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Founded: 18th-19th centuryCategory: Palaces, manors and town halls in Latvia
Historical period: Part of the Russian Empire (Latvia)
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In 1818 the estate of Gaujiena was bought by Baron Adolf von Wulff. Gaujiena remained the in the possession of the von Wulff family for 100 years, during which more than 16 buildings were put up and the park laid out over an area of 12 hectares. The complete manor ensemble took shape during the 19th century and in the early 20th century, and consisted of 30 buildings and structures, 17 of which have been retained in good condition and are in practical use.
The oldest building of the ensemble is the granary, built in 1788, and the spirits distillery. Around 1830 the steward’s house was put up, but in 1838 – the dwelling house for manor people was built. So was an auxiliary building with a ramp leading to the top floor, called "the sprinkle-house", as the south end of the building was adjusted to the needs of the Gaujiena voluntary firefighters' society, Wolf established in 1886. The estate also had the house of an equerry-coachman, the coach-house, the gardener's cottage, hothouses, the ice cellar and the brewer's house, near which also today the travellers can refresh themselves with the clear water from the Lion Mouth spring.
The newest and the most beautiful building in the manor complex is the so-called new palace, built by Baron Julius von Wulff in 1850. It is built in the Classicism style and decorated with columns. Many rooms on the ground floor have retained their original parquet floors. The interior of the hall has a number of distinctive features; the chapel has retained the ceiling painting. The parade entrance staircase is guarded by two sleeping lions. Since 1922 the house has accommodated the Gaujiena Secondary School.
References:Towering 52 meters above the sea, Bengtskär lighthouse is the tallest one in Scandinavia. The building started in in 1905 after the shipwreck of S/S Helsingfors and was completed in 1906. The lighthouse was designed by architect Florentin Granholm. On December a special petrol lantern, designed and built in Paris, was brought to Bengtskär and installed atop the tower.
German fleet bombarded Bengstkär in the First World War in 1914. Since the Gulf of Finland was heavily mined, it was not until 1919 that the surrounding seas were declared safe for shipping, that the light was lit again.
After the war the military value of Bengtskär increased as part of the defence system of independent Finland. In Second World War (1941) Soviet Union made a suprise attack to island. After a bloody battle, the small Finnish garrison emerged victorious. Intermittent repairs to the facility continued during the post-war period.