Buildings at the Beginning of Atmodas (Awakening) Street

Atmodas (Awakening) Street has always been the main street of Aizpute, but not always it has been named as Atmodas Street. In the Middle Ages, it was Gaišā (Light) Street, but at least from the end of the 18th century until 1842, the beginning of the street to Jāņa (John) Street, including № 12, was Policijas (Police) Street. It then continued under the name Jelgavas Street, which became the Jelgava Road approximately from the place where Atmodas (Awakening) Street now divides into Jelgavas Street and Kalvenes Street.

Policijas (Police) Street was also mentioned in 1863, but already then, its continuation was Lielā (The Big) Street. It was not possible to find out in which year Policijas (Police) Street also got the name of Lielā (The Big) Street. It should be noted that already in 1804, the architect of Vidzeme province, who inspected the newly built building on the current № 12A Atmodas (Awakening) Street, wrote that it is located on Lielā (The Big) Street, but in other documents until 1858 the name could not be found.

The inspection journal of trade companies of 1879 and 1884 shows that the craftsmen's workshops and shops at this beginning of the street are on Tirgus (Market) Street, except for № 7, while the building № 5 had no workshops or shops at that time.

In 1934, after the coup of Kārlis Ulmanis, Lielā (The Big) Street was renamed Atmodas (Awakening) Street, on November 3, 1940, it was July 21 Street, and on July 28, 1941, it was renamed Lielā (The Big) Street. Sometime after World War II, it was renamed Padomju (Soviet) Street, but in 1990 it was renamed Atmodas (Awakening) Street.

Buildings at the beginning of Atmodas (Awakening) Street in 1934

Buildings at the beginning of Atmodas (Awakening) Street in 2014

The beginning of Atmodas (Awakening) Street, as it was before the Second World War, can be seen in this photo of August 29, 1934, which shows the recruits of Aizpute District walking to Aizpute Station.

On the left is the house at № 1 Atmodas (Awakening) Street. At the end of the 18th century, there was the house of Itzig Hirsch, which became the property of his heirs in 1796, but in 1803 it was bought by Jacob Petrewitz.

At the time of the 1811 census, it was already the property of Johann Gottlob Hellriegel, an innkeeper at the Dome Pub (№ 7 Atmodas (Awakening) Street), who sold it to Mendel Perlmann, a spirit’s maker, for 3,100 Rubles in 1844.

From Perlman, the property was bought in 1846 by the merchant Ruben Löwenstein for 2,600 Rubles, and in 1851 it was sold for 2,900 to the merchant Meier Michelsohn, who had a small house here in 1863. Although the Michelsohns showed in 1933 that the two-storey residential house and all the other buildings on this plot were built in 1860, it must be concluded that at least the two-storey residential house was built after 1863. The merchant Michelsohn’s family owned this property until the 1940 nationalization.

In 1879, Meier Michelsohn owned a pub run by his wife, Hanne, and a small items store run by Marcus Vogel, a 2nd-class commissioner, and a vodka store where vodka and alcohol were sold by the owner. The landlord had a grain warehouse in the yard. Theodor Michelsohns manufactured goods and haberdashery store and the agency of the Moscow insurance company "Якорь" (Anchor) were also here, but in 1884 - the colonial goods stores of Jacob Isakson und Lewin Kramer.

In 1891, Michelsohn's house had the printing house of Ludolf Mühlhausen (see also № 27 Kalvenes Street), in 1894 the pub of Jānis Reimanis, and in 1896 - the "Church Pub" of Fritz Preis, which he had here until at least 1900.

At the beginning of the 20th century, there was a Theodor Michelsohn manufactureds goods store, Johanna Michelsohn's inn, Jēkabs Rudzītis' small items store and Hirsch Abraham Ziegel's “kvass trade from the basement”.

In 1913, Wilhelm Schenck received permission from the Town Council to open a tavern in this house, while in 1916 in this address there was Alexander (Ezriel) Michelsohn's manufactured goods and Fritz Ernstsohn’s colonial goods store, Marcus Bluhm's tavern, Haim Stein's bakery and Mārtiņš Zuntler's shoemaker’s workshop.

In the 1920s, the building had 6 apartments with 17 rooms and 3 kitchens, as well as the shops of Jānis Venslavs, Alexander Michelsohn, Fricis Alksnis, Marcus Bluhm's mineral water production establishment, a fruit drink production and a tavern. Wenschau also had an inn here.

Two apartments have had doctor's practices at Honon Dobrij and Hirsch Fleischmann. Fleischmann was also the manager and teacher of Aizpute Jewish Primary School.

In addition, there was a private library offering the latest publications in Latvian, German and Russian. The books were given out for reading from 12 to 6pm at the “manufactured goods store B. Michelsohn”, 1 Lielā (The Big) Street.

In the 1930s, there was a Rachel Michelsohn manufactured goods store, Augusts Alksnis grocery store and confectionery, Anna Trammdach's wine and vodka shop, where her husband Otto Trammdach was a sales person. Later, this store was taken over by Indriķis Zarahovičs. There was also Leokadie Saweljew’s ice cream and fruit shop, Aisik Foss’s shoe store. Leib Kuschner and Grigori Lempert had a doctor's place here instead of Dobrij and Fleischmann, as well as dentist Rosa Hirschberg. There was also dental technician Michail Bluhm, who in the summer of 1940 became the Deputy Head of the Town, as well as the Aizpute Jewish Sports and Cultural Association “Maccabi”.

In 1940, David Beitler's shop for various goods and materials and the private practice of dentist Isaak Firck were also located here.

None of the buildings on the right side of the street shown in the photo has survived to this day. The first is at № 2 Atmodas (Awakening) Street.

At the end of the 18th century, it was Brandt's property, which was bought in 1806 by Simon Kunder, who was an innkeeper here in 1811.

In 1852, there was Simon Kunder's vodka shop here.

In 1837 the property was bought by Hirsch Trembe and in 1847 sold to Josel Gerson for 1,500 Rubles. In 1871, Josel's estate was inherited by Minna Gerson.

There was the small items store of Elias Kirschner in the Gerson’s house in 1879, but in 1884 the shop was owned by both Lewin Kramer and Jankel Beitler, who bought the house at public auction in 1896 and set up his own small items store here. It was inherited in 1912 by the children of Jankel Beitler, and the property was used by Rosa (Rahel) Beitler, who had a small grocery store here. In March 1940, ¾ the property was sold to Feige Martha Katz for 3,000 Lats, but Rosa Beitler lived here until the autumn of 1941.

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