Lawyer Krell's Villa

The status of the royal resort turned Krantz not only into a fashionable holiday destination, but also made it attractive as a permanent residence for wealthy citizens. One of these was the lawyer Max Krell. He decided to move to Krantz after resigning from the post of mayor of Memel (present-day
named Klaipeda). On the side of the street, there was an office in which the lawyer received his clients, on the side of the courtyard – living rooms.

Despite the popular belief that Max Krell built this building, this is not true. The story starts in Konigsberg. It turned out that at the beginning of the XXth century, the owner of the villa in Krantz was the famous Konigsberg Jewish manufacturer and timber merchant Israel Pik. By the way, from 1932 to 1937 he worked in the USSR – he supervised the work of enterprises in Moscow and Stalingrad. After the Nazis came to power in Konigsberg, Israel Peak never returned – he left for the United States in 1939.

It's interesting that during the recent repair was fount a brick from the masonry with clearly visible small child's foot. Such a custom – to leave a trace of the firstborn – is characteristic of Jewish traditions in the construction of houses.