Ellen (Maexie) Regenstreif Illich (1901-1965) came from a family of converted Sephardic Jews who had settled in Germany. Her industrialist father, Fritz (Pucki) Regenstreif (1868-1941), had a lumber business in Bosnia where he owned a sawmill at Zavidovic and an Art Nouveau villa on the outskirts of Vienna in Pötzleinsdorf built by Friedrich Ohmann. Piero Ilic (1890-1942) came from a landed family in Dalmatia, Yugoslavia with property in Split and extensive wine and olive oil producing estates on the island of Brac. Ellen and Piero married in 1925 and established a home in Split. There was a resurgence of anti-foreign and anti-Jewish sentiment in Yugoslavia, so in 1932, Ellen returned to her father's villa in Vienna with their three children: Ivan (1926-2002), Michael (Micha) (b. 1928), and Alexander (Sascha) (1928-2009). Piero died of natural causes in Split in July 1942 (the boys never saw their father after they moved to Vienna). After the death of Fritz Regenstreif on May 8, 1941, the splendid home was taken by the Nazis in a forced sale, and Maexie moved into a pension in Vienna with the children. In Nazi Austria, Maexie was considered an ethnic Jew although she was a baptized Christian, and the children were classified as half-Jewish. In 1942, they made their way to Florence by way of Split, where they lived for three months. Later, Maexie made her way to the United States, where she died in 1965.
There is no burn-in time code on the DVD (user copy).
Introduced with German titles throughout. Views of the Villa Regenstreif (Poetz). Blossoming trees in the spring, the garden, outdoor pool, sculptures, and fountains. The fountain with a high water jet is a copy of New York's Central Park Conservatory. 02:25:14 View of the villa foyer (see Story 1249 at 03:17:15 for a view of the same foyer as the family is forced to sell the villa to the Nazis). In summer, terraces, sprinklers (beautiful shot), stairs. Film switches to color. The twins with red vests ride new bicycles. The garden is in full bloom. In autumn, more faded color scenes of the house, Yugoslavian flag hanging from the window after the Anschluss [the intention was to give the impression that the property was owned by foreigners], greenhouse, gardens, statues, and flowers. Grandfather Fritz appears at 02:30:36. Title introduces winter but the film ends with the Kodak logo.
Villa Regenstreif in Vienna