The Bas-Relief Plaque of the Queen Louise of Prussia, Dedicated to the Entire Royal Family

On July 30th, 1999, a bas-relief plaque of Queen Louise of Prussia was placed and unveiled on the wall of the Klaipėda City Hall, located on 17 Danės st. The plaque was dedicated to the royal Prussian family that lived here between 1807 and 1808. The Klaipėda City Hall is the most distinct old-era building within the entire region. It is a historical building of the Classicist era, built between the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century. It belonged to Lork, a Danish consul, and then to Friedrich Ludwig Consenti.
In 1846, a magister in the city purchased the building and it became the Klaipėda City Hall. In 1877, the building was rebuilt to the style of Neo-Renaissance. The royal family of Königsberg arrived to Klaipėda in January of 1807, when Napoleon’s army had taken over the majority of Prussia, leaving Klaipėda the only free city in the North-East. This building became the royal residence and remained so until January 15th, 1808.
The fact that influential guests were visiting the city encouraged a never before seen development of trade networks in the city. At that moment, Klaipėda became the most important base, supplying the Prussian and Russian military units, who were fighting over east Prussia. Military police were instituted.
The royal couple joined the beautification and clean-up of the city and helped the poor. Queen Louise was amazed by the landscapes at the Dutchman’s cap and the Baltic Sea and she thoroughly enjoyed walks around the outskirts of the Tauralaukis Mansion. The royal family stayed in Klaipėda until January, 1808.