In 2007, the Tugendhat heirs applied for the return of the villa, citing the law on the return of works of art confiscated during the Holocaust. The reason for this decision was the tardiness of the city authorities in renovating the building, as well as the fact that entire elements of the villa’s interior were lost-fragments of the original paneling were found at Masaryk University, where the Gestapo had its headquarters during World War II.
The villa’s restoration was completed in 2012 and has since been open to the public again. To celebrate, the Royal Institute of British Architects held an exhibition in London called “Villa Tugendhat in Context,” providing a visual history and record of the recent renovation based on testimony from three generations of photographers.
