House of Blackheads

The House of Blackheads was set up as a meeting and party venue for Riga public organisations. In the 17th century it was occupied only by the foreign, mostly German, trade fraternity - the Blackheads' society. One of their patrons was St. Maurice, the leader of the Roman Legion, who was executed by decapitation. Thus a black head became the society's symbol and was portrayed in their coat of arms. The House of Blackheads and the Town Hall were destroyed in WWII.

During the following decades a few projects were created for the building's restoration. In 1991 St. Peter's Church hosted a memorial exhibition for the House of Blackheads and the society. In 1992 archeological excavations began here and in 1995 a special book on the history of the House of Blackheads was published. This gave rise to the process of rebuilding which finished in 1999.