Aryanized Architecture – Expropriation, Restitution, and Remembrance - Berghaus Eidlitz – a private alpine villa built in the 1930s

In Gnadenwald, there still stands a house whose story is known to only a few: the Berghaus Eidlitz, later referred to as the Villa Sixta. Since its construction, it has been continuously inhabited, bearing witness to the lives of many residents—each with their own remarkable history shaped by the times they lived in.
The original owner, Walther Eidlitz (1892–1976), was a Jewish writer from Vienna. He inherited the property at Gnadenwald No. 7 from his parents and commissioned the renowned architect Liane Zimbler to design his mountain retreat. The result was a residence of striking architectural character—one that not only stands out for its aesthetic value but also tells a complex and compelling story. It speaks of creativity, personal transformation, and the turbulent events of the 20th century.

Blog 57 Berghaus Eidlitz- Villa Sixta in Gnadenwald/Tytol

The Expropriation of the Stubengesellschaft Hall in Tirol by the Nazi Regime

The long-established Stubengesellschaft in Hall in Tirol, a cultural and social association with centuries of history, was expropriated during the Nazi era. As part of the regime’s systematic efforts to bring independent civic institutions into line and confiscate their assets, the society’s property was seized, effectively depriving it of its livelihood. This intervention is emblematic of the broader suppression of autonomous structures and civil society by the National Socialist regime.

Blog 66 Dissolution of the Haller Stubengesellschaft during National Socialism