A team of Polish divers ensures that the “Karlsruhe” is practically intact, a steamship sunk in 1945 key in the history of the “eighth wonder of the world”
The Amber Room is one of those faded chapters of History that feeds the legend every time someone approaches them or, at least, hints at it. Built in the 18th century for the Berlin palace of Frederick I of Prussia, this “eighth wonder of the world” was dismantled and lost during the course of World War II . And, since then, his whereabouts have been unknown and it will not be for lack of hunters.
Those 55 square meters imagined by the baroque sculptor Andreas Schülter in 1701 with all kinds of luxuries, jump to the headlines again. The desired treasure reopens a door to hope after the last dive of the Polish diver Tomasz Stachura , who, according to the Polish Press Agency (PAP), could have found some of its remains after investigating in the “Karlsruhe” , a Nazi ship wrecked in the spring of 1945 in the Baltic Sea .
As Stachura explained, the find was made several dozen kilometers north of Ustka: “At a depth of 88 meters and it is practically intact. In its cellars we discovered military vehicles, porcelain and many boxes with hitherto unknown content .” In the mouth of the diver, “the location of the wreck can provide innovative information about the disappearance of the legendary Amber Room, since it was in Königsberg that the room was last seen. And from there the steamer ‘Karlsruhe’ departed on her last voyage with a heavy load”, he added.
We have written more than once about the activities undertaken by the Baltictech team in the Baltic Sea. As it turns out, over the past year, they have been tirelessly searching for a particular wreck – the German steamer Karlsruhe – believing that it could be the most interesting, undiscovered story from the bottom of the Baltic Sea so far. The German steamer Karlsruhe, after Gustloff, Goya and Steuben, was the next ship to take part in Operation Hannibal, the largest maritime evacuation in history. This discovery may provide groundbreaking information on the disappearance of the legendary Amber Room. Why? Because it was in Königsberg where the Amber Room was seen for the last time. Also, from there, the Karlsruhe steamer, heavily loaded sailed out on her last voyage. Detailed information can be found in the news tab on our website. #santidiving #baltictech #karlsruhe #wreckkarlsruhe #diving #balticsea #balticseadiving #operationhannibal In today’s Fakty TVN (English: Facts) in Polish TVN and Wydarzenia (English:Events) in Polsat TV there will be a brief interview with Tomasz Stachura. We encourage you to watch it.
This search for the “Karlsruhe” shipwreck has lasted about a year. And it was the reports of the Soviet pilots, the same ones who attacked the steamship in 1945, that led them to the wreck . “Although they gave up to five different positions, whose extension was almost 20 miles”, commented Stachura. He also explained that the team, however, did know “more or less” the route followed by the ships evacuating the Germans from East Prussia, and that they had fishing maps detailing the location of various obstacles lying in the water. the bottom of the Baltic.
Thus, Stachura has commented that, on that basis, the search team selected several dozen items that were worth checking: “In April this year, we examined all these positions with the help of sonar and found 22 objects.” But “only one of them was almost exactly the size of a steamer.”
From June to September, the divers made three dives for which they have now provided photographic and film documentation . “We knew very well the design details of the ‘Karlsruhe’, including the location of the chimney, anchors, bolts, portholes… They are all there, so we are sure that we have found their remains,” he says convinced. However, “the impact caused all the cargo that was on the boat to spread out.” After the information, Stachura is convinced to continue the search, although it will be “very difficult” because he is far from the coast and very deep: “We would love to explore the cellars.”
“History and available documentation indicate that the German steamer ‘Karlsruhe’ left the port in a great hurry and with a heavy load, after the Germans had to evacuate Królewiec. All this, taken together, stimulates the human imagination. Finding a German steamship and boxes with unknown contents at this time, resting at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, may be significant for the whole story , ”adds Tomasz Zwara, another of the team members who has gone down to the ship.