Wirtshaft/Kunst und Wissenschaft in Europa, Tschechoslowakische Republik. Vienna, Neue Freie Presse, 1936.
- MZA, fond C 11 – Krajský soud civilní Brno, box 746, Sign. JD VI 143.
- Same source.
- Same source.
- MZA, fond D25 – Customs Investigation Office, Brno branch, box 31, Sign. E 2/39.
The English translation is powered by AI tool. Switch to Czech to view the original text source.
0 comments
add comment
