Villa Rezek: A Vienna Modernist Gem Haunted by Nazi Exile
Villa Rezek, a striking example of classical modernism, still stands in Vienna’s Pötzleinsdorf district. Built between 1933 and 1934, the four-storey terraced house now serves as a temporary museum. Its history is deeply tied to the lives of those who fled Nazi persecution in 1938. The villa was designed by architect Hans Glas, who created a bold structure with a flat roof, vast windows, and sweeping terraces framed by white metal railings. Perched on a Wienerwald foothill along Wilbrandtgasse, it offered panoramic views of the city. But in 1938, both Glas and the Rezek family, the original owners, were forced to flee Austria after the Anschluss. Glas never returned, while the Rezeks resettled in the U.S.
After the war, the Rezeks successfully reclaimed the property through restitution claims, though they chose not to return to Europe. Decades later, Vienna’s Monument Office intervened to save the villa from demolition, preserving its architectural significance.
Today, the 70-square-metre living room of Villa Rezek is where author Caroline Wohlgemuth sits, reflecting on its past. The villa’s story is now documented in The Glass House: Vienna 1933 – Exiled Visions, a 2025 book co-written by Wohlgemuth and Maximilian Eisenköck. Visitors can reach the site by tram from the city centre, followed by a short uphill walk. Villa Rezek remains a tangible link to Vienna’s interwar modernist movement and the lives disrupted by Nazi occupation. The building’s survival, thanks to preservation efforts, ensures its legacy endures. The temporary museum now offers a space to explore its history and the stories of those who once called it home.
