Daļa no Rīgas plāna ap 1400. gadu

The area, where the roads of Pils, Miesnieku, and Anglikanu streets and 11. Novembra krastmala had formed and where also the “Environmental Projects” building on 17 Pils Street is located, was inhabited and built-up in the first half of the 13th century which is confirmed by the a drawing of the block from 1226.

Historian J. Straubergs, when characterizing this block, has indicated that its formation was concluded in the second half of the 15th century after Rigans had already built a wall between the castle and the city. In the beginning a great part of the block was taken by the Land Marshal Square. The Historian has not given any precise information about the borders of Land Marshal Square, except for that it stretched from Liela Pils Street to Miesnieku Street.

Around 1540 – 1541 it was noted that a house had been built in the square next to Pils Street, on the current land of our building, which was used by H. Klare (or M. Klarke), however, later this land was sold to R. Sulte. Nevertheless, as written by J. Straubergs, due to the gradual selling of the Land Marshal Square, its original borders are hard to identify, thus giving a great uncertainty in identifying the status of certain lands. Pils (Castle) Street, which heads towards Rigas Castle, acquired its name in 1495, and it was called Rederu Street before that thanks to the Rederu family estates located nearby.

Material from Archive

The first known picture of the front of the building, which can be linked to existing building, can be found in Riga city facade scrolls made by Lieutenant Junion Grade Klimenko in 1823. It is a two-storied building with 6 window aisle axis, asymmetrically formed door aisle (3rd axis from left) and constructed attic. The time of construction is not known.

During 1823 to 1858 the building might had been changed as a layout configuration of the changed building can be seen in the Riga land plans made by civil surveyor Kotorovskis in 1858. The third floor was added to it then and the building also acquired its current facade finish in the style of “late classicism”. During the second quarter of the 19th century the design of facade unaltered right up until till now. Thus, the current building has been formed under two periods of construction.

It can be found in the „Riga Traffic and Address Book 1896/97” (Rigasches Verkehrs– und Adressbuch für 1896/96) published in German that Arveds Juhters (Arved Juchter) lived on 17 Pils Street (Schloßstraße).

Building on 17 Pils Street in 1968

The „Riga Address Book 1904” (Rigasches Adressbuch 1904) contains more detailed information telling us that building owner Arveds Juhters accepts visitors on work days from 11.30 till one o’clock, on 17 Pils Street, in the yard, first entrance, but his home address is on 63 Mazā Nometņu (kleine Lagerstraße) street, phone number 1491.

In the „Riga Address Book 1925”, published by Helmars Rudzitis, it is written that Harrijs Juchter , salesperson, and Margrieta Juchter, owner of the building, live in Flat 5, 17 Liela Pils Street.
In the „List of Phone Subscribers of Latvia, 1938”, published by the Postal and telegraph department in Riga, the address against last name Juchter is still 17 Pils Street. In this edition – Harry Juchter .

Thus, it can be concluded that the building on 17 Pils Street had been a property of the Juchter family for several decades. Although in the „ List of Phone Subscribers of Latvia, 1940” the Juchter family name can not be found any longer. It is possible that this family went to Germany.

In the archive of the Riga City Construction Department material can be found that the building on 17 Pils Street, owned by Margarita Juchter, was connected to city drainage system in 1923.

Building on 17 Pils Street in 2004

In a “Questionnaire for residential building on 17 Pils Street”, made in 1968 in accordance with a request from the Inspectorate of the Riga City Architectural Monument Protection, it was indicated that the building still has a “dry” toilet in the backyard, and a recommendation was given on how to liquidate it!

During Soviet times on 17 Pils Street there was the Riga Area State Water Inspectorate of the Ministry of Melioration and Water Management, which was renamed to the Riga State territorial Water Inspectorate (Рижское Государственное Териториальное управление по регулировании и охране вод) in 1975 which existed until 1989. This organization supervised water purification equipment in the whole territory of Latvia. In 1989 it was reorganized to the Republican State Protection Inspectorate of the Baltic Sea (Републиканская морская государственная водоинспекция). In 1989 the Riga Regional Environmental Committee was also formed (later – the Environmental Administration), which occupied 17 Pils Street until the mid-90s.
Since 1997 “Environmental Projects” Ltd., film production studio of “Environmental Projects” and the Administration of the Latvian Environmental Protection Fund have been located on 17 Pils Street.

Literature used:
G. Ivans, P. Eglajs. „Historic- Architectural Audit of State Protection Area of Old Riga. Data and Historic Research of Block Nr. 13 (between L. Miesnieku, L. Pils, Biblioteka Streets and Komjaunatnes krastmala)”. Riga. 1970. . 1970.
P. Eglajs. „ Questionnaire for residential building on 17 Pils Street (group 8, land 27)”. Riga. 1968.
I. Gaile, D. Levalde. „Riga, 17 Pils Street. Architectural-Art Study of the Faēade”. Riga. 1996.
I. Gaile, D. Levalde. „Riga, 17 Pils Street. Architectural-Art Study of the Faēade”. Riga. 1996. . 1996.

We are very grateful to Mr Gunars Armans, environmental art specialist at the Riga Cultural Monument Protection Inspectorate, for the help in preparation of the historical material.

Further information is from web site www.juechter.com

Riga Twins

In the newspaper „Kiel News” on January 27, 1952 an article was published with the headline "Riga Twins" about an odd meeting.

Merchant Peteris Juhters (Pieter Juchter) from Amsterdam came to Riga for the first time in his life and was very surprised when a stout Rigan greeted him on the street: "Good day, Mr Juhter!" He thought he had misheard it. How could anyone know his name here, in completely foreign place?

Continuing his walk along the city streets, he was greeted amicably by people from time to time, and Peteris Juhters was forced to answer by lifting his hat to return the greeting. He had already started doubting his sanity. "Do I have a business card on my chest or maybe a secret agent has informed people of my arrival in advance? " he asked himself.

When he was greeted for the seventh time, he yielded and asked: “Could you please tell me where do you know me from?” The Bespoken mister made a face as if he had heard some joke. "But I can still recognize Mr Juhter from Pils Street. Have you been away on travel?"

"Although my name is Juhter", replied Peteris, " this is the first time I am in Riga in my life. I live in Amsterdam". The Rigan doubled up with laughter: "You really like joking, Mr Juhter. We had dinner together last week at the "Black Eagle" hotel! Have you lost your memory?"

"In this case I have a twin in Riga" Peteris continued. "Would you like to show me where I live?"

The Rigan took him there but fell dumb himself out of wonder when he saw the two men facing each other at the building on 17 Pils Street who, though dressed differently, seemed like one and the same person. Both “twins” also were totally confused: Arveds Juhters from Riga and Peteris Juhters from Amsterdam. Both had the same light blond hairs, the same steal blue eyes and the same narrow, sharp nose. They were so similar that they could get confused themselves as to who is who.

Both twins quickly found common language. In the beginning they looked at each other with amazement as if they were looking in the mirror and asked questions to each other as if they had not seen each other for years.

Livija Juhtere, daughter in law of the Riga Juhter, was an eyewitness of this meeting. She recalls that the meeting of so called “twin brothers” could have taken place around 1910. Then her father in law Arveds Juhters was already an elderly man, Peteris Juhters was younger by several years. Her husband’s parents together with their guest from Holland came for dinner. The Evening turned out to be very cheerful and interesting; during the evening both "twin brothers" compared their habits and characters. But their physical likeness was incredible indeed – even the little fingers of both Juhters were bent with a striking similarity. Genuinely, one could only wonder about it!