Kuldīga seeks buyer for Lielīvande Manor as residents fear losing hub

Kuldīga Municipality is seeking a new owner for the Lielīvande Manor complex, with an auction due to open on November 11 at a starting price of 371,000 euros, LSM reported. The parish administration and library are still housed there, and residents say it is the only place where the community can gather.

The prospective buyer would have to meet conditions discussed with residents, including allowing them to use at least the sports hall. Local people are unhappy about the auction, said Gundega Baika, a caretaker and cleaner at the Īvande parish administration. She recalled that around 20 residents come to the hall each week.

Residents’ council representative Santa Šūna Šauba said the past two years had been emotional as the community faced losing the manor, which has been the parish centre for 100 years. The complex is a state-protected architectural monument, but residents see it as more than a historic building: it is the heart of the parish, she said.

Residents remember when the manor hosted sports camps, dances, theatre performances and other events. The possible loss of the sports hall is particularly painful. An association that maintains the hall and has added sports equipment asked the municipality to exclude it from the auction. The municipality’s stated reasoning is that separating the hall from the complex would make the property less attractive to buyers, complicate the auction and reduce expected proceeds.