Gedminai manor

The Gedmin Farm (Gedmin Herde) was first mentioned in 1588 and belonged to Klaipėda scribe Vilhelm Wirgauder. In 1657, the manor was granted the city rights of Kulm, later – the rights of a noble manor, procured by the General Count Boguslawa Friedrich Reinhard von Dauenhof, who had purchased the manor. In 1851, the major part of Gedminai Manor was purchased by Carl Friedrich Gubba. He built the palace, reconstructed the stud farm and acquired agricultural machinery. The income was generated by breeding Trakehner horses and selling them to the armed forces. Circa 1900, a primary school was opened here.
After the annexation of Klaipėda region to Lithuania in 1923, life at the manor changed. In 1926, the manor had 355 ha of land, owned by Rotmister James Gubba. He was engaged in politics and kept in touch with K. Scharffegtter, owner of Sendvaris, and H. Scheu, nobleman from Šilutė.
In 1936, the manor was damaged by fire. After the restoration it was electrified. In 1939, James and Frieda Gubba sold the manor to the state of Germany and moved to Königsberg, where they died during the bombing and battle.
There is no information on what went on at Gedminai Manor during and after the war. Later, it was transformed into a residential building with 16 apartments, a shop and a club. Based on the General Plan for Klaipėda’s Development, in 1965, the land of the manor was included into the city territory and in 1970, it was surrounded by newly-built residential buildings.
In 1978, the manor was reconstructed in order to adapt it to an educational institution. In 1983, the manor became an arts gymnasium, while in 1984, it was supplemented with a new extension – a canteen and a dormitory. In 1985, the school was named after the famous Lithuanian musician and composer Eduardas Balsys.

Compiled in 2018.