Kuldīgas Street Houses No. 10 and 12

The name of the street does not require special explanation - it is the beginning of the Aizpute-Kuldīga (Goldingen) traffic road, which at the end of the 18th century started from Liepājas Street, including the modern Pasta (Post) Street, ended before the house at the current № 26 Kuldīgas Street and continued as Kuldīga Road. However, in the Middle Ages it was part of Garā (Long) Street, which started at the St. John the Evangelist Church of Aizpute Parish (on the current plot of № 14 Atmodas (Awakening) Street) and ended at the Franciscan Monastery (now № 23 Kuldīgas Street).

Kuldīgas Street around 1900

Kuldīgas Street in 2015

Kuldīgas Street around 1914

Kuldīgas Street in 2014

Kuldīgas Street in the second half of the 1930s

Kuldīgas Street in 2015

On the right side, the first house is on № 10 Kuldīgas Street. It was built in 1786 by the landlord of Aizpute (Hasenpoth) Castle Manor, Rudbārži (Rudbahren), Kalvene (Kalwen) and Kandele (Kandel) Manors, Piltene District Administrator (Landrat - elected representative of the nobles of the historical Piltene District in the Piltene Land College), cavalry captain (Rotmistr) Friedrich Ewald von Fircks (1733-1802) with his wife Kathrin Eleanor von Fircks, born von Behr.

At the end of the 19th century, the chamberlain of the Duke of Courland and later the judge of the Aizpute District, Christoph Karl Magnus von Fircks (1772-1855), lived here. Presumably, two of his sons were also born here - the later lieutenant of the Russian Guard Friedrich Ernst Karl von Fircks (1795-1827) and the Russian chamberlain, adviser to the Board of Courland domains and the District Marshal (Kreismarschall) of Tukums (Tuckum) Herman August Christoph Peter von Fircks (1796-1868).

At the time of the 1811 census of Courland, the owner was Karl Gustav von Offenberg (1755-1835) - the Russian Imperial Secret Adviser, the last president of the Piltene Land College Landrat (1807-1818) and the Knight of the Order of St. Anne I (1808), who lived here with his family and a commoner from Grieze (Gröse) Manor in Nīgrande parish.

In 1820, this property was bought for 2666 and 2/3 rubles by Cavalry Captain (Rotmistr) von Heyking. During the 1834 census, the house belonged to Baron Eberhardt von Heyking, the Landlord’s Court assessor.

The so-called “Captain von Heyking's House”, Georg Heinrich Kramer, the Supreme Court's lawyer, bought for 1820 Silver Rubles at a public auction in 1839, and in 1861, actuary (court clerk) Baron Heinrich Külpe bought it for 7,500 Rubles.

In 1863, Külpe's estate consisted of 3 wooden houses, 4 household buildings and was insured for 6,000 Silver Rubles. 11 rooms were rented by Baron Karl von Fircks (9 persons), 4 - Baron Otto von der Ostens-Sacken (2 persons), 4 - Fire Chief Heinrich Kunstmann (5 persons).

There are also 4 horses and 2 pigs there.

In 1873, Heinrich Külpe rented his house to Baron Paul von der Osten- Sacken, the landlord of Aizpute Manor, along with a basement with an entrance from the courtyard, a small barn, 2 horse stables, 2 carriages and a wood barn for 450 Rubles a year.

In 1878, the property was inherited by Ottilie Maria Külpe and sold for 5,500 Rubles to Charlotte Grandenberg, from whom it was inherited by her children in 1898.

Since the end of the 19th century, premises for a Post - Telegraph Department have been rented in this house. The 1901 Property Purchase and Sale Agreement states that the obligations of the previous owner, who died in 1897, with the Post-Telegraph Department, the buyer of the property Emilia Bluhm, undertakes to fulfill, but in August 1913 a new agreement was concluded between the owner Bluhm and the said department on renting premises for the needs of Aizpute Post - Telegraph Office and civil servants for 6.5 years for 1,100 Rubles per year.

At the time of concluding the contract, there were 13 rooms in the house shown in the pictures - 10 on the ground floor, 3 in the attic.

In 1914, this property was bought by Indrikis Petersons for 11,500 Rubles.

During the First World War, all the premises here were occupied by the “Deutsche Post”.

During the Republic of Latvia, the Aizpute Post Office - Telegraph Office was located in 11 premises of № 10 Kuldīgas Street street house (1927 data) until 1931, when the new post office building was opened on № 7 Zvaigznu (Star) Street on November 22. After that, the former post office housed Aizpute Volunteer Fire Brigade Club with refreshments room.

In 1929, the property at № 10 Kuldīgas Street was inherited by Indriķis Pētersons' son Jānis Eižens Pētersons. Due to his many mortgage loans, the property was put up for public auction on April 5, 1935, where Dāvids Čakarnis, a doctor from Aizpute, bought it in equal parts with his wife Emma for 26,050 Lats, who applied to the Mortgage Bank for a loan of 24,000 Lats to cover the expenses of the capital reconstruction of the building.

The audit report of the representatives of the Latvian Mortgage Bank in 1937 states that the residential house at 10 Kuldīgas Street (street side) has been rebuilt and brought in full order in accordance with the approved construction project. The building has all the facilities - bath, central heating, water supply, sewerage and electricity, the rooms are neat and comfortable.

In 1940, the property was nationalized.

Nowadays - private property, where the premises are rented by the non-profit organization "Aizputes Samarietis" (Samaritan of Aizpute). There is a soup kitchen for the poor people of the town and a place for parents and their babies "Baby School".

Behind the house № 10 the next is № 12, also known as Laube house.

This plot of land was separated from № 10 in 1858 and bought for 700 Rubles by Schaje Solomon Laube. He built a residential house here, known to the old inhabitants of Aizpute as the Laube House.

In 1877 it was inherited by the widow Lina Laube. In 1879 she had a restaurant here, later a tavern, and from 1900 it was an inn. During the First World War, in addition to the inn, there was again a tavern.

In 1920, the property was inherited by Lina Laube's son and daughter. After that, there was an inn here, as well as Abe Laube's grain, small items trade, grocery stores, as well as Sanija Laube's teahouse, in 1939 also Max Hirschmann's "Buying and selling animals and horses”.

On November 10, 1929, a Jewish kindergarten was opened here under the direction of teacher Ida Joffe. It was attended by 25 children and operated until at least 1931.

Nowadays - a municipal residential house.

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