The Lost Amber Room

The Amber Room was an ornate chamber made of six tons of amber panels backed with gold and mirrors. Created for the King of Prussia and gifted to Russia, it was looted by Nazi Germany in 1941 and has never been found.

The Treasure

The Amber Room was created between 1701 and 1711 for the King of Prussia. It was given to Tsar Peter the Great in 1716 and installed in the Catherine Palace near St. Petersburg. It was considered the “Eighth Wonder of the World.”

The Theft

When German forces approached the Catherine Palace in 1941, the Soviets tried to disassemble the room. The amber proved too fragile. The Germans removed it in 36 hours and installed it in Königsberg Castle.

The Disappearance

As Soviet forces advanced on Königsberg in 1945, the Amber Room vanished. Witnesses gave conflicting accounts. It may have been destroyed in the bombing, hidden in the castle’s basement, or shipped elsewhere.

The Searches

Treasure hunters have searched for the Amber Room for decades. Theories place it in mines, lakes, sunken ships, and bunkers throughout Europe. Occasional “discoveries” prove to be false leads. The room has never been found.

The Reconstruction

Russia completed a reconstruction of the Amber Room in 2003, using historical photographs and 450 amber artifacts. The new room, while magnificent, is not the original.

Assessment

The Amber Room represents one of the greatest art thefts in history. Six tons of amber cannot simply vanish. The original room is still out there, hidden somewhere, waiting to be rediscovered.