Villa Tugendhat becomes the property of the German Reich as of 12th January 1942. The house is apparently rented to Walter Messerschmidt, director of Klöcknerwerke in Brno, from 1942 up until 1945 where he had a flat and office. The first major construction adaptations took place at this time (raising of the chimney, bricking up the milk glazing of the entrance hall and the passage way to the upper terrace).