Who were the Michaelsons?

 

Historical sources claim that the merchants Michaelsons came from the city of Wolgast, part of the historical-geographical region of Pomerania. Their family was among the first 45 persons from 19 Jewish families who settled in the city of Klaipėda, then Memel. Their names are part of the history of the Royal Sea and Trade City... The first list was compiled in 1813. The owners of warehouses built on the embankment of the Dangė river were enterprising sea merchants and boatmen.

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The main market place of the city

 

There were warehouses on the embankment of Dangė river as early as the 16th century, as depicted by the oldest city map dated 1535, while brick residential houses and warehouses on Žvejų Street were built only at the beginning of the 17th century... Michaelsons warehouses, at Žvejų str. 18 and 18A, were intended for grain storage, storage of iron products, shop. For almost a couple of centuries there was active trade in the square in front of these warehouses, this location was one of the city's main markets. All warehouses by the river played an important role, as large part of goods reached Klaipėda by sea then. In 1825, even 1116 ships with grain, flax, hemp, wood left Klaipėda. The importance of the port has not changed to this day and its equator exceeds 20 km.

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The uniqueness of these buildings

 

The warehouses are not so tall - they are one-two story buildings, with an attic floor. The main floor in both is very large, wide, the doors were meant for ships and horse carriages to charge. From the beginning there were many doors, windows, skylights on the upper floors because air and drafts were needed to dry the grain. The warehouses are made of red bricks marked with the local "F&G" trademark, that's probably the reason way the famous Great Fire in 1854 didn't affect them. The upper floors are half-timbered as it became popular in the first half of the 19th century, when trade flourished in the port city during the Napoleonic wars... Larger skylights with mechanical lifters were installed in both in 1920 - 1929. In 1933 - 1936, after the construction of the new straightened Dangė embankment, the warehouses distanced from the water.

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Time trials

 

During World War II, these warehouses remained intact... In the Soviet era, around 1970, the smaller skylights were destroyed... On January 1st 1991, The Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania signed a resolution to establish Klaipėda University. On September 1st 1991, Klaipėda University commenced its academic activities with three faculties - Humanities and Natural Sciences, Marine Engineering and Pedagogy - and about 3000 students...

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“The terminology of Klaipėda architectural styles naturally flows from the historical-political situation. Klaipėda region belonged to Prussia, later to Germany, where construction laws and the education of architects were different than in Lithuania. This greatly influenced both the urban and architectural development of the city. The influence of Heimatstill, Jugendstill, and Bauhaus school can be seen in the buildings of Klaipėda at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. In Lithuania, interwar architecture was called rationalism, constructivism, and recently the term interwar modernism has caught on. However, the architecture of Klaipėda can be called Bauhaus, because the influence of this style is obvious and indisputable.” Maja Ptašek

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Source

Klaipėdos Bauhauzas. Modernizmo architektūra

Kęstutis Demereckas, Jurijus Bachitovas

Libra Memelensis, Klaipėda, 2011

 

After the restoration of the smaller of Michaelsons warehouses and its architectural details, as the smaller skylights, in 2015 and by completing the restoration of the bigger of Michaelsons warehouses and its architectural details, as the smaller skylights, in 2023, unitedly sensitively adapting to both hospitality purposes, these become one of the most memorable monuments of maritime heritage on the Dangė waterfront...

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