Neither fires nor indifference destroyed Palanga’s heart: Kurhaus resurrected to a new life

Sigita Bagužaitė-Talačkienė, Doctor of Humanities, archaeologist, historian, says that the purpose of Kurhaus, when it opens its doors, will not differ from its original purpose: from the first days of its existence, it was a place of rest and fun.

“The guest house, the billiard room, the same dances, everything was for visitors and vacationers,” says the historian. – Reading the history of Palanga as a resort has changed a lot. Kurhaus history has changed, so we must examine the historical period and see who, when and where. As mini-colleagues, even in Soviet times there were offices here, as well as a ballroom, vacationers organized dances. Apparently, like any building, it lives its own life and those purposes and spaces are adapted to the needs and times of the time ”.

Architect Laima Šliogerienė, who helped contractors restore part by part the authenticity of the wooden part of the building, smiles at the valuable discoveries. The woman does not hide the pleasure of finding authentic preserved even the smallest particles, and at the end of her work her heart is caressed by the knowledge that she had to touch such a unique structure.

“The grateful situation was that the project was prepared before the privatization. So I was also the author of the project. Next, very detailed measurements were made both at the photogrammetric level, as well as in the decoration of the moldings and the entire building. Now the preparation of the recovery project has been of great help. Several details were preserved, one of them: a flower, I picked it up after the fire and gave it to the restorers. Of course, the greatest success is always when the project is ready, I will not pretend, qualitatively. I have put a lot of knowledge and love for this object ”, opens L. Šliogerienė.

The architect does not skimp on the kind words of the “Coastal Restorer” team, which revived Kurhaus. Both the previously rebuilt brick part and the now finished wooden part were restored step by step by the same team. Mayor Šarūnas Vaitkus also agrees that Palanga’s long-term dream of returning an extraordinary building, which is extremely important to the birth of the city, would not come true without a dedicated team.

“The dreams have come true. In 2002, this historic site was almost burned to the ground. For a decade the ruins remained that did not adorn the center. The tourists who arrived did not understand why the city was not taking steps to rebuild, clean, restore or demolish it. We have been through a great hell with the courts, a great process since 2011, but we have shown that justice has prevailed, no matter the obstacles. Apparently, with the help of the Supreme Court and all the people and contractors, we have a good result, because here is the heart of Palanga, ”says Š. Silence.

You can admire the impressive and delicate architecture from Saturday, October 17.

Around 1877 The one-story building built on the then Liepaja Road was expanded at that time according to the most modern solutions. The wooden part was supplemented with masonry, which was restored in 2013. After seven years, the wooden part of the building, decorated with carvings, can finally be seen and inside, visitors will be greeted with authentic moldings. The architect says that the unique building was decorated with modest luxury and matched the fashion of the time. The walls were no longer covered with tapestries or embraced by a multitude of paintings. The same image will be found these days.

The mayor of Palanga says that the building will be handed over for cultural events and will definitely be open to all. Well, as soon as they found out about the restoration works of the building, many loving couples from all over the country wanted to swear eternal love here.