Otto Eisler was born on June 1, 1983, in Bystřice nad Pernštejnem, but a big part of his life is connected to Brno, where also our university is located. He studied architecture at Deutsche techniche Hochschule and already during his studies he managed to get an internship in a well-known studio run by Heinrich Tessenow in Wien. After graduation, he opened his own architectural office. At first he worked very closely not only with the construction company of his brothers, but also with one of the most important Brno architects of the interwar period, Ernst Wiesner, especially in the field of garden architecture, to which he was very close.
Source: Muzeum města Brna
House for two bachelors at Neumannova 10, Brno. This house was designed by Otto Eisler for himself and his brother Mořic before the Second World War and was built by his brothers' successful construction company. Otto Eisler was not only an architect, but also an enthusiastic athlete, botanist, and painter. All these hobbies are reflected in this building. In the garden, which he designed himself, in addition to the tennis court and swimming pool, there was, for example, a terrarium for an alligator and a chameleon or a greenhouse for cultivating cacti. In addition to the alligator and chameleon, Otto Eisler also bred parrots and several cocker spaniels named Alan, whom he liked to portray. The house is a real gem, which is confirmed by its inclusion in the prestigious exhibition The International Style run by Philip Johnson in 1932 in New York.
Source: doc. PhDr. Miluše Juříčková's private collection of photos
This protocol of November 19, 1942 proves that Otto Eisler tried to flee from occupied Norway to neutral Sweden. It was more than two years since his first arrest by the Gestapo. On April 11, 1939, he was first arrested along with his brothers and imprisoned for six weeks in Brno at Špilberk. At the beginning of 1940, thanks to Nansenhjelpen, he managed to escape to Norway, where he and other Czechoslovak refugees stayed in the small village Nestjestranda in western Norway. After this arrest, he went through several concentration camps from Kongsvinger and Grini to Auschwitz, where he met his brother Mořice again. Together they completed a death march; they were the only brothers to survive the war.
Source: Muzeum města Brna
This photo was taken on the way to the Holocaust senteret in Oslo, where we visited a very interesting exhibition on the theme of World War II. Personally, I was most interested in the fate of refugees, which were very engaging. Among other things, we also found references to personalities from the Czechoslovak environment, which further intensified our experience of the exhibition. In addition to the Holocaust Senteret, we also visited other institutions associated with World War II and Judaism, such as the Jewish Museum, which was our largest partner. One of the very important days of our stay was certainly January 27 (International Holocaust Remembrance Day), when we, together with others, honored the memory of all victims of the Holocaust and World War II at Akershuskaia. From my point of view, the visit to Oslo was very beneficial. It broadened our horizons and consolidated our view of the circumstances and events associated with the Second World War and the Holocaust.
Photo (from left): Zuzana Parthonová, Bronislava Garčárová, Petra Vrbová
