Klaipėda Stasys Šimkus Conservatoire

In 1937, the Lithuanian government allocated funds for the construction of a new police building in Klaipėda, which was to be located on the site of the “Offizier casino”. The old romantic style building was not demolished, but was cleverly incorporated into the new one. The former tower was rebuilt into a staircase, which gives the impression of verticality by a “thermometer-type” vertical window strip framed by dark clinker bricks. An identical staircase was built on the southern side of the building. Massive Bauhaus metal flagpoles are installed at the top of the stairs. The building is elevated, the basement and the door portals at the corners of the building are framed with dark clinker bricks. The same material was used to create the impression of horizontality in the central part of the facade – by horizontally connecting window strips. Facades are without distinctive architectural details.

In 1923-1939, the first music school in Klaipėda region, founded by Stasys Šimkus, operated in this building. Famous public figures of Lithuanian culture worked here: Stasys Šimkus, Ignas Prielgauskas, Vydūnas and Juozas Karosas.

In 1923-1924, the music school had departments for singing, piano and organ, string instruments, woodwind and brass instruments, as well as composition. In 1924, a symphony orchestra was established at the school, and a library began to function. Many books and sheet music were sent from Germany, but most of them were donated by the Klaipėda Music Society (Musikverein). This music school had the largest non-fiction library compared to other special or professional schools in Klaipėda region.

In 1925, the music school was nationalized. Up to 150 students studied there, and they were accommodated in a dormitory opened in the former Bachmann estate in Paupiai. Due to lack of space, the house was enlarged by adding a third floor and a turret.

The school constantly had serious financial problems. As a result, director S. Šimkus resigned and immigrated to the United States in 1927. The dormitory was closed. The school was headed by Juozas Žilevičius, who opened a pedagogical class to train music teachers. In 1928, S. Šimkus took the lead of the school again.

In 1930, the conservatoire was closed and became a private music school of Ignas Pielgauskas.

In 1937, the conservatoire was reopened.  Juozas Karosas became its rector. However, Karosas’ ambitions were not liked by colleagues and politicians in Kaunas. In 1938, the city magistrate did not sign the lease agreement, and the conservatoire rented a building behind the Barracks for 2 years. The conservatoire building was handed over to the police. After Klaipėda region was annexed to Germany, the music school was moved to Šiauliai.

The music school in Klaipėda was reopened in 1945 in the building at 8 Donelaičio St., and it was again led by Juozas Karosas. In 1948, a seven-year children’s music school was founded by the school, and in 1951 the general education department was established. The school returned to the historical building in 1960, and from 1961 became an independent music school again. In 1967, it was named after Stasys Šimkus. The status of the school and its founder changed several times. In 2015, the conservatoire was accredited; it became a gymnasium-type conservatoire intended for 15-18-year-old students with exceptional musical talents to study according to specialized educational programs (the second part of the program of basic education combined with music education and the accredited program of secondary education combined with music education).

In 2007, a memorial plaque to Vydūnas, a Prussian-Lithuanian intellectual, philosopher, who taught art history at the conservatoire in 1925, was unveiled on the outer wall.