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According to the book "Klaipėda", Publisher Libra Memelensis, 2002 |
The fire department with its official residences, stable and fire-engine house in the Polangenstraße was ready and became occupied on September 22nd, 1856. Memel hereby became the first town of Prussia with a professional fire department after Berlin. Until then the fire-fighting was very insufficient. There were three fire stations in the town but in case of fire the citizens had to fight the fire themselves. They had to allocate the horses and to operate the syringes. So these fire stations were nothing else than for to store the fire extinguishers. The fire stations were hardly maintained and became more or less sleazy. The big fire in 1854 finally was the decisive factor. One decided to set up a professional fire department, like the Berlin example.
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Collection Horst Borbe
The demolition of the fire station. |
From the speech "Vortrag zur 750 Jahresfeier der Stadt Memel/Klaipeda" by Wygantas Wareikis: "In 1983 the Hotel Klaipeda was erected. The hotel got its place on the architectural picture of the town but the unique old fire department became demolished." |
On the left in the foreground one sees the 'Kreishaus'. Opposite the Kreishaus ends the street 'Neuer Park'. In the background you can see the roof of the 'Robert Meyhoefer building'. |
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