Address: Liepu Str. 12, LT-92114, Klaipeda, Lithuania
Tel.: 370 (46) 410 414, 410 413
E-mail: klm[at]takas.lt  
Web Site:  http://www.muziejai.lt/klm/index.htm

Exhibition The building of the Clock Museum in the
Nineteenth and Twentieth centuries  

In the summer of 2003, Sabina Koch from Germany, a granddaughter of Johan Hirschberger paid a visit to the Clock Museum in Klaipeda. She presented the museum employees with pictures showing the exterior and interior of the building currently housing the museum (Liepų St, No 10, Alexanderstrasse in 1914-1924). This visit of Mme Sabina and the information she provided with prompted the current exhibition that tells the story of the building illustrated with the interior pictures taken in 1914-1924 (60X80).

 In the second half of the eighteenth century, the rich town-dwellers of Klaipeda residing in the start of Liepu Street undertook building suburban villas. The financer Hoffman who possessed a plot on the site of the current clock museum is found at the top of the 1978 property owner list. In the end of eighteenth century he sold the property to one of the wealthiest patricians of Klaipeda, Johan Simpson. The plot lay vacant until 1820 when Johan Simpson had a small villa built on it according to the design of an unknown English architect.

In 1972 the building changed hands passing to John August Mutray, Doctor of Medicine. He lived in the building until his death in 1972. There is no ownership data of the period subsequent to his death until 1913 when the building was owned by the banker Johan Hirschberger, Mme Sabina Koch’s grandfather. With his family, he settled on Alexanderstrasse (now, Liepų St, No 12) in 1914. The Hirschbergers occupied the ground floor of the building and lived there until 1924. Mme Sabina’s mother, Marianne was born and raised in Klaipeda (Memel) together with other seven siblings, Johan, Katherina, Eva, Margaret, Georg, Gretel, and Heda. Johan Hirschberger’s bank was on the first floor.

In 1923 when historical ‘Klaipeda land’ (Memelland) was connected to Lithuania, the banker  Johan Hirschberger sold his house and moved to Germany.

The 1924-1929 address book lists a ‘factory director’, Jozef Kraus as the owner of the building.

The Lithuanian State bought the building, and the property, in 1931 and founded in it a Land Bank with the mission to relieve Lithuanian farmers from short-term debt. Besides farmers, the bank supported the fishermen of coastal Lithuania. Over the period, two individuals are mentioned as residing at this address, Sernas, bank director and his deputy, Kybrancas.

The 1939 German annexation of Klaipeda brought about the closure of the Land Bank.

The 1942 address book has it that the building belonged to the town’s community; one room is mentioned as a venue of youth’s musical performances. A Mr Doring is mentioned as the only dweller. 

After the WW II, the building housed a centre of pioneers and schoolchildren.

On 27 July 1984, a clock museum was opened in the restored building.