Villa Kohorn

In 1925, none other than Richard Strauss listened to the ‘Hymn to the House of Kohorn’ – which he himself had composed – at Villa Kohorn on Parkstraße in Chemnitz. The famous composer was visiting the Saxon industrial city for yet another time. He was a guest of his friend, the theatre lover and patron Oskar von Kohorn. The industrialist had even set up a bedroom in his house especially for Richard and Pauline Strauss. In the 1920s, the Chemnitz Opera was one of the first German theatres to stage works by Richard Strauss. This was due in no small part to the generous donations of the industrial magnate Oskar von Kohorn. But Kohorn also maintained close friendships with other well-known artists of his time, such as Franz Lehár and the tenor Leo Schlejak.In 1925, none other than Richard Strauss listened to the ‘Hymn to the House of Kohorn’ – which he himself had composed – at Villa Kohorn on Parkstraße in Chemnitz. The famous composer was visiting the Saxon industrial city for yet another time. He was a guest of his friend, the theatre lover and patron Oskar von Kohorn. The industrialist had even set up a bedroom in his house especially for Richard and Pauline Strauss. In the 1920s, the Chemnitz Opera was one of the first German theatres to stage works by Richard Strauss. This was due in no small part to the generous donations of the industrial magnate Oskar von Kohorn. But Kohorn also maintained close friendships with other well-known artists of his time, such as Franz Lehár and the tenor Leo Schlejak.

Oskar Freiherr von Kohorn zu Korneck, to give him his full name, is an internationally active carpet manufacturer; he is also involved in various other industries. He holds positions on supervisory and executive boards, including in Vienna and Budapest. Oskar von Kohorn was born in October 1882 in Bohemia, the tenth child of a Jewish liqueur manufacturer. From 1906, he trained at the Chemnitz Weaving School. He subsequently worked as a weaving director at Bachmann and Ladewig. As early as 1909, he set up his own business. The 27-year-old had ‘Hohenzollern-Bouclé’ brand hair-yarn carpets manufactured at his carpet factory; these found buyers in high society beyond the country’s borders, business flourished, and von Kohorn knew how to invest his profits.

In April 1917, Oskar von Kohorn purchased his villa on the edge of the city park, together with the adjoining grounds, for the considerable sum of 245,000 marks. The villa was built in 1908 for the Chemnitz industrialist August Hempel and is stylistically classified as part of the Reform architecture movement. Viewed from the city park, it appears colossal, yet at the same time light and whimsical. The striking round tower with its gallery seems to grow out of the building and symbolises fortification. In contrast to this are the ground-level round-arched openings and the pergola above them. These have not survived, but were later rebuilt. As the new owner, von Kohorn had the interior of the villa refurbished in the Art Deco style. He lived there with his family from then on and entertained famous guests, such as Richard Strauss.

In 1918, his achievements were recognised when he was elevated to the peerage. Through the foundation named after him, Oskar von Kohorn soon began supporting poor families. Among other things, the fund was used to build a convalescent home in the Eastern Ore Mountains for children and young people in need. With the Great Depression, the golden age came to an end. The Kohorn Carpet Factory was forced to file for bankruptcy. However, the enterprising businessman did not give up, but switched to artificial silk.

An expert reports: “Oskar von Kohorn initially manufactured carpets. He learnt this trade at one of the largest weaving mills in Chemnitz. Later, he produced machinery for making carpets and subsequently switched to the production of artificial silk, which in turn is a raw material for the manufacture of carpets and textiles. He sold licences and patents all over the world and later built and financed new factories.”

Following Hitler’s rise to power, the industrialist, who had Jewish roots, saw no future for himself or his family in the country. Business was going badly; Oskar von Kohorn was expropriated, and his villa was subsequently sold by the state bank. The industrialist fled in 1935. He and his family were stripped of their citizenship by the Nazis five years later. Kohorn left Europe behind and made his way to the USA via Japan. Here, he was able to establish himself quite quickly. Thanks to his international connections and his tireless drive and diligence, he once again gained prestige and wealth here.

The expert explains: “To mark the company’s 50th anniversary, there is a list of the factories he built over those 50 years. He built over 100 factories during this period, in more than 30 countries. It is fair to say that he was already operating on a very global scale back then, and that globalisation today is not really a new phenomenon, but in fact already existed back then.”

In 1963, Oskar von Kohorn died in New York City at the age of 80.

But what became of the stately Villa Kohorn? Following the expropriation and the Kohorn family’s flight, extensive renovation work was carried out under the compulsory administration of the Saxon State Bank. Five flats were created. From 1941 onwards, a dentist with his own practice used the villa on Parkstraße. The house survived the end of the war unscathed, but there was no money for necessary repairs such as a new roof. In 1975, the Karl-Marx-Stadt City Council purchased the property and used it as an outpatient medical and therapeutic facility. In the mid-1980s, the building underwent extensive renovation in some parts.

Following German reunification, ownership of the plot of land and the villa was transferred back to the Kohorn family. In 2004, it was sold to the Chemnitz-based entrepreneurs Lars Fassmann, Sandra Deiringer and Stefan Pickschneider. In consultation with the Saxon State Office for the Preservation of Historical Monuments, work began on restoring it to a residential villa. The original fixtures and fittings that still remained were incorporated into the project. To this day, the historic villa at Parkstraße 35 is used as a mixed-use residential and commercial building.