Though the house remained structurally intact, it underwent months of environmental testing, cleanup, and repairs
The Thomas Mann House in Pacific Palisades is set to reopen its doors on June 6, six months after wildfires swept through the Los Angeles area, LA Weekly reported. .
The reopening will mark the resumption of regular programming at the historic residence of the German author, beginning with an in-person concert and reading event titled Faustus Revisited, commemorating the 150th anniversary of Thomas Mann’s birth. It will be the first public event held at the house since the fires, as reported LA weekly.
Though the house remained structurally intact, it underwent months of environmental testing, cleanup, and repairs to restore it to operating condition. The nearby Villa Aurora, also managed by the same cultural foundation, sustained more significant damage and is still undergoing restoration.
“Both houses are structurally sound. Given the enormous destruction wrought by the fires, especially near Villa Aurora, this is nothing short of a miracle,” said Jakob Scherer, executive director of the Thomas Mann House and Villa Aurora, in a statement. “We see this as a responsibility to even more strongly uphold the spirit of cosmopolitanism, artistic and scientific freedom, and transatlantic exchange.”
The outlet also reported that the reopening ceremony will be held in the former family living room of the two-story residence, in partnership with Monday Evening Concerts and the Los Angeles Poverty Department. The event will include performances on the historic Faustus grand piano and dramatic readings from Mann’s novel *Doctor Faustus*, which he wrote while living in exile in the United States.
The Thomas Mann House’s fellowship program will also resume in June. Among the first scholars and artists returning are Steven Walter, artistic director of the Beethovenfest Bonn; Johannes Müller, a German stage director and dramaturge; and Robert Riener, a professor of health sciences and technology at ETH Zurich. Fellowships that were postponed due to the fires will be rescheduled for later in the year.
