Kaliningrad.ru. The Government of Kaliningrad Region Wants to Buy Out “Kant’s House”

There are plans to conduct historical examination of the object until the end of February.

Philosopher Immanuel Kant lived in the pastor’s house for some time. Governor Nikolay Tsukanov assigned the vice-premier Alexandr Rolbinov to negotiate with the owners of the house in Vesyolovka village, Chernyakhovsk district. According to the head of the region, preliminary negotiations have already been conducted. Following the results of these negotiations the owner agreed to convey the building’s ownership to the region “under certain conditions”. However, Tsukanov stressed that if the owner’s demands are too high it will be necessary to lower them. Moreover, depending on the results of the examination, he conceded the possibility of the owner to be in debt to the region government.

According to Evgeniy Maslov, Deputy Chief of the Regional Service of National Protection of Objects of Cultural Heritage, Immanuel Kant lived and worked as a home teacher at the pastor’s house in the Judtschen village (nowadays – village Vesyolovka) from 1748 to 1751. “However, historians and regional ethnographers have some doubts that there is a direct link to Kant’s life. They claim that the building could not be dated XVIII century and it most likely was rebuilt on the old foundation”, – the official clarified. According to him, the final decision about the “authenticity” of the object must be made by experts.

The chancellor of Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University (IKBFU)  Andrey Klemeshev passed an opinion that it is reasonable to recreate “a certain museum-type complex” and include it into the route devoted to Immanuel Kant’s life and work. “The university is willing to assist at the stage of examination as well as the stage of elaboration of proper conception and program. Our institute can take the object under its patronage”, – noted Klemeshev.

Governor Nikolay Tsukanov gave an instruction to the regional authorities to examine the house in the Vesyulovka village and settle the issue of buying out the object till the end of February of 2014.

It is worth mentioning that according to the scientists of IKBFU, the philosopher moved from Koenigsberg to Judtschen due to financial difficulties after graduating university in 1748. He was living in the house of pastor Daniel Ernst Andresch teaching three children. He was given a small corner room on the ground floor of the country house. In XIX century there was a fire in the house after which only left the basement and foundation intact. The new building is located on the same spot and has the same shape as the pastor’s house. The house in Judtschen is one of the few places outside Koenigsberg that the great philosopher ever visited.

Kaliningrad.ru (22.01.2014)