Merchant Shelter

In 1863, a shelter for merchants down on their luck at 23 Herkaus Manto st. (former Liepojos St. 7) was built. It was funded by Julius Ludwig Wiener, a philanthropist and merchant.  The Merchant Shelter is a red brick, two floor, long rectangular residential building. In the end of the 19th century, there were twelve flats in this building. The building was later reconstructed and heightened. A separate building was built in the yard, which housed a gas kitchen and wash room, food storage and a funeral hall.
The shelter had 135 living spaces. Between the two World Wars, the building was inhabited by old merchants, lonely citizens, and foundlings. Later, the shelter became a refuge for many women and widows because the number of merchants, who have nobody to take care of them, decreased dramatically.
After World War I, the building was transformed into a residential building. Most of its inhabitants were teachers. This building was also the home of Salys Šemerys-Šmerauskas, a famous poet, one of the Fourwinders, who wrote a lot about the sea.
In 2002, the building was reconstructed. The Navalis Hotel is performing its operations in it. The building, considered an architectural legacy, maintains its authentic details. The name of the Navalis Hotel comes from the Latin word, meaning ship.