Kuldīga Museum Open Collection Exhibition ”A Journey Through the Museum Collection” (”Ceļojums muzeja krājumā”)

Kuldīga Museum invites you on an exciting journey through the largest open collection exhibition in Latvia. The exhibition features more than 2,800 original objects that have witnessed events in Kuldīga and Courland from the Stone Age to the present day. Visitors can also explore the majestic building of the Kuldīga branch of the Bank of Latvia and discover the mysterious world of banking and money.

In the exhibition “A Journey Through the Museum Collection”, visitors can enjoy not only learning but also experiencing the emotions evoked by cultural heritage, as well as reminiscing when encountering familiar objects that have now become part of history. At the end of the journey through time, visitors return to the 21st century, able to view the world from a slightly different perspective thanks to the insights gained.

This building originally housed the Kuldīga Branch of the Bank of Latvia. The branch was established in the 1920s and initially operated from the District Treasury building on Pils Street, where the restaurant Bangert’s is located today. However, the premises soon proved unsuitable for the bank’s needs. During an inspection on 24 July 1929, members of the Bank of Latvia’s Board concluded that the branch offices were too small and hindered its operations. They also noted that the building could not be enlarged because the plot of land was too limited.

In 1928, the Bank of Latvia purchased a 1,363-square-metre plot of land at the corner of Mucenieku Street and Dzirnavu Street for 6,500 lats. The following year, an architectural competition was announced for the design of the new Kuldīga branch building. The winning design was intended to serve as a model for future Bank of Latvia branch buildings throughout the country. In the end, three buildings based on this project—with varying modifications—were constructed in Kuldīga, Jēkabpils, and Cēsis.

A total of 27 designs were submitted to the competition. Although architect Indriķis Blankenburgs was awarded only third prize, his proposal was considered the most suitable. It was approved on the condition that the façade be redesigned in the style of the first-prize entry by Lidija Hofmane-Grīnberga. Blankenburgs’ revised plans were approved on 6 November, and construction was entrusted to Jēkabs Ozoliņš. The estimated construction cost was 80,181.54 lats without central heating and 104,539.16 lats including it. The building was scheduled for completion by 1 September 1931.

At a meeting of the Bank of Latvia’s Board on 16 April 1931, Director Staņislavs Kambala reported that 113,380.58 lats had already been invested in the construction of the Kuldīga branch building. Approximately another 10,000 lats—excluding the landscaping of the surrounding garden—would be required to complete the project. Including the purchase of the land, the total cost of constructing the Kuldīga Branch eventually reached 129,250.82 lats.

On 3 November 1931, a commission inspected the completed building. While the quality of construction was considered satisfactory, several deficiencies were identified and were to be corrected during the warranty period. Although these works continued afterwards, the building is regarded as having been officially completed in 1931. It remains unclear why the pediment today bears the date “1934”, or when it was installed. Originally, the pediment featured the inscription “Bank of Latvia – Kuldīga Branch”, created by decorative painter and applied artist Osvalds Meijers.

From the establishment of the Kuldīga Branch in 1922 until the occupation of the Republic of Latvia in 1940, it was managed by Kārlis Pinkovskis. Beyond his banking career, Pinkovskis played an important role in Kuldīga’s cultural life. He conducted several choirs, including the choir of the 14th Kuldīga Aizsargi Regiment Sports Club, and also led a symphony orchestra.

Most of the ground floor of the Bank of Latvia building was occupied by apartments for the branch manager and the caretaker. Bank employees continued to live there until the early 1990s, when one of the first branches of Latvijas Universālā banka (later Unibanka, now SEB Bank) began operating in the building.

In 2019, this historic Bank of Latvia building was transferred to the Kuldīga District Museum. The museum’s entire collection was relocated here from Vakara Street. The basement and ground floor now house the museum’s secure storage facilities and the offices of the Collections and Research Department. The second floor contains an Open Storage Exhibition, where visitors can explore approximately 2,800 objects from the museum’s collections.