Alfred Stiassni lived in the villa alongside his wife Hermine and daughter Susanne for just nine years; in 1938 the entire family fled to London before the imminent Nazi occupation, and subsequently moved to Brazil before settling California, where their descendants still live today.

In the minds of most Czechs the villa is strongly associated with the idea of government. It was first seen in this light shortly after World War II, when it was visited by Edvard Beneš. Later it was used to accommodate famous and important visitors whenever they stayed in Brno. President of Cuba, Fidel Castro, stayed here, as did the majority of Czechoslovak presidents in the post-war regime. The list of illustrious visits is considerable, and indeed continues to grow.

After the Velvet Revolution the villa was hired out to celebrate birthdays and weddings. The latest chapter in the building’s history began in 2009, when the villa was brought under the administration of the National Heritage Institute, which set about its restoration. The building was officially opened to visitors 13 December 2014.