Amber Room

The Amber Room was created in Prussia and given by King Friedrich Wilhelm I to Tsar Peter the Great in 1716. The room consisted of intricately carved amber panels decorated with gold leaf and mirrors.

Fast Facts

1. Also known as: Amber Chamber, Янтарная комната, Bernsteinzimmer
2. Designer: Andreas Schlüte
3. Crafted by: Gottfried Wolfram, Ernst Schacht and Gottfried Turau
4. Covers 55 square meters
5. Includes 6 tons of amber
6. Took 9 years to build
7. Sometimes called "8th Wonder of the World"
8. Recreated in 2003 and displayed in the museum at the Catherine Palace of Tsarskoye Selo near Saint Petersburg

Mystery Location

In 1941, the Nazis disassembled the Amber Room and shipped it to Konigsberg, where it was briefly displayed in Konigsberg Castle. It then disappeared, and there has since been uncertainty as to whether it was hidden or destroyed. On February 20, 2008, it was announced that the Amber Room might be hidden in a cavern near Deutschneudorf with other Nazi Treasure. Excavation proceeded slowly due to concerns about World War II booby traps.

Categories