Atmodas (Awakening) Street No. 3

№ 3 Atmodas Street - the former Town Hall - in the 1930s

№ 3 Atmodas Street in 2014

On the left side of the photo, opposite Tebras Street, the building at № 3 Atmodas Street was built in 1765 as the Town Hall. Initially, it was a half-timber (Fachwerk) construction. Over time, the building has been rebuilt, it has been plastered since 1832, but its appearance still remained as it was, the Town Hall was reconstructed according to archival documents by architect Irēna Bākule in the book "Town Halls in Latvian Cities", Riga, 2001.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the Town Hall, in addition to the Magistrates' Hall, also had a prison, a guard room and a servant's flat. During the census of 1811, a Town Hall servant, an 8-year-old disciple and a stoker lived there.

From 1836, the Town Hall began to provide income to the town’s budget, because after the reconstruction there was a shop and a two-room apartment with a kitchen on the first floor, they were rented out in open auctions for three years. On the second floor, according to the data of 1840, there were two rooms for the needs of the Magistrate and the Chancellery, one room for the Treasury and another with a kitchen for the Magistrate's servant, whose apartment was free, but the salary was very small. There were no more prison and guard rooms.

In the description of the town's revenue in 1856, it is mentioned that the Town Hall was a two-storey half-timber (Fachwerk) style house with 6 windows on the street side and 5 large, as well as 2 small windows on the courtyard side. The Magistrate has occupied 4 rooms, one - Treasury.

In 1859, the Magistrate received the permission of the Riga War Governor and the Governors General of Vidzeme, Estonia and Courland, that the Town Hall which had become so dilapidated that it endangered the health of officials to such an extent that it was no longer habitable to be sold at public auction for demolition.

On June 12, 1860, the old Town Hall was bought at auction by a merchant Stillbach, who at the same time also bought at auction the hereditary lease of 105 Quadratsaschen (about 224 m²) of Town Hall Square for an annual rent of 33 Rubles and 5 kopecks.

In 1879, the house belonged to Philipp (Jezechiel) Stillbach, who had a small item store here, in addition to Amalia Königsfest, a manufactured goods shop. In 1884 there were small shops of Philipp Stillbach and Itzig Edelberg, in the 1890s and early 20th century - Schanno Stillbach's iron and steel goods store. At the beginning of the 20th century, there was also Ansis Raudziņš 'convenience store, but during the First World War - Charlotte Stillbach's hardware stores and Minna Wenschaus’s colonial goods stores.

In 1925, by the decision of the Liepāja Regional Court, the hereditary right to this real estate was confirmed to Rebecka (Bettie) Funkelstein, the heir of Jezechiel (Philipp) und Hanne (Johanna) Stillbach, born Stillbach.

In the 1920s, Charlotte Stillbach had an iron and steel goods store here, but Haim Schlossberg had both a food and tobacco product and a colonial goods and harness accessories store, in the 1930s - S / C „I. Markuschewitz” hardware store and Esther Tillima’s grocery store. There was still Schlossberg’s shop for tobacco and colonial goods, manufactured goods and haberdashery, as well as a place for delivering wool and broadcloth for the Allschwange (Alsunga) watermill, but in 1940 - Pēteris Eglītis' shop for various goods and materials.

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