The Austrian Consulate General, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, and Villa Aurora are pleased to present a book talk with Monika Czernin, highly acclaimed author of The Emperor Incognito: Joseph II’s Journey Through Enlightenment, in conversation with Claudia Gordon, director of the Villa Aurora.
The Emperor Incognito is the story of an extraordinary man in an age of upheaval: a ruler who spent a quarter of his twenty-five-year reign not on his throne, but on the road. His efforts were titanic, his ambitions radical, his frustrations immense. “Here lies Joseph, who failed in everything he undertook,” was his self-written epitaph, and yet the modern Austrian monarchy was his achievement in a Europe in which progress was no longer determined solely by its rulers.
At the heart of the discussion is the subject’s contemporary relevance, as Czernin notes: “Today, we are once again living in a time of crises. Societies are drifting apart and good governance is at stake. When elites distance themselves from the masses, when inequality grows, and when those who govern lose contact with the grassroots, things go wrong. The fact that an absolute monarch in the 18th century recognizes ‘where the shoe pinches’ is truly astonishing, and thus Joseph II can serve as a role model even today.”
MONIKA CZERNIN
Monika Czernin (author) is an internationally renowned author and filmmaker. Her research focuses on key figures and turning points of European history, and her book, Anna Sacher and Her Hotel, spent many weeks on the bestseller lists in Germany. Czernin was awarded the Friedrich Schiedel Literature Prize in 2023 for The Emperor Incognito (German edition). She is a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts.
CLAUDIA GORDON
Claudia Gordon (moderator) earned her Ph.D. in Egyptology from the university of Göttingen/Germany. From 2002 – 2007, she was the Director of Villa Aurora, a position she assumed again in 2020. In addition, Claudia serves as Director of Administration for Villa Aurora; Thomas Mann House Los Angeles. Most recently, she co-edited the publicationVilla Aurora: Exile, Art, and Freedom in Los Angeles (Distanz, 2025).
AUSTRIAN CONSULATE GENERAL
Los Angeles is the second most populous city in the United States and is located in California, the fourth-largest economy in the world. L.A. plays a crucial role as a hub for political discussions, diplomatic relations, and as the center of the entertainment and film industry. With “Silicon Beach,” it is also one of the most important technology hubs in California. Numerous organizers compete to host events that promote dialogue between different countries and cultures and facilitate discussions on important political issues.
The Austrian Consulate General in Los Angeles is Austria’s official diplomatic representation for the Western United States, covering sixteen states including California. It serves as a key point of contact for Austrian citizens, companies, and institutions, and promotes Austria’s political, economic, cultural, and scientific interests in the region. Through its engagement with local communities, universities, policymakers, and cultural organizations, the Consulate General has been contributing to strengthening the close ties between Austria and the United States. The Consulate General supports a wide range of activities, from organizing official visits and cultural events to fostering academic and scientific collaboration. It also provides consular services such as passports, visas, and citizenship matters.
MAK CENTER FOR ART AND ARCHITECTURE
The MAK Center for Art and Architecture, Los Angeles is a contemporary, experimental, multi-disciplinary center for art and architecture and is headquartered in three architectural landmarks by the Austrian-American architect Rudolph M. Schindler. Founded in 1994, the MAK Center is a Los Angeles-based 501(c)3 non-profit organization and the California satellite of the MAK – Museum of Applied Arts, Vienna. The core of the programming includes the internationally recognized MAK Artists and Architects-in-Residence Program, an annual residency program for emerging international artists and architects. The MAK Center works in cooperation with the Friends of the Schindler House (FoSH), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve and maintain Schindler's Kings Road house in West Hollywood.
VILLA AURORA
Villa Aurora maintains and cultivates the historic landmark home of exiled German-Jewish writer Lion Feuchtwanger and his wife Marta as a residence for an international body of artists. As transatlantic bridge-builder, Villa Aurora promotes intercultural exchange and enables dialogue between the arts community in Los Angeles and resident artists. Villa Aurora celebrates the significant contribution German and European artists and intellectuals of the 1930s and 40s had on Southern California, and offers a variety of arts and cultural programs carrying this contribution into the 21st century. www.vatmh.org
