Most people associate the Amber Room with its mysterious disappearance during World War II. But the history of this fascinating work of art began in the heart of Berlin over 300 years ago.
And just a few steps from the room’s original home, the Berlin City Palace, you’ll discover 14 absolutely mind-bending rooms that will turn your understanding of perspective and reality upside down. Be sure to check them out!
The Amber Room: A Magnificent Plan for Charlottenburg Palace
In 1701 , the first Prussian king, Frederick I, commissioned an ambitious project. For his wife, Queen Sophie Charlotte, a room was to be created that was entirely paneled with amber.
The original plan was to install this masterpiece in her beloved Charlottenburg Palace. Baroque architect Andreas Schlüter created the design, while amber carvers from Danzig spent years crafting the intricately carved panels by hand.
Fun Fact: The same Andreas Schlüter also designed the pulpit from which Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his banned East Berlin speech!
Moving into the Berlin City Palace
After Frederick I’s death in 1713 , his son, Frederick William I, the “Soldier King,” ascended the throne. He had little regard for pomp and immediately halted his father’s expensive construction projects.
However, the amber panels that had already been completed were moved to the Berlin City Palace. There, the Amber Room was initially located in a room on the second floor—the bel étage—directly adjacent to the magnificent state rooms.
A State Visit with Far-Reaching Consequences
In 1716, Tsar Peter the Great traveled to Berlin and was fascinated by the beauty of the amber walls. To seal a strategic alliance with Russia, Frederick William I presented the tsar with the precious room. (In return, the Prussian king received tall Russian soldiers for his beloved bodyguard, the “Long Guys.”)
The panels were dismantled, packed into crates, and shipped to St. Petersburg, where the room was later expanded at the Catherine Palace and served as a state hall for over 200 years. (See image above: reconstruction at the Catherine Palace.)
Theft and Disappearance During World War II
But in 1941, German troops looted the valuable panels from the Catherine Palace. The artwork was taken to the Königsberg Palace (see image above), where it was exhibited starting in 1942. As the front line drew nearer in late summer 1944 and British air raids severely damaged the palace, the panels were once again packed into crates.
After that, all traces of the Amber Room were lost in the chaos of the final months of the war. Whether it burned down with Königsberg Palace, was secretly moved elsewhere beforehand, or lies at the bottom of the Baltic Sea remains unknown to this day.
What would happen if a sudden discovery were made?
We would face enormous legal and restoration challenges. Since it was looted, Russia would likely demand its return based on international agreements regarding the restitution of looted art.
The condition of the artwork would likely be critical. Amber is an organic material and is sensitive to temperature fluctuations and humidity. After more than 80 years in a bunker, a tunnel, or on the seabed, the panels would be oxidized, cracked, brittle, or even disintegrated. Before it could be exhibited again, years of restoration would be required.
