The Bachmann manor mansion

After the Seven Years’ War, in 1778, Wilhelm Gerhard von Koschkull became the new owner of the Bachmann Manor when he rebuilt it using bricks. Koschkull was an experienced agriculturalist and took good care of the farmstead.

After his death, Sophia Ursula, Koschkull’s widow, married two more times. Her third husband was Peter Johann Ernst von Goes, a colonel and a widower with 5 children.

Since Sophia Ursula von Goes had no offspring of her own, she composed two wills: one on February 25^th, 1778 and the other on June 14^th, 1795. The wills essentially stated that all of her property and belongings, i.e. the Bachmann and Linderhoff Manors as well as the Lapiniškiai Forest, were to be given away to the School for Poor Boys. On February 5^th, 1798, the King approved the widow’s project and formed regulations by which the state was to oversee the operations of the institution.

Inspector Wilhelm Andreas Rhenius was appointed in 1791 to manage all manor-related matters. He married the niece of Lady von Goes, which is believed to be the reason why he was appointed to serve in the Bachmann Manor for a 300-thaler salary, while the yearly manor expenses constituted only a total of 500 thalers.

In 1799, Lady von Goes died and her relatives protested against the will, but the attempt was was unsuccessful. V. A. Rhenius’ ultimate plan was to hand over the magnificent Bachmann Manor to the Hernhutters, so he was always organising constructions of new buildings (e.g. houses for peasants or farm outbuildings). Due to such investments, not much was ever left from the money that he used to earn from rent.

In 1807, Rhenius greeted the King’s children, who came to stay at the manor during one of their jaunts. Needless to say, they were accompanied by a group of well-armed guards. The guests were very fascinated by the interior of the manor and by the fact that it was full of portraits of the owner’s ancestors. Johann Dietrich von Huelsen, the commandant of Magdeburg, was also to be found within the large collection of portraits.

Several families have rented the manor throughout its history: 1843–1863, the Michalek families; 1863–1909, the Hasford families; 1909–1915, the Tributat families. The last tenant (to rent since 1916) was J. Schwandt. Schwandt was able to build a large park within the territory of the manor. After all, the land was fertile and ameliorated. The families of 14 workers, as well as the chauffeur, and the wheelwright lived in the premises of the manor. It also housed the smithy and the brickyard.

Fortunately, World War II had a very minor effect on the territory of the Bachmann Manor. The locals remember that there used to be a cemetery nearby. The manor served as a residential building throughout the Soviet times and continues to serve the same function to this day.