This is a tale of two neighboring buildings in Riga, each built in the middle of the 19th century, each with roots in the 13th and 14th centuries, and each playing a new role in the 21st.
In medieval times, most major trading cities had powerful associations of merchants, traders and artisans, organized in guilds to promote their interests, and the largely German-speaking economic elites of Riga were no exception.
First, in the 13th century, they formed the Guild of the Holy Spirit; it was an important group as part of Riga’s membership in the Hanseatic League. It was open to both traders and makers, excluding for some reason weavers and sauna operators. Yes, apparently, there were medieval saunas!
By 1853, the two groups separated into the Large or Great or Saint Mary Guild for the merchants and the Small or Saint John Guild for the artisans, each with its own long-gone building. The buildings we see today, practically back-to-back were built in the 1850s and 1860s. The guilds themselves are long gone, but they’ve left behind two notable buildings.
The Great Guild or Liela Gilde, built in 1857 in a modified English Gothic style, was renovated after a 1963 fire, and is home to the Latvian Symphony Orchestra and other musical groups.
The Small Guild or Maza Gilde, built in 1864 in ‘neo-Gothic’ style hosts conferences, events and frequently serves as a gallery for exhibitions.
