Austrian Consulate General Los Angeles presents exhibition about Austrian-born architect of the Pearl Harbor Memorial
The Austrian Consulate General Los Angeles is presenting a new online exhibition dedicated to the fascinating life story and oeuvre of the U.S.-Austrian architect Alfred Preis (1911-1993). Born, raised and educated in Vienna, Preis had to flee from Nazi occupied Austria in 1939 and emigrated to Honolulu, Hawaii. Briefly imprisoned as “enemy alien” after the United States entered World War II, he emerged as one of Hawaii’s leading architects in the 1950s and 60s. His celebrated career spanned over twenty-three years and comprised almost 180 built projects including the famous USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
The virtual show Alfred Preis - Vienna in the tropics, on the occasion of Alfred Preis’ 110th anniversary on February 2, 2021, is the first major effort to bring the U.S.-Austrian architect back into the international spotlight. This exhibition is part of a program series curated by the Austrian Consulate General highlighting the major contributions of Austrian emigres from Nazi-occupied Europe to U.S. culture.
(c) Axel Schmitzberger