No.12, 10 Atmodas (Awakening) Street

№ 12 and № 10 Atmodas Street around 1900

№ 12 Atmodas Street in 2014

When the house No. 12 was built, there is no information, but it is known that already at the end of the 18th century the former house belonged to the Councilor and Mayor of Aizpute Town Council and the 3rd Guild merchant, the Frenchman Jaques Petitpont (1751-1811), who was the Aizpute Councilor already in 1795. From 1803 to 1808 he was the Mayor of Aizpute.

In 1825, there were spirit shops by Peisach Veitel and Zacharias Lewin.

After her husband's death in 1827, the widow Elisabeth Petitpont became the owner.

In 1842, she had a hotel here in the house on Policijas (Police) Street.

In 1844 the property was bought for 2,000 Rubles by the merchant Salomon Tamborer, and in 1859 it became the property of his heirs.

In 1863 the owner was S. Tamborer. In 1879, the plot of land was on Tirgus (Market) Street, and in the house of S. Tamborer there was the Houseowners' Association with a pub run by the association's housekeeper Heinrich Meier. In the same year, Jeannot (Israel) Feinberg bought a house from Tamborer for 7,150 Rubles, who had a manufactured goods and haberdashery store here. At the same time, there was also the Jew’s from Kuldīga Jakob Meierson’s mineral water establishement, Jankel Beitler's colonial goods store, which was run by Josel Beitler. There were also shoemakers' workshops by Fritz Dambowitz and Hugo Seehusen.

In 1888, Jeannot Feinberg sold the property to his son, Schanno Feinberg, and at least since 1896, there has been a sign next to this house seen in the photo showing that there is a Schanno Feinberg manufactured goods and haberdashery store.

In 1914, Ida Feinberg inherited the house and thus the shop.

In the 1920s, there was a photographer Salamon Berger, Judel Hackind's manufactured goods store, Samuil Feitelberg's pharmacy, Zivs’ sweets store, B. Kaganson's leather shop and also the Aizpute District Branch of the Farmers' Union with a club cafe. In 1928, 1929, 1930 and 1931 there was also an editorial office and an expedition of the weekly newspaper “Lejaskurzemes Ziņas” (Lower Kurzeme News).

In the 1930s, Schlaum Grünfeld traded meat here, Liese Sauer traded food and delicacies. Ernests Tilgalis had a bakery – teahouse here, a bicycle shop for Krishs Pumpurs, and manufactured goods and haberdashery shops for Sahra Hirschhorn and Leib Izkowitz. There was also a workshop for photographer Otilija Sproģe (after marriage - Plepe).

Today - a municipal residential house built during the Soviet era.

№ 10 year of construction is unknown. In the second half of the 18th century, there was the second known pharmacy in Aizpute, owned by the pharmacist and Mayor Johannes Linde, from whom it was taken over in 1788 or 1790 by his son in law Constantin Mauritius Wernich.

In 1823, the pharmacist Friedrich Müller (1794-1829) bought the Wernich pharmacy for 5,000 Rubles, and it became the Eagle (Ērgļa) Pharmacy from the Wernich pharmacy.

In 1825, in addition to the pharmacy, there was also an Elias Peretz haberdashery store.

In 1829, the pharmacy house was inherited by Müller's widow, who sold it to the pharmacist Christoph Heinrich Schmidt (1787-1866) in 1835.

The last owner of this pharmacy was Otto Christian Hesse, a pharmacist, who bought it on March 22, 1857 for 2,500 Rubles and sold it to merchant Moses Bernitz for 4,000 Rubles 4 days later, and the pharmacy ceased to exist at this address.

In 1877, this house was inherited by the merchant Adolf (Abraham) Bernitz, who in 1879 had a manufactured goods and haberdashery shop and a pub in this then Tirgus (Market) Street house. There was also the Emma Markau bakery, in 1884 - the Tewje Bordeil manufactured goods and haberdashery shop and the Karl Kehrer bakery, in the early 20th century - the Gitte Bernitz manufactured goods shop, the Ernst Waape bakery and the Schanno Michelsohn shoemaker's workshop.

Although the Aizpute Construction Committee approved the reconstruction project of this building on April 2, 1897, it is possible that the building we see in the photograph is the same as it was when there was still a pharmacy, because in 1910 the Town Construction Commission found that the main residential building is dangerous for its inhabitants, which is why it must be freed from the population and rebuilt, which leads to the conclusion that the said redevelopment project has not been implemented.

In 1912, the building was inherited by Adolf Bernitz's widow Marianne and son Schulem Alexander. In the 1915 list of Aizpute houses, the condition of the building is already described as moderately good.

In 1929, Schulem Alexander Bernitz became the sole heir.

In the 1920s, there was a Paula Bundzeniece’s manufactured, haberdashery and fashion goods store, which was still here in 1931, as well as J. Michelsohn's shoe store, Bettie Rolloff's hat and flower store, K. Weidemann small items store, Elisabeth Weidemann manufactured goods store, Ženija Arāja's hairdressers. For some time in 1929 and 1930, the editorial office and expedition of the weekly paper “Lejaskurzemes Ziņas” (Lower Kurzeme News) was also here. In the 1930s, there was a Marcus Glaser shoe store, Bettie Rolloff's hat and haberdashery store, Beile Tilim manufactured goods and haberdashery store, Schore Nisezick tea and sweets shop, later Anna Rožkalna’s tea shop and food store.

From the information provided about this building in 1933, we learn that it had 13 apartments - 14 rooms and 3 kitchens, as well as 4 trade premises, 2 industrial premises and 3 household premises.

BACK TO START OF THE STREET