Atmodas Street houses No. 23 and 25 during the First World War

№ 23 and № 25 Atmodas Street during the First World War

№ 23 and № 25 Atmodas Street in 2014

It is known about № 25 that in 1799 the merchant of the 3rd Guild, Hirsch Aron, handed over his house with all his belongings for 800 Albert Reichsthalers as a possession of a pledge to Israel Joseph for 90 years. In 1811 it was already the property of the hat master Ernst Heinrich Dormann, and the captain of the Russian militia (founded in 1806 during the Russo-Prussian-French war) Ewald Ernst von Manteuffel also lived here.

Before 1833, the owner was the Councilor and miller Heinrich Christoph Wilcke, from whom in 1833 the plot of land was bought for 1,000 Rubles by carpenter Carl Haase and in 1839 sold to Nissen Bucky for 1,500 Rubles.

In 1854, the owner of Kalvene Manor, Baron Julius von Fircks took a liking on this plot of land, he paid 1,050 Rubles for it and presumably built a new house here. When the baron sold the property to Baron Wilhelm von Buchholz in 1862, he received 4,500 Rubles for it. In 1863 he owned a wooden living house with 11 rooms, where the owner himself lived with servants, including two teachers. In addition to the living house, there was also 1 barn, 2 luxury horses, 1 cow.

Ten years later, the property was auctioned and bought for 2010 Rubles by the postmaster’s wife Hedwig Rosenberg. A year later, she received 2,500 Rubles from Johanna Roscius for it, and a year later, Roscius received 2,650 rubles from Baroness Leonia von Hilesen, born von Launik. It is possible that it was during Hilesen's time that the house got the look seen on a postcard, because when she sold it to the Supreme Court Lawyer, W. Dreiersdorf, in 1880, he paid 5,500 Rubles for it.

In 1883, the property was bought for 6,000 Rubles by Baron Alexander von Roenne. During his time, the agency of the Latvian Fire Insurance Company, whose agent was Baron Carl von Roenne, was here.

In 1889, the baron was replaced here by the Jewish merchants the Hunaus. Ruven Hunau bought the property for 5,000 Rubles, in 1901 the right to it was secured to his heirs - the widow Rivka (Rebecca) Hunau and her and Ruven's four children, but in 1932 Rella Hunau became the owner on the basis of a gift.

It is known that at the beginning of the 20th century, Moses Josephahrt traded watches made in Russia and Gabriel Herzenberg traded colonial goods. Before the First World War, there was a small items store of Hirsch Hunau, but during the war the premises were occupied by the German Army Command Post (Kommandantur).

In the post-war years, there was again a small items store owned by Hillel Hunau, and before the Bank of Latvia adapted the building purchased at August 1924, № 5 Atmodas Street, to its Aizpute branch, the National Bank's office was located here in 4 rooms.

For some time in the 1920s, there was also a Jehon Siva ladies' hat shop and Helen Ulmer's hairdresser's shop, which was here until the end of the 1930s. In the 1930s, Elias Taube's manufactured goods and haberdashery store was also at this address, which was taken over by Schore Taube in September 1936, who registered the company “Schore Taube” in February 1939.

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