The lakeside villas by Griebnitzsee reflect the twentieth century in all of its splendour and suffering.

Each is an architectural gem, many are surrounded by enchanting gardens, and every single one of these villas has moving, surprising and sometimes spectacular tales to tell. In their stories, we meet famous architects like Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Alfred Grenander, influential bankers like Jakob Goldschmidt and Franz Urbig, important statesmen of the twentieth century like Truman, Stalin and Churchill, as well as the great author Erich Kästner and countless celebrated stars of the big screen, including Lilian Harvey and Brigitte Horney.

This richly illustrated volume features a wealth of photographs and drawings, some historic, some from the present day, as well as many hitherto unpublished personal documents.