In 1721 a state manor was established in Šilutė. It is a building of uncomplicated forms of late classicism and historicism, with blurred style features and a restrained decor typical of the Klaipėda region. After the reorganisation of the Prussian state system in 1808-1818, the Radke family acquired the manor. However, the manor’s rebirth and prosperity began in 1889, when it was acquired by the landowner Dr Hugo Šojus. Under the latter family’s management, Šilutė Manor became famous and well-known in the Klaipėda Region and East Prussia. The name of Dr. Hugo Šojus, which was widely known at the time, and the appreciation of his social and cultural activities contributed a lot to this. The manor was no less famous for the exemplary management and administration of the farm buildings and the manor site, which is also associated with the name of Dr. Hugo Šojaus. The landlord reorganised the manor farm, leased and donated some of the land to the town. Important parts of Šilutė – the county hospital, the market square, the gymnasium, the primary school, the post office, the fire station, the harbour, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, etc. – were built on the former manor land. Dr. Hugo Šojus is called the patron saint of Šilutė for good reason. The restored manor house was the site of the first museum in the Klaipėda region, where unique collections were gathered. It was a happy epilogue to the centuries-old history of the manor, before the Soviet era of the manor’s demise. When the Red Army took up residence on the estate in October 1944, a large part of the museum’s treasures were destroyed. During the Soviet years, it housed the auxiliary farm of the Executive Committee, the School of Agriculture and the Agricultural Technical School.
After the restoration of Lithuanian independence, design and restoration work began on the manor complex. In 2015, the Dr. Hugo Šoys Manor complex was opened to the city and its guests. The museum’s scientific archive – library, restoration centre, educational activities, virtual and mobile exhibitions are currently in operation. The Šilutė Tourism Information Centre is also located here.
An English-style park with three ponds and walking paths was created next to the estate. The park, which stretches along the river Šyša up to the old railway bridge, was home to around 150 species of vegetation. The park now has up to 40 species of trees and shrubs.