Louise pharmacy

Before the war and after the war life in the building on Minijos Street 1 revolved around pharmacy and doctors. The primary purpose of the asymmetrical two-storey building with a pitched roof was a residential house with a pharmacy on the ground floor.
As of 1858 it belonged to Smeltė village. Until the early 20th c. this area belonged to Spitzhut manor. However, the building was marked on the map already in 1903. In 1909 there was a note of a Louise Pharmacy, which belonged to Eugen Krause.
Traditionally, each pharmacy had its own title and emblem. This building might have housed the pharmacy of Smeltė suburb. The name of Queen Louise, adored in Germany, was very popular in Klaipėda as well, since the family resided here in 1807–1808.
The building was used not only for the pharmacy. Just like in many other European cities, pharmacies in Klaipėda used to settle on the ground floor. According to a decree of 1902, each pharmacy had to have an officine – the trade hall, a dry room for herbs and a cold room in the basement. All pharmacies also had to have a laboratory for preparing medicine. Pharmacists used to live in the same building in case someone would need them at night.
In 1918 Smeltė suburb was attached to Klaipėda and Louise Pharmacy became the fifth “apothecary” of the city (the city already had 4 other pharmacies before that).
After Smeltė suburb was attached to Klaipėda, the building on the location of what is currently Minijos Street 1 was marked as Malūnų Vartų Street 1a. The same numbering was used until 1944. After the war the building still had an outbuilding in the yard.
Louise Pharmacy that has operated in this building for many years is now closed (2017).