Villa Aurora

Miraculously, Villa Aurora survived the devastating fire that swept through large parts of Pacific Palisades in January 2025. Known in both Germany and the United States as a place of cultural memory, Villa Aurora today represents continuity and resilience more than ever. Since 1995, the former exile home of Marta and Lion Feuchtwanger has served as a reminder of the artists and intellectuals who found refuge in California during the Nazi era and helped shape the cultural life of the West Coast. As a residency for writers, composers, visual artists, and filmmakers, Villa Aurora unites artistic practice with historical reflection—on exile and freedom, language, responsibility, and the idea of home.

This commemorative volume for the thirtieth anniversary of Villa Aurora brings together voices from all eras—including literary and essayistic contributions by James Conlon, Sharon Dodua Otoo, Donna Rifkind, Alex Ross, Sabine Scho, E. Randol Schoenberg, Karosh Taha, Lawrence Weschler, and Maryam Zaree. The book is enriched with archival material, architectural photography by Mike Kelley, a recent photographic series by Todd Gray, and an introduction by the editors Claudia Gordon and Jakob Scherer.