About Museum

The idea about establishing a museum dedicated to father of Latvian theatre Ādolfs Alunāns was born at the end of 1960’s. Ādolfs Alunāns People Theatre was already active in Jelgava under director Lūcija Ņefedova. A friend to the afore mentioned theatre was Ādolfs Alunāns’ grandson Ādolfs Švānbergs. In Riga live Ā. Alunāns three daughters – Valda, Valeska, and Emīlija. They kept most of the stuff that belonged to their father – furniture, photographies, books. These items thanks to Ā. Švanbergs were returned back to Jelgava. The idea of museum crystallised when Ā. Alunāns 120th and theatre 100th year anniversary came closer and closer. Last place where Ā. Alunāns lived was on Filozofu street 3 which became home of the museum.

On 12th of January, 1966, 2nd floor of the building became public museum. The theatre took control over the museum, but, unfortunately, actors of the theatre were already busy with plays, that eventually a decision was made – museum’s status needed to be changed. In 1978, Jelgava city municipality decided that the museum can have the whole building and will be a branch of Museum of Jelgava. After renovations the museum opened doors for public on 19th of November, 1988.

“Now I have found a lovely and sunny apartment with tall trees outside the windows – like in a garden. Here, I hope, I will recuperate,” Ā. Alunans wrote in a letter to his close friend Aronu Matiss about the apartment on Filozofu street 3. Ālunānu family often moved – sometimes rent was too high, other times it was too noisy or cold.

The family rented the second floor of the building. The apartment had five little rooms, a kitchen, attic with a roof balcony. It was peaceful and quiet, but it was quite far from all the places where the cultural life happened, such as the Latvian Society building.

He, his wife, and three daughters Valda, Valeska, and Emīlijas lived in this apartment. Other children had families of their own – son Pēters lived in Russia, daughter Zuzanna in Lithuania, and daughter Paula was their neighbor, she lived on Filozofu street 11.

The first floor of the building has an event hall with a little stage and exhibit hall. On the second hall is the apartment where the father of Latvian theatre lived with his family – dining room, living room, and two bedrooms.

Ādolfs Alunāns Memorial Museum was Ā. Alunāns last home. He lived here from 1910 until 1912. Museum keeps Alunāns’ creative work and most of his belongings. The apartment is kept as close to the original as possible to let the visitors imagine the life of Ādolfs Alunāns, the father of Latvian theatre.

Ādolfa Alunāna memoriālā māja ir vieta, kurā latviešu teātra tēvs dzīvojis divus pēdējos dzīves gadus no 1910.-1912. gadam, bet ģimene līdz 1926. gadam. Te atrodas viņa radošais mantojums un viņa ģimenes sadzīves priekšmeti. Pateicoties mazdēlam Ādolfam Švānbergam, muzejā ir vairāk nekā tūkstoš oriģinālpriekšmetu. Tas rada īpašu romantiku un saglabā izcilas personības radīto auru.

Ādolfa Alunāna memoriālajā muzejā mīļi gaidīti ir gan individuālie apmeklētāji, gan apmeklētāji grupās, kas vēlas izbaudīt 20. gadsimta sākuma atmosfēru un iedziļināties teātra rašanās pirmsākumos. Piedāvājam novadīt ekskursijas un dažādas pedagoģiskās programmas, pielāgojoties jebkurai vecuma grupai.

Muzejs ir atvērts sadarbībai ar skolām un individuālām personām dažādu pasākumu, koncertu, konkursu u.tt. organizēšanā. Muzejs pasākumu laikā iekštelpās spēj uzņemt līdz 40 personām.

Laipni lūdzam ciemos!