Amber Room

The Amber Room (German Bernsteinzimmer) was a complete chamber decoration of amber panels which for its precious material and artistic carving was once called the "eighth wonder of the world". It was made in 1701 at the Berlin castle of the king of Prussia. Tsar Peter the Great on a visit came to admire it and it was presented to him by Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm I in 1716. In 1755 it was transferred by tsarina Catherine the Great and installed in the Catherine Palace in Tsarskoye Selo, near St. Petersburg. From there it was transferred to Königsberg during World War II. Königsberg was very heavily bombarded by the British, then destroyed further by the Soviets and the Bernsteinzimmer was never seen again. Rumors never stopped with mysterious sighting of individual pieces reported in various places.

Since 1979 reconstruction based on black and white photos was started. Financial difficulties were helped with money donated by a German agency and in 2003 the new Bernsteinzimmer was dedicated by Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder at the 300-year anniversary of the city of St. Petersburg.

In Kleinmachnow near Berlin is a miniature Bernsteinzimmer, fabricated after the original. The Berlin miniature collector Ulla Klingbeil had this copy made of original East Prussian amber. The exhibit fee at Europarc Dreilinden is donated to the Arilex-Verein (foundation) to aid handicapped children.