The Commemorative Bas-Relief Plaque, Dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander

A commemorative plaque was placed and unveiled on the wall of the Central Post Office on 16 Liepų st., Klaipėda in 1993. It was a gift from the German Annie from Tharau Fellowship and it was dedicated to Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander – one of the best astronomers and mathematicians in the world.
The Klaipėda Central Post Office remains one of the most known and perhaps one of the most beautiful architectural landmarks in the city. 3 buildings make up the post office complex: in the centre, there is the two-floor post office building with a garret, and single-floor buildings on each side – on one, there are the former warehouses and the stable, while the building on the other side was a location for the chariots. The structures have been built using red clinker bricks. The whole architectural ensemble is a display of three different styles, but the Neo-Gothic style dominates. The gorgeous doors of the post office are carved and decorated with metal grating. The symmetrical layout of the entire complex (influenced by Classicism) is unified by an elegant metal fence with brick pillars. The interior of the building is impressive.
In 1795, Johann Gottfried Argelander, a merchant, joined he Klaipėda Merchant’s Guild. He married a woman, who went by the name of Hagen, and in 1799, a son was born to them – Friedrich Wilhelm August Argelander. Friedrich spent his childhood in the building, which stood in the location, where the post office stands today. He attended the Klaipėda Latin School and continued his studies in the Elbing College and the Königsberg College. Afterwards, from 1817 to 1822, he studied in the University of Königsberg.
Argelander worked in various European observatories, where he observed the heavens, recorded the stars, and composed their catalogues. In Finland, he managed the Observatory of Abo (Turku) and in 1832, he established an observatory in Helsinki. In 1837, Argelander was the director of the Bonn Observatory in Germany and a professor at a university. For Argelander’s achievements in the field of astronomy, an asteroid was named after him. On February 17th, 1875, the renown astronomer died in Bonn.