Villa Aurora: House of Creativity and Refuge in Los Angeles

By ⋅ November 13, 2012 ⋅ Post a comment
Flowers and eucalyptus trees in the Villa Aurora garden. (Photo: Julie Simon)

Flowers and eucalyptus trees in the Villa Aurora garden. (Photo: Julie Simon)

Villa Aurora in the Pacific Palisades district of Los Angeles was a refuge for German Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta after they fled the Nazis in the 1940s.

Now, as Julia Simon reports, it provides a temporary home for other persecuted writers from around the world.

Discussion

5 comments for “Villa Aurora: House of Creativity and Refuge in Los Angeles”

  • http://www.facebook.com/mike.mcguire.549 Mike McGuire

    Amazing place. Thank you, for a great story.

  • http://www.facebook.com/jannpriolobuckner Jann Priolo Buckner

    My family came to LA in 1938 fleeing Nazi Germany.  My grandmother built her house in Pacific Palisades in 1942. When I heard this story I had a feeling in my heart that she and her sisters must have someway been connected with  Villa Aurora.  Sent the link to my cousin in NYC who does all the family research.  Said he found a picture amongst our family treasures of Thomas Mann and Lion Feuchtwanger that he gave to a museum.  I’m on to  something!!!!  Would love some help figuring this out.

    • George Le

      Wow How powerful!

  • http://www.facebook.com/jannpriolobuckner Jann Priolo Buckner

    the above comment is from JPB  any insight would be greatly appreciated. thanks!

  • George Le

    What a moving story, thank you for sharing. It’s stuff like this along with the immigration story from the people who began the flower market. And funny without these historical gems I would be without talking points and los angeles roses.