Résumé

Victor Gruen designed more than 1,000 projects during his 57-year career.

Technician / Designer / Building Supervisor, Melcher and Steiner, Architects, Vienna, Austria, 1923-1932.

Author / Actor / Impresario, Politische Kabarett, Vienna, Austria, 1926-1934.

Principal, Victor David Grünbaum, Architekt, Vienna, Austria, 1932-1938. Having a Jewish heritage, Gruen fled the Nazi regime in 1938, as its persecution of Jewish citizens intensified during "the Fateful Year," 1938. Violence that year culminated in the Kristallnacht pogrom, staged on 11/ 09/1938 and 11/10/1938.

Designer, IVEL Corporation, New York, NY, 1938.

Designer, Norman Bel Geddes, Industrial Designer, New York, NY, 1938.

Associate, Morris Ketchum, Architect, New York, NY, 1938-1939.

Impresario / Producer, Viennese Theatre Group, New York, NY, 1938-1940.

Principal, Victor D. Grünbaum, Architect, New York, NY, 1938-1939.

Partner, Gruen and Krummeck Partnership, New York, NY, and Los Angeles, CA, 1939-1948. Gruen and Krummeck relocated their headquarters to Los Angeles in 1941. In its early years, Gruen and Krummeck focused on retail design. In 1942, the Gruen-Krummeck partnership operated at their residence 1424 North Kings Road in West Hollywood.

Principal, Victor Gruen, Architect, Los Angeles, CA, 1948-1951.

Founder / Managing Partner, Victor Gruen and Associates, Architecture, Planning and Engineering, New York, NY, Chicago, IL, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, CA, and Tehran, Iran, 1951-1968. In 1955, Victor Gruen and Associates had the following offices: 13 South Doheny Drive, Beverly Hills, CA; 31 West 13th Street, New York, NY; Room #2100 Industrial Bank Building, Detroit, MI; 971 Sutter Street, San Francisco, CA; 700 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, MN.

Other partners in Victor Gruen and Associates included: Rudi Baumfeld (joined 1943), Karl Van Leuven (1944), Edgardo Contini (1950), Ben Southland (1956), Herman Guttman (1957), Beda Zwicker (1963) and Ki Suh Park (1972).

Principal, Victor Gruen International, Vienna Austria, Paris, France, and Los Angeles, CA, 1963-1972.

President, Victor Gruen Center for Environmental Planning, Los Angeles, CA, 1968-1980.

Chief Architect, Victor Gruen AG, Vienna, Austria, Paris, France, and Switzerland, 1969-1980.

President, Zentrum für Umweltplanung, Vienna, Austria, 1973-1980.

Founder, Victor Gruen International, Vienna, Austria, 1966-1968; Founder, Victor Gruen Foundation for Environmental Planning, Los Angeles, CA, 1968.

Founder, Zentrum für Umweltplanung, Vienna, Austria, 1973.

Professional Activities

Gruen received his first license to practice architecture in 1948; this was in Los Angeles. By 1955, Gruen indicated that he was a Registered Architect in the States of AZ, CA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NJ, NY and PA. (See American Architects Directory, 1956, George S.. Koyl, ed., [NY: R.R. Bowker Company, 1955], p. 214.)

Gruen served on the Jury of the First PA Design Awards, 1954. Other jury members for this award program included: Eero Saarinen, George Howe, and Fred N. Severud.

Gruen was appointed to the National Panel of Abitrators of the American Arbitration Association in early 1963.

Professional Awards

Recipient, Avenue of the Americas Association Award, New York, NY, 1953.

Recipient, American Institute of Architects (AIA) "Award of Merit" for the Northland Center, Detroit, MI, 1954.

Recipient, AIA, Detroit Chapter, Gold Medal, 1955.

Recipient, Progressive Architecture "Design Award for Urban Redevelopment," Detroit, MI, 1956.

Recipient, Progressive Architecture "Design Award for Planning," (Fort Worth, TX).

Recipient, AIA, Memphis Chapter, Gold Medal, Memphis, TN, 1955.

Recipient, Progressive Architecture "Design Award for Residential Design," (Wilshire Terrace, Los Angeles, CA), 1958.

Recipient, Progressive Architecture "Design Award for Urban Design," (Boston, MA), 1959.

Fellow, American Institute of Architects (FAIA), 1961.

Fellow, International Institute of Arts and Letters, 1962.

Recipient, Progressive Architecture "Citation for Urban Design," (Cincinnati, OH), 1963;

Recipient, American Institute of Architects (AIA) "Citations for Excellence in Community Architecture," (for work in Fresno, CA, Rochester, NY, and Urbana, IL), 1965.

Recipient, Who's Who in America's "Significant Contribution to Society Award," 1966;

Recipient, Preise der Stadt Wien, Vienna, Austria, 1972.

Recipient, Pepperdine University, Honorary Doctorate, Los Angeles, CA, 1976.

Recipient, Gross Goldene Ehrenzeichen für Verdienste um die Republik Österreich, Vienna, Austria, 1978;

Recipient, Goldenen Ehrenzeichens für Verdienste um das Land Wien, Vienna, Austria, 1979.

Archives

The papers of Victor Gruen are housed at the Manuscripts Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. His widow, Kemija Salihefendic-Abazz Gruen, donated the items in 1980, 1983, and 1992.

College

Coursework, Advanced Division for Buildings Construction, Technological Institute, Vienna, Austria, 1918-1923.

Coursework, Akademie der bildenden Künste Wien, (Austrian Academy of Fine Arts), Vienna, Austria, 1924-1925.

Relocation

Born in 1903 to a middle-class Jewish family in Vienna, Austria, Victor David Grünbaum worked in that country until 1938. He left Austria in 1938, following Hitler's Anschluss. Gruen had been a socialist since the mid-1920s, and his political views as well as his ethnicity would have made him a target of the new Nazi regime and its henchman, Austrian Chancellor Arthur Seyss-Inquart (1892-1946). His last residence in Europe was in Vienna.

Gruen sailed aboard the Holland-America Lines' S.S. Statendam from Southampton, England, on 07/13/1938, bound for New York, NY, where he settled for about three years.

On 09/07/1938, the architect, still under the name "Victor Gruenbaum," began the American citizenship process by filing a declaration of intention form in New York, NY. At the time, he lived at 18 West 69th Street in Manhattan. He lived at this address with his first wife Alice. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives at Philadelphia; Philadelphia, PA; NAI Title: Declarations of Intention For Citizenship, 1/19/1842 - 10/29/1959; NAI Number: 4713410; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 05/04/2023.)

The 1940 US Census found Victor Gruenbaum occupying an apartment with his wife, Alice, his mother Elisabeth and sister Marie at 25 West 68th Street on New York's Upper West Side. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1940; Census Place: New York, New York, New York; Roll: m-t0627-02637; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 31-605, accessed 05/04/2023.)

In 1941, Gruen and Krummeck relocated their office to Los Angeles, CA. On 02/15/1942, Gruen and his wife lived at 1424 North Kings Road in Los Angeles's West Hollywood neighborhood. (West Hollywood became an independent muncipality in 1984.) (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 713, accessed 05/04/2023.) Gruen completed the US citizenship process on 06/25/1943 in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives in Washington, DC; Washington, DC; Naturalization Index Cards of the U.S. District Court For the Southern District of California, Central Division (Los Angeles), 1915-1976 (M1525); Microfilm Serial: M1525; Microfilm Roll: 54, accessed 05/04/2023.)

In 1948, Gruen listed his home address as 1424 North Kings Road in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1948; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 17; Page Number: 85, accessed 05/04/2023.) He and Elsie Krummeck continued to live at 1424 North Kings Road when the 1950 US Census was done. At that time, the Gruen-Krummeck household included their two children Margaret and Michael as well as the architect Rudolf Baumfeld (1903-1988), who worked in the Gruen-Krummeck office. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California; Roll: 3061; Sheet Number: 3; Enumeration District: 66-674, accessed 05/04/2023.)

Following his divorce from his second wife, Elise Krummeck, in 1951, he set up his own architecture and planning firm, Victor Gruen Associates.

Gruen traveled a great deal to projects across the US after 1954. His Northland Shopping Center raised Gruen's profile nationally and abroad, and he became in demand by retailers planning malls and government officials seeking to replan "blighted" cities.

In 1955, Gruen indicated that his primary address was at 31 West 12th Street, New York, NY. (See American Architects Directory, 1956, George S.. Koyl, ed., [NY: R.R. Bowker Company, 1955], p. 214.)

By 09/1966, Gruen resided at 315 North Beverly Glen Boulevard in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Riverside; Riverside, California; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 05/04/2023.)

Leaving the US, he returned to his hometown, Vienna, making it his primary residence after 1967, where he died in 1980.

Parents

His father was Adolf Grünbaum (born 10/02/1858 in Ludenberg, Austria-d. 1918), his mother, Elisabeth Lea Levy (born 02/24/1873 in Hamburg, Germany-d. 12/09/1946 in Los Angeles, CA). They wed on 09/09/1902 in Hamburg, Germany, and had two children together, Victor and Marie Grünbaum (born 01/15/1905 in Austria). (See Ancestry.com Source Information Ancestry.com. Hamburg, Germany, Marriages, 1874-1920 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015, accessed 05/04/2023.) In 1945, Marie also resided in Los Angeles.

Elisabeth left Austria and moved to London, England, by 10/13/1939. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation The National Archives; Kew, London, England; HO 396 WW2 Internees (Aliens) Index Cards 1939-1947; Reference Number: Ho 396/30, accessed 05/04/2023.) She made her way from Liverpool, England to New York, NY, on 03/13/1940 aboard the S.S. Samaria. She became a naturalized US citizen on 08/11/1945 in Los Angeles, CA, where she lived at 934 North Spaulding Avenue in West Hollywood. This was also the residence of Katherine Fredericks Krummeck (born 09/22/1883-d. 06/27/1960 in Los Angeles, CA), mother of Gruen's wife Elsie Krummeck. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Riverside; Riverside, California; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 05/04/2023.)

Spouse

Victor Gruen married four times. His first, on 03/22/1930 in Vienna, was to Alice "Lizzie" Kardos (born 09/05/1909 in Vienna, Austria), whom he divorced in 1941.

The year of his divorce from Alice Kardos, on 06/02/1941, he wed the interior designer Elsie Caroline Krummeck (born 12/05/1915 in New York, NY-d. 05/29/199 in Los Angeles, CA), on Santa Catalina Island. Elise also became Gruen's business partner for most of the 1940s. They divorced in Sun Valley, ID, on 09/06/1951. The grounds were "extreme cruelty." (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Idaho Bureau of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Boise, Idaho; State Divorce Index, 1947-1969, accessed 05/04/2023.)

At age 44, Elsie subsequently married Herbert Neil Crawford (born 04/08/1903-d. 06/01/1976 in Los Angeles, CA) on 08/15/1958 in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Marriage Index, 1949-1959 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2013, accessed 05/04/2023.) They divorced in 05/1972. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. California, U.S., Divorce Index, 1966-1984 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007, accessed 05/04/2023.)

Again he rapidly remarried, this time to Lazette Estelle McCormick Van Houten (born 08/04/1904 in Syracuse, NY-d. 07/15/1962 in Los Angeles County, CA) in 1952. They wed on 09/26/1951 in New York, NY. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation New York City Municipal Archives; New York, New York; Borough: Manhattan; Volume Number: 38, accessed 05/04/2023.) Lazette grew up in Cleveland Heights, OH, where her father Oscar McCormick (born c. 1878 in OH) was the manager of a building company in 1920. Her mother was Maud Wheeler (born c. 1881 in OH). (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1920; Census Place: Cleveland Heights, Cuyahoga, Ohio; Roll: T625_1374; Page: 19A; Enumeration District: 527, accessed 05/04/2023.) Lazette first wed businessman Eugene L. Van Houten (1894-1968) on 01/01/1926 in Cuyahoga County, OH. (See Ancestry.com, Source Information Ancestry.com. Ohio, U.S., County Marriage Records, 1774-1993 [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2016, accessed 05/04/2023.) She died prematurely at age 57.

About seven months after Lazette's death, he wed Kemija Theresa Salihefendiz-Abazz (born 12/02/1936 in Gracanica, Yugoslavia-d. 09/15/1994) on 02/28/1963 in Los Angeles, CA. Kemija arrived to live permanently in the US on 08/27/1963 aboard the first Cunard liner RMS Queen Elizabeth. She received US citizenship on 09/01/1966 in US District Court in Los Angeles. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at Riverside; Riverside, California; Petitions For Naturalization, U.s. District Court For the Central District of California (Los Angeles), 1940-1991; NAI Number: 594890; Record Group Title: Records of District Courts of the United States, 1685-2009; Record Group Number: 21, accessed 05/04/2023.)

Children

When surveyed in 1955, Gruen indicated that he had had two children, Margaret Gruen (born c. 1944 in CA) and Michael Stephan Gruen (born c. 1942 in CA). Their mother was Elsie Krummeck.

Michael S. Gruen attended UCLA Law School and became a lawyer in New York, NY.

Biographical Notes

Gruen was born Victor (or "Viktor") David Grünbaum or "Gruenbaum" as it was written in English. Professionally, he changed his name to "Victor David Gruen" in late 1938 after emigrating to the US. On some official forms dating from the 1940s, such as his World War II draft registration card of 02/15/1942, he still used the name "Victor Gruenbaum."

His World War II draft registration card listed Gruen as Caucasian with a light complexion with gray eyes and brown hair. He stood 5-feet, 6-inches tall and weighed 170 pounds. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation National Archives at St. Louis; St. Louis, Missouri; Wwii Draft Registration Cards For California, 10/16/1940-03/31/1947; Record Group: Records of the Selective Service System, 147; Box: 713, accessed 05/04/2023.) One document listed his eye color as green.

On 07/08/1948, Gruen traveled between Paris, France, and New York, NY, aboard Transcontinental and Western Air, Incorporated's Flight 973/07. (See Ancestry.com, Source Citation Year: 1948; Arrival: New York, New York, USA; Microfilm Serial: T715, 1897-1957; Line: 17; Page Number: 85, accessed 05/04/2023.)

• Vienna, Vienna Austria (Architect's Birth)
  Vienna, Vienna Austria

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• Vienna, Vienna Austria (Architect's Death)
  Vienna, Vienna Austria

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