Once owned and occupied by the Petschek family, the villa is shrouded in rich historical significance. The Petscheks were a German-speaking Jewish family who built and occupied the Petschek villa in the late 1920s and early 1930s. In an attempt to keep the peace, and due to the Munich pact of 1939, the former Czechoslovakia was sacrificed to Adolf Hitler. Germany would occupy Czechoslovakia for years to come. During World War II, the Petschek family fled to the USA to escape Nazi persecution. After the Nazis occupied Prague, they seized the vila for seven years until May 1945, when the Czech resistance liberated Prague. In September of the same year, American Ambassador Laurence Steinhardt leased the villa. Many of the furnishings in the villa are original from that period.
In light of recent events, we are honored to be able to host our annual Gala at this magnificent villa.
