1 00:00:02,244 --> 00:00:04,152 [dramatic music] 2 00:00:04,246 --> 00:00:05,746 Fishburne: Tonight, 3 00:00:05,898 --> 00:00:08,565 one of World War II's most enduring mysteries. 4 00:00:08,584 --> 00:00:13,253 A stunning treasure worth half a billion dollars 5 00:00:13,347 --> 00:00:15,514 lost without a trace. 6 00:00:15,741 --> 00:00:18,166 - It might be the most expensive and beautiful 7 00:00:18,185 --> 00:00:19,910 work of art ever made. 8 00:00:19,928 --> 00:00:21,595 It's like it's just vanished. 9 00:00:21,747 --> 00:00:24,431 Fishburne: Now, we uncover the top theories 10 00:00:24,583 --> 00:00:27,842 surrounding the disappearance of a work of art so remarkable 11 00:00:27,862 --> 00:00:31,697 that it's known as the eighth wonder of the world. 12 00:00:31,924 --> 00:00:33,848 ♪ ♪ 13 00:00:33,868 --> 00:00:35,759 - The castle suffers tremendous damage. 14 00:00:35,778 --> 00:00:37,444 ♪ ♪ 15 00:00:37,538 --> 00:00:38,762 You have to wonder, 16 00:00:38,781 --> 00:00:40,430 was the Amber Room destroyed as well? 17 00:00:40,524 --> 00:00:42,766 - Stenz and Mederer are convinced 18 00:00:42,859 --> 00:00:44,284 that the Amber Room is hidden 19 00:00:44,378 --> 00:00:47,212 behind the castle's walls just waiting to be explored 20 00:00:47,439 --> 00:00:50,290 and waiting to produce discoveries. 21 00:00:50,442 --> 00:00:53,944 Fishburne: Can a new expedition finally reveal its location? 22 00:00:54,037 --> 00:00:56,780 - It's a treasure trove of material. 23 00:00:56,873 --> 00:00:59,633 Fishburne: Will we ever be able to find 24 00:00:59,785 --> 00:01:02,953 and incomparable Amber Room? 25 00:01:02,971 --> 00:01:05,898 [dramatic music] 26 00:01:06,125 --> 00:01:12,905 ♪ ♪ 27 00:01:18,821 --> 00:01:21,914 [dramatic music] 28 00:01:22,141 --> 00:01:26,143 Fishburne: It's September, 1941. 29 00:01:26,161 --> 00:01:29,755 Leningrad, USSR. 30 00:01:29,982 --> 00:01:32,149 ♪ ♪ 31 00:01:32,167 --> 00:01:35,485 Nazi forces invade Russia, moving relentlessly east 32 00:01:35,504 --> 00:01:37,487 in a vicious sweep of destruction. 33 00:01:37,506 --> 00:01:39,932 As his troops advance, 34 00:01:40,159 --> 00:01:43,827 Hitler gives one important order: 35 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:46,271 preserve the priceless works of art 36 00:01:46,498 --> 00:01:51,001 in Leningrad's Catherine Palace at all costs. 37 00:01:51,019 --> 00:01:53,687 [soft dramatic music] 38 00:01:53,839 --> 00:01:56,115 - Hitler wants to gut Russia, 39 00:01:56,342 --> 00:01:58,433 and he wants to steal every work of art he can 40 00:01:58,452 --> 00:02:00,953 en route to conquering the entire country. 41 00:02:01,180 --> 00:02:02,955 The Catherine Palace supposedly houses 42 00:02:03,182 --> 00:02:05,791 the most valuable work of art in the world. 43 00:02:06,018 --> 00:02:07,793 ♪ ♪ 44 00:02:08,020 --> 00:02:09,444 Fishburne: The artwork in question 45 00:02:09,463 --> 00:02:12,689 is known as the Amber Room. 46 00:02:12,782 --> 00:02:14,449 - It's exactly what it sounds like. 47 00:02:14,468 --> 00:02:17,210 It's a room covered in beautiful amber panels. 48 00:02:17,363 --> 00:02:18,637 Some people estimate it 49 00:02:18,864 --> 00:02:21,306 to be worth over half a billion dollars, 50 00:02:21,533 --> 00:02:23,700 making it one of the most expensive 51 00:02:23,793 --> 00:02:26,553 and beautiful rooms ever created. 52 00:02:26,647 --> 00:02:29,055 - During World War II, the German military stole 53 00:02:29,150 --> 00:02:32,542 over 600,000 pieces of art from across Europe, 54 00:02:32,636 --> 00:02:34,878 ransacking billions of dollars 55 00:02:34,971 --> 00:02:37,381 worth of priceless cultural artifacts. 56 00:02:37,399 --> 00:02:38,991 Fishburne: And some say 57 00:02:39,142 --> 00:02:42,494 Hitler wants the Amber Room above all else. 58 00:02:42,721 --> 00:02:44,479 - Not only does Hitler love art, 59 00:02:44,498 --> 00:02:46,406 but he's also a nationalist, 60 00:02:46,500 --> 00:02:48,225 and it infuriates him 61 00:02:48,318 --> 00:02:49,893 that there are works of German art 62 00:02:49,912 --> 00:02:52,078 outside of German territory, 63 00:02:52,231 --> 00:02:55,081 and the Amber Room is a German work of art 64 00:02:55,234 --> 00:02:58,068 that he desperately wants back. 65 00:02:58,086 --> 00:03:01,071 Work began on the room in 1701 in Berlin, 66 00:03:01,089 --> 00:03:03,015 which then was part of Prussia. 67 00:03:03,242 --> 00:03:05,592 Fishburne: Frederic I, who rules over 68 00:03:05,686 --> 00:03:08,187 the powerful empire in what's now Germany 69 00:03:08,414 --> 00:03:11,023 originally commissions the Amber Room. 70 00:03:11,250 --> 00:03:14,175 - Designed by a sculptor named Andreas Schluter, 71 00:03:14,269 --> 00:03:18,088 and it's lavish and it's resplendent 72 00:03:18,106 --> 00:03:20,365 and it's expensive and it's valuable. 73 00:03:20,592 --> 00:03:22,108 ♪ ♪ 74 00:03:22,203 --> 00:03:24,870 - Andreas Schluter starts by melting the amber 75 00:03:25,097 --> 00:03:27,597 to the point where it is a thick kind of liquid. 76 00:03:27,691 --> 00:03:30,042 At the time, Amber wasn't really used like this, 77 00:03:30,193 --> 00:03:32,360 so in addition to being a beautiful work of art, 78 00:03:32,379 --> 00:03:34,271 it's also enormously innovative. 79 00:03:34,289 --> 00:03:36,030 ♪ ♪ 80 00:03:36,124 --> 00:03:37,549 As if that isn't impressive enough, 81 00:03:37,776 --> 00:03:39,443 then these 18th-century craftspeople 82 00:03:39,461 --> 00:03:40,886 encrust them with jewels 83 00:03:41,113 --> 00:03:44,372 and then cover it with gold and silver leaf. 84 00:03:44,391 --> 00:03:47,059 It's also adorned with these four Italian mosaics, 85 00:03:47,286 --> 00:03:49,970 making them works of art within a work of art. 86 00:03:50,122 --> 00:03:51,563 King Frederic wants a palace 87 00:03:51,715 --> 00:03:53,807 that will outshine France's Versailles, 88 00:03:53,959 --> 00:03:56,626 and he decides that this is going to be the centerpiece. 89 00:03:56,645 --> 00:04:00,297 Fishburne: In 1701, the Amber Room is installed 90 00:04:00,315 --> 00:04:02,132 in the Berlin City Palace, 91 00:04:02,150 --> 00:04:03,967 but it won't be there for long. 92 00:04:03,986 --> 00:04:05,652 ♪ ♪ 93 00:04:05,804 --> 00:04:07,412 - The Amber Room unsurprisingly 94 00:04:07,639 --> 00:04:10,732 attracts the attention of another European royal, 95 00:04:10,826 --> 00:04:14,253 Russia's famous tsar, Peter the Great. 96 00:04:14,404 --> 00:04:17,405 Peter the Great visits the Berlin City Palace in 1716, 97 00:04:17,499 --> 00:04:19,091 and he gets a tour of the Amber Room. 98 00:04:19,242 --> 00:04:21,501 King Frederic is trying to forge an alliance 99 00:04:21,653 --> 00:04:25,097 with Russia at the time, and he basically says, 100 00:04:25,324 --> 00:04:27,933 "You want the Amber Room? You can have it." 101 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:29,509 ♪ ♪ 102 00:04:29,603 --> 00:04:31,678 Around the time of Empress Catherine the Great, 103 00:04:31,830 --> 00:04:35,015 it's installed in the Catherine Palace 104 00:04:35,167 --> 00:04:36,775 and that's where it stays 105 00:04:37,002 --> 00:04:40,261 undisturbed and unmoved for about two centuries, 106 00:04:40,355 --> 00:04:42,339 and even after Russia becomes the USSR 107 00:04:42,357 --> 00:04:45,025 and St. Petersburg becomes Leningrad, 108 00:04:45,177 --> 00:04:48,178 the Amber Room is just there pretty peacefully 109 00:04:48,196 --> 00:04:49,679 until the Nazis arrive. 110 00:04:49,698 --> 00:04:52,958 [bombs whistling] 111 00:04:53,185 --> 00:04:58,964 ♪ ♪ 112 00:04:59,191 --> 00:05:00,299 - And here's where the mystery starts, 113 00:05:00,526 --> 00:05:03,284 because after the Nazi siege of Leningrad, 114 00:05:03,378 --> 00:05:05,378 the Amber Room goes missing. 115 00:05:05,472 --> 00:05:08,640 We know that it was in the Catherine Palace. 116 00:05:08,792 --> 00:05:12,369 - We know that Hitler sends Nazi troops to go recover it, 117 00:05:12,462 --> 00:05:13,553 but that's the last thing we know. 118 00:05:13,705 --> 00:05:15,480 Everything else is just theories. 119 00:05:15,707 --> 00:05:19,133 ♪ ♪ 120 00:05:19,153 --> 00:05:21,135 - We think that the Nazis do in fact 121 00:05:21,229 --> 00:05:23,229 steal the Amber Room from Leningrad. 122 00:05:23,324 --> 00:05:25,549 - The most valuable cultural institutions at the time 123 00:05:25,642 --> 00:05:28,218 are the old palaces of the tsars, 124 00:05:28,311 --> 00:05:30,162 and so Hitler sets his sights on those. 125 00:05:30,313 --> 00:05:31,979 He's gonna tear 'em apart. 126 00:05:31,999 --> 00:05:33,907 He's gonna loot, he's gonna pillage, 127 00:05:34,059 --> 00:05:35,892 he's gonna burn 'em, he's gonna destroy 'em. 128 00:05:35,911 --> 00:05:39,171 ♪ ♪ 129 00:05:39,398 --> 00:05:41,581 Fishburne: Hitler gives specific instructions 130 00:05:41,733 --> 00:05:43,675 not to destroy the Catherine Palace, 131 00:05:43,902 --> 00:05:47,846 at least not until the Amber Room is found. 132 00:05:48,073 --> 00:05:49,514 - But apparently, 133 00:05:49,741 --> 00:05:52,351 finding the Amber Room is easier said than done 134 00:05:52,578 --> 00:05:55,245 because when the Nazis arrive, they don't see it. 135 00:05:55,263 --> 00:05:57,430 ♪ ♪ 136 00:05:57,524 --> 00:05:59,432 - So there's this one room, pretty nondescript, 137 00:05:59,585 --> 00:06:01,026 and the soldiers notice 138 00:06:01,177 --> 00:06:03,770 a little bit of plaster on the floor, 139 00:06:03,864 --> 00:06:06,031 and they also notice a little bubbling in the wallpaper 140 00:06:06,258 --> 00:06:07,607 right near the seam. 141 00:06:07,759 --> 00:06:09,034 ♪ ♪ 142 00:06:09,185 --> 00:06:11,203 One of the soldiers just slides a fingernail 143 00:06:11,354 --> 00:06:12,929 right under the wallpaper, 144 00:06:13,022 --> 00:06:14,948 and there's a little bit of sheepskin 145 00:06:15,100 --> 00:06:16,600 or some other covering right behind that, 146 00:06:16,618 --> 00:06:19,211 but just beyond that, there's the glow. 147 00:06:19,438 --> 00:06:21,121 ♪ ♪ 148 00:06:21,215 --> 00:06:24,791 So he starts shouting "Ist hier! Ist hier!" 149 00:06:24,885 --> 00:06:27,219 And his comrades come charging down the hall. 150 00:06:27,446 --> 00:06:28,703 ♪ ♪ 151 00:06:28,797 --> 00:06:30,389 - They rip off the wallpaper, 152 00:06:30,540 --> 00:06:32,057 and there it is, the Amber Room. 153 00:06:32,284 --> 00:06:34,300 Fishburne: The room had been hidden 154 00:06:34,453 --> 00:06:38,063 by head Soviet art curator Anatoly Kuchumov. 155 00:06:38,290 --> 00:06:40,548 ♪ ♪ 156 00:06:40,567 --> 00:06:42,567 - The original plan is for Kuchumov to pack up 157 00:06:42,794 --> 00:06:45,553 as many works of art as possible for safekeeping, 158 00:06:45,572 --> 00:06:47,388 and bring them deeper into Russia 159 00:06:47,482 --> 00:06:49,149 and away from Nazi hands. 160 00:06:49,301 --> 00:06:51,801 Kuchumov does an analysis of the Amber Room 161 00:06:51,820 --> 00:06:54,804 and he realizes that these panels are very delicate 162 00:06:54,823 --> 00:06:57,140 and they've become brittle over time, 163 00:06:57,159 --> 00:07:01,253 so there's really only one move left to make. 164 00:07:01,404 --> 00:07:03,496 Fishburne: Kuchumov covers the Amber Room 165 00:07:03,590 --> 00:07:06,833 from floor to ceiling in thick wallpaper, 166 00:07:06,985 --> 00:07:09,836 hoping the Nazis won't look too closely. 167 00:07:09,988 --> 00:07:11,154 ♪ ♪ 168 00:07:11,247 --> 00:07:13,823 - But in this last-ditch effort, 169 00:07:13,917 --> 00:07:14,841 the Germans uncover the ruse. 170 00:07:14,993 --> 00:07:16,268 And unlike Kuchumov, 171 00:07:16,495 --> 00:07:19,345 they have all the hands and time that they need 172 00:07:19,440 --> 00:07:21,940 to pack this thing up very carefully and slowly. 173 00:07:22,167 --> 00:07:24,851 They spend about two days dismantling the Amber Room 174 00:07:24,945 --> 00:07:26,686 and packing it into crates. 175 00:07:26,838 --> 00:07:28,596 ♪ ♪ 176 00:07:28,615 --> 00:07:31,450 Fishburne: But where does the Amber Room go from here? 177 00:07:31,677 --> 00:07:33,176 ♪ ♪ 178 00:07:33,269 --> 00:07:34,678 - The Germans take the Amber Room 179 00:07:34,771 --> 00:07:36,938 along with a number of other important 180 00:07:37,032 --> 00:07:38,457 Russian cultural artifacts, 181 00:07:38,684 --> 00:07:42,852 and transport them to Konigsberg Castle. 182 00:07:42,871 --> 00:07:44,629 ♪ ♪ 183 00:07:44,856 --> 00:07:47,299 - Hitler's ultimate plan is to build a museum, 184 00:07:47,526 --> 00:07:49,209 the greatest museum in the entire world, 185 00:07:49,361 --> 00:07:50,877 and it was going to be in his hometown 186 00:07:51,029 --> 00:07:52,879 of Linz, Austria. 187 00:07:52,973 --> 00:07:54,956 Eventually, the Amber Room would go there, 188 00:07:54,975 --> 00:07:57,142 but while the museum was being built, 189 00:07:57,293 --> 00:08:01,462 the Amber Room would wait in Konigsberg Castle. 190 00:08:01,556 --> 00:08:05,542 Fishburne: On November 13th, 1941, 191 00:08:05,635 --> 00:08:08,487 a local newspaper announces an exhibition 192 00:08:08,714 --> 00:08:11,490 featuring the Amber Room at the castle. 193 00:08:11,641 --> 00:08:14,384 - So that's the best evidence we have that the Amber Room 194 00:08:14,477 --> 00:08:17,070 ever actually went to Konigsberg, 195 00:08:17,164 --> 00:08:18,905 but we don't have any photographic evidence of that, 196 00:08:19,057 --> 00:08:21,574 and so we're not really even sure if that ever happened. 197 00:08:21,727 --> 00:08:23,893 - Now here's the really unfortunate part. 198 00:08:23,987 --> 00:08:24,819 While we don't know what happened 199 00:08:24,913 --> 00:08:26,505 to the Amber Room, 200 00:08:26,732 --> 00:08:28,915 we do know what happened to Konigsberg Castle, 201 00:08:29,009 --> 00:08:30,083 and it's not good. 202 00:08:30,177 --> 00:08:31,659 [bomber engines droning] 203 00:08:31,753 --> 00:08:33,828 Fishburne: In August of 1944, 204 00:08:33,922 --> 00:08:38,074 Britain's Royal Air Force heavily firebombs Konigsberg. 205 00:08:38,093 --> 00:08:40,018 [explosions thundering] 206 00:08:40,245 --> 00:08:43,838 ♪ ♪ 207 00:08:43,932 --> 00:08:48,509 - After that, the Soviets march in and take Konigsberg, 208 00:08:48,603 --> 00:08:51,437 but as part of the operation, they bring in a large quantity 209 00:08:51,590 --> 00:08:53,681 of heavy artillery and they shell the city. 210 00:08:53,700 --> 00:08:55,349 By the time of their final occupation of Konigsberg 211 00:08:55,443 --> 00:08:57,277 on April 9th, 1945, 212 00:08:57,429 --> 00:09:00,705 90% of the city lies in ruin. 213 00:09:00,932 --> 00:09:03,783 - The castle suffers tremendous damage, 214 00:09:03,877 --> 00:09:05,785 so we have to wonder, 215 00:09:05,937 --> 00:09:09,339 was the Amber Room destroyed as well? 216 00:09:11,443 --> 00:09:12,700 ♪ ♪ 217 00:09:12,794 --> 00:09:14,702 This would be so embarrassing 218 00:09:14,721 --> 00:09:18,965 if the Soviets had actually destroyed the Amber Room. 219 00:09:19,117 --> 00:09:20,784 So they send a team to Konigsberg Castle 220 00:09:20,802 --> 00:09:23,119 led by professor Alexander Brusov 221 00:09:23,212 --> 00:09:24,637 'cause they have to be sure. 222 00:09:24,790 --> 00:09:26,289 - He's able to make it into the castle cellar 223 00:09:26,382 --> 00:09:28,733 where he discovers the charred remains 224 00:09:28,885 --> 00:09:30,960 of three out of the four Italian mosaics 225 00:09:30,979 --> 00:09:33,071 that were part of the Amber Room. 226 00:09:33,298 --> 00:09:34,981 - Brusov thinks the room is toast, 227 00:09:35,133 --> 00:09:36,966 and he says as much in a report. 228 00:09:37,060 --> 00:09:39,319 He writes, "Summarizing all the facts, 229 00:09:39,413 --> 00:09:41,487 "we can say that the Amber Room was destroyed 230 00:09:41,582 --> 00:09:44,657 between the 9th and the 11th of April, 1945." 231 00:09:44,810 --> 00:09:47,310 ♪ ♪ 232 00:09:47,329 --> 00:09:50,313 Fishburne: Brusov's report won't be the last word 233 00:09:50,332 --> 00:09:52,257 on this mystery. 234 00:09:56,913 --> 00:09:58,988 Fishburne: When the Nazis steal the famed Amber Room 235 00:09:59,082 --> 00:10:02,249 from Russia, where do they take it? 236 00:10:02,344 --> 00:10:04,085 [dramatic music] 237 00:10:04,179 --> 00:10:07,755 According to some, it's moved to the Konigsberg Castle 238 00:10:07,774 --> 00:10:10,683 where it's ultimately destroyed. 239 00:10:10,777 --> 00:10:14,671 ♪ ♪ 240 00:10:14,689 --> 00:10:17,023 - But there at the castle among the wreckage, 241 00:10:17,175 --> 00:10:21,344 there's only a small percentage of the Amber Room that's found. 242 00:10:21,363 --> 00:10:24,030 This leaves some to wonder, "Really?" 243 00:10:24,124 --> 00:10:26,607 "A whole room, and this is all that's left? 244 00:10:26,627 --> 00:10:29,702 A room that took crates and crates to pack away?" 245 00:10:29,855 --> 00:10:31,521 This has many theorists thinking, 246 00:10:31,539 --> 00:10:34,040 "There's gotta be another explanation." 247 00:10:34,134 --> 00:10:37,543 - What if the Germans moved the Amber Room 248 00:10:37,696 --> 00:10:40,639 before the Soviet invasion of 1945? 249 00:10:40,790 --> 00:10:43,199 - [speaking German] 250 00:10:43,218 --> 00:10:45,718 - We have orders given by Adolf Hitler himself 251 00:10:45,871 --> 00:10:49,964 on January 21st and January 24th, 1945. 252 00:10:50,058 --> 00:10:51,891 [machine gun fire] 253 00:10:51,985 --> 00:10:54,060 ♪ ♪ 254 00:10:54,212 --> 00:10:55,803 The tide of war has changed. 255 00:10:55,822 --> 00:10:58,490 He knows that Allied forces are moving in, 256 00:10:58,641 --> 00:11:00,141 so he issues orders 257 00:11:00,235 --> 00:11:04,220 that all looted material in Konigsberg Castle be moved. 258 00:11:04,313 --> 00:11:07,815 Fishburne: Some speculate that a high-ranking Nazi commander 259 00:11:07,834 --> 00:11:11,152 named Erich Koch 260 00:11:11,246 --> 00:11:13,838 follows these orders. 261 00:11:13,990 --> 00:11:15,899 - He was in charge of all civil administration, 262 00:11:15,917 --> 00:11:18,176 including police and Gestapo operations 263 00:11:18,403 --> 00:11:21,587 in East Prussia, Ukraine, and Belarus. 264 00:11:21,682 --> 00:11:23,831 This is a territory that includes Konigsberg, 265 00:11:23,850 --> 00:11:26,426 so anything that happens at Konigsberg Castle 266 00:11:26,578 --> 00:11:28,520 is happening under his authority. 267 00:11:28,671 --> 00:11:32,765 Fishburne: Then, in January 1945, Koch flees. 268 00:11:32,918 --> 00:11:35,509 [soft dramatic music] 269 00:11:35,529 --> 00:11:37,921 - Koch manages to stay on the run for four years 270 00:11:37,939 --> 00:11:39,272 until he's captured by the British. 271 00:11:39,424 --> 00:11:41,774 In 1950, he's returned to Poland 272 00:11:41,868 --> 00:11:44,610 where he's forced to stand trial for war crimes, 273 00:11:44,705 --> 00:11:47,263 at the end of which, he is sentenced to death. 274 00:11:47,356 --> 00:11:49,040 - But here's the strange thing. 275 00:11:49,267 --> 00:11:51,784 His death sentence is pretty quickly commuted 276 00:11:51,878 --> 00:11:53,527 to life imprisonment. 277 00:11:53,621 --> 00:11:56,214 Plenty of Nazis are executed for their war crimes. 278 00:11:56,441 --> 00:11:59,609 There's no real reason for Koch to be spared. 279 00:11:59,627 --> 00:12:02,295 His crimes are just as bad as any other Nazi, 280 00:12:02,447 --> 00:12:04,447 and he's unrepentant about it. 281 00:12:04,466 --> 00:12:05,965 He's truly a vile person. 282 00:12:06,059 --> 00:12:07,617 ♪ ♪ 283 00:12:07,710 --> 00:12:08,968 Fishburne: Is Koch spared 284 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,454 because he has valuable information? 285 00:12:11,547 --> 00:12:13,547 - Koch's sentence is commuted 286 00:12:13,567 --> 00:12:17,126 after a long period of interrogation 287 00:12:17,145 --> 00:12:18,570 by Soviet authorities, 288 00:12:18,721 --> 00:12:21,798 and we think that during this interrogation, 289 00:12:21,816 --> 00:12:24,817 Koch reveals that the Amber Room has survived... 290 00:12:24,970 --> 00:12:28,246 and he knows where it is. 291 00:12:28,473 --> 00:12:30,582 ♪ ♪ 292 00:12:30,733 --> 00:12:33,810 - According to Erich Koch, Adolf Hitler ordered 293 00:12:33,828 --> 00:12:35,645 that the Amber Room be packed up and moved 294 00:12:35,663 --> 00:12:37,589 in January 1945. 295 00:12:37,740 --> 00:12:38,998 He reveals that they packed it up 296 00:12:39,092 --> 00:12:40,500 into 24 wooden crates 297 00:12:40,652 --> 00:12:43,987 and trucked it 60 miles from Konigsberg 298 00:12:44,005 --> 00:12:46,005 to a more fortified Nazi stronghold 299 00:12:46,157 --> 00:12:47,599 at Mamerki, Poland. 300 00:12:47,826 --> 00:12:49,659 Keep in mind that throughout this interrogation, 301 00:12:49,677 --> 00:12:53,087 he continues to badmouth the Jews and the Soviets, 302 00:12:53,106 --> 00:12:54,588 and he's also singing the praises 303 00:12:54,682 --> 00:12:56,423 of Hitler and the Nazis. 304 00:12:56,443 --> 00:12:58,668 It's not like he was trying to tell the Soviets 305 00:12:58,761 --> 00:13:00,003 what they wanted to hear. 306 00:13:00,021 --> 00:13:01,504 That lends a credibility, 307 00:13:01,523 --> 00:13:04,340 that makes this more of a believable possibility. 308 00:13:04,359 --> 00:13:06,509 ♪ ♪ 309 00:13:06,528 --> 00:13:08,678 - This is also a testament to just how important 310 00:13:08,696 --> 00:13:10,789 the Amber Room is to the Soviets, 311 00:13:10,940 --> 00:13:13,016 that they're gonna spare a top Nazi 312 00:13:13,109 --> 00:13:15,535 in exchange for a tip, basically, 313 00:13:15,629 --> 00:13:18,204 just to keep the hope alive of recovering the Amber Room. 314 00:13:18,298 --> 00:13:19,613 ♪ ♪ 315 00:13:19,633 --> 00:13:21,024 Fishburne: But when the Red Army 316 00:13:21,042 --> 00:13:23,784 arrives in Mamerki in the 1950s, 317 00:13:23,804 --> 00:13:26,304 they meet an incredible challenge. 318 00:13:26,531 --> 00:13:28,306 ♪ ♪ 319 00:13:28,533 --> 00:13:30,550 - Mamerki was the center of the German command 320 00:13:30,644 --> 00:13:33,386 on the Eastern Front and it was a massive complex, 321 00:13:33,538 --> 00:13:36,130 and Mamerki hides a few secrets itself. 322 00:13:36,149 --> 00:13:38,132 - Above ground, 323 00:13:38,151 --> 00:13:41,060 the Germans build about 200 buildings, 324 00:13:41,154 --> 00:13:46,215 and the entire fort covers about 600 acres. 325 00:13:46,234 --> 00:13:47,733 But guess what? 326 00:13:47,828 --> 00:13:51,888 Underneath the ground is even more impressive. 327 00:13:51,981 --> 00:13:53,556 There are miles and miles 328 00:13:53,649 --> 00:13:56,242 of underground bunkers and tunnels. 329 00:13:56,336 --> 00:14:00,338 ♪ ♪ 330 00:14:00,489 --> 00:14:02,248 - It's a hidden maze 331 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:03,749 and that's because of the fact that 332 00:14:03,844 --> 00:14:06,177 during the course of the war, the Nazis backfill, 333 00:14:06,404 --> 00:14:07,679 they fill in some of the tunnels 334 00:14:07,830 --> 00:14:09,755 that they had built earlier in the conflict. 335 00:14:09,908 --> 00:14:13,685 Then with the passage of time, Mother Nature works her magic, 336 00:14:13,912 --> 00:14:16,187 making this underground complex 337 00:14:16,339 --> 00:14:18,431 an extraordinarily difficult place to search. 338 00:14:18,525 --> 00:14:19,840 ♪ ♪ 339 00:14:19,860 --> 00:14:21,508 Fishburne: The Russians spend years 340 00:14:21,528 --> 00:14:23,419 searching Mamerki with no results. 341 00:14:23,438 --> 00:14:24,770 ♪ ♪ 342 00:14:24,923 --> 00:14:26,756 - So after two decades of searching, 343 00:14:26,849 --> 00:14:28,682 the Soviets are so desperate, 344 00:14:28,702 --> 00:14:31,852 they take Koch out of prison in 1970 345 00:14:31,946 --> 00:14:35,189 and bring him to Mamerki to try to find the Amber Room. 346 00:14:35,208 --> 00:14:37,783 He points at a particular bunker 347 00:14:37,878 --> 00:14:40,545 where he thinks the Amber Room was taken, 348 00:14:40,696 --> 00:14:42,772 but it's not there. 349 00:14:42,790 --> 00:14:44,215 - To that, you could say 350 00:14:44,442 --> 00:14:46,885 that maybe Erich Koch's memory had lapsed, 351 00:14:47,036 --> 00:14:48,869 or he's just trying to survive. 352 00:14:48,963 --> 00:14:50,279 Because after all, 353 00:14:50,298 --> 00:14:52,373 if the Soviets do find the Amber Room, 354 00:14:52,467 --> 00:14:56,135 they have no more reason to keep Erich Koch alive. 355 00:14:56,229 --> 00:14:57,470 Playing the Soviets the way that he did, 356 00:14:57,622 --> 00:14:59,380 Erich Koch manages to stay alive 357 00:14:59,474 --> 00:15:01,474 for almost another 20 years 358 00:15:01,568 --> 00:15:04,794 until he dies of natural causes in 1986 at age 90. 359 00:15:04,812 --> 00:15:06,646 ♪ ♪ 360 00:15:06,798 --> 00:15:10,891 Fishburne: Even so, the search for the Amber Room continues. 361 00:15:10,985 --> 00:15:14,245 - These days, Mamerki is overgrown and falling apart, 362 00:15:14,472 --> 00:15:16,639 but parts of it are run as a museum 363 00:15:16,732 --> 00:15:20,159 by a Polish man named Bartek Plebanczyk, 364 00:15:20,311 --> 00:15:21,568 and he fully believes 365 00:15:21,588 --> 00:15:23,646 that the Amber Room is still there. 366 00:15:23,665 --> 00:15:26,165 - They even have a replica of the Amber Room 367 00:15:26,317 --> 00:15:28,593 inside of the museum, and every year, 368 00:15:28,820 --> 00:15:32,655 Bartek excavates a different bunker in Mamerki. 369 00:15:32,674 --> 00:15:34,766 That's all he could afford to do, one a year, 370 00:15:34,917 --> 00:15:38,085 but he's gonna keep going until he finds the Amber Room. 371 00:15:38,104 --> 00:15:40,921 - So far, they have found tons 372 00:15:40,941 --> 00:15:44,183 of Nazi and Soviet artifacts, but it's estimated 373 00:15:44,335 --> 00:15:48,095 that only 1% of the entire compound has been searched, 374 00:15:48,114 --> 00:15:50,189 and that means that there could be 375 00:15:50,283 --> 00:15:53,676 tunnels and bunkers still in that complex 376 00:15:53,769 --> 00:15:55,344 just waiting to be explored 377 00:15:55,363 --> 00:15:57,863 and waiting to produce discoveries. 378 00:15:58,016 --> 00:15:59,348 These tunnels and chambers 379 00:15:59,367 --> 00:16:02,201 have been unexplored in over 70 years, 380 00:16:02,295 --> 00:16:06,547 so each dig could be the one that turns up the Amber Room. 381 00:16:10,453 --> 00:16:12,361 [soft dramatic music] 382 00:16:12,380 --> 00:16:15,031 Fishburne: For decades after World War II, 383 00:16:15,124 --> 00:16:17,475 a global army of treasure hunters 384 00:16:17,702 --> 00:16:20,812 search for the lost Amber Room. 385 00:16:21,039 --> 00:16:22,555 ♪ ♪ 386 00:16:22,649 --> 00:16:24,649 - It's become the obsession of thousands of people 387 00:16:24,876 --> 00:16:27,226 across Europe, across the Americas. 388 00:16:27,378 --> 00:16:29,821 People have even gone looking for the Amber Room in Japan. 389 00:16:29,972 --> 00:16:32,973 Fishburne: While some believe it could be in Poland, 390 00:16:32,993 --> 00:16:36,902 Two German historians think they know the truth. 391 00:16:36,997 --> 00:16:41,833 ♪ ♪ 392 00:16:41,984 --> 00:16:44,076 - Erich Stenz and Georg Mederer 393 00:16:44,229 --> 00:16:47,488 see this news story coming out of the Czech Republic in 2007. 394 00:16:47,507 --> 00:16:50,233 A former cook who used to work 395 00:16:50,326 --> 00:16:52,159 in Czechoslovakia's Frydlant Castle 396 00:16:52,253 --> 00:16:55,421 when it was under Nazi rule tells a fascinating tale. 397 00:16:55,515 --> 00:16:57,181 ♪ ♪ 398 00:16:57,408 --> 00:16:58,758 - Back near the end of the war, 399 00:16:58,852 --> 00:17:01,260 the cook says that she sees hundreds of SS soldiers 400 00:17:01,354 --> 00:17:04,671 arriving at the castle bringing in crates. 401 00:17:04,691 --> 00:17:07,174 Every night for two weeks, they carry these crates 402 00:17:07,193 --> 00:17:09,861 into the cellar of the castle, and then they're gone. 403 00:17:10,088 --> 00:17:11,678 ♪ ♪ 404 00:17:11,698 --> 00:17:13,698 - Stenz and Mederer immediately think 405 00:17:13,849 --> 00:17:17,109 that these are the crates that could hold the Amber Room. 406 00:17:17,262 --> 00:17:19,370 - When Adolf Hitler orders the Amber Room's evacuation 407 00:17:19,522 --> 00:17:22,022 from Konigsberg, if it was moved to Mamerki, 408 00:17:22,042 --> 00:17:24,433 it's still dangerously close to the front lines. 409 00:17:24,452 --> 00:17:26,693 It would make sense for it to be moved 410 00:17:26,788 --> 00:17:28,120 to Frydlant Castle, 411 00:17:28,214 --> 00:17:30,289 which is much deeper in German territory. 412 00:17:30,383 --> 00:17:33,551 ♪ ♪ 413 00:17:33,702 --> 00:17:37,630 - So they go to Frydlant Castle down into the cellar. 414 00:17:37,782 --> 00:17:40,800 They see these two large areas that have been walled off 415 00:17:40,952 --> 00:17:43,452 with modern bricks and cement. 416 00:17:43,471 --> 00:17:45,288 ♪ ♪ 417 00:17:45,306 --> 00:17:47,231 They think this seems suspicious, 418 00:17:47,458 --> 00:17:49,292 so they go to the Czech authorities. 419 00:17:49,385 --> 00:17:50,884 - Who tell them initially 420 00:17:50,978 --> 00:17:53,053 that the cellar in the castle doesn't even exist, 421 00:17:53,073 --> 00:17:54,888 but of course they were just there, 422 00:17:54,908 --> 00:17:57,133 so this feels like a ridiculous bluff. 423 00:17:57,151 --> 00:17:59,077 At this point, Stenz and Mederer feel like 424 00:17:59,228 --> 00:18:01,061 they're getting the runaround from the Czech authorities. 425 00:18:01,155 --> 00:18:04,140 - But they press on, and they have photographs of the cellar 426 00:18:04,233 --> 00:18:06,475 and the walled-off areas, 427 00:18:06,494 --> 00:18:08,144 so they go back to the Czech authorities 428 00:18:08,162 --> 00:18:09,587 who basically have to say, 429 00:18:09,738 --> 00:18:12,481 "Oh, you mean that cellar? Nothing to see there. 430 00:18:12,500 --> 00:18:15,318 There's just some books from a Berlin library behind there." 431 00:18:15,336 --> 00:18:17,336 ♪ ♪ 432 00:18:17,430 --> 00:18:19,764 Fishburne: Unsatisfied with this response, 433 00:18:19,991 --> 00:18:21,582 Stenz and Mederer ask permission 434 00:18:21,601 --> 00:18:24,009 to keep searching Frydlant Castle. 435 00:18:24,104 --> 00:18:25,494 ♪ ♪ 436 00:18:25,513 --> 00:18:27,588 - Surprisingly, the authorities say yes, 437 00:18:27,682 --> 00:18:29,999 and they allow them to continue their investigation. 438 00:18:30,017 --> 00:18:32,852 However, they forbid them from bringing in 439 00:18:33,004 --> 00:18:34,428 any kind of special equipment 440 00:18:34,447 --> 00:18:37,115 that would allow them to see past these modern walls 441 00:18:37,266 --> 00:18:38,507 in this old cellar. 442 00:18:38,526 --> 00:18:40,176 ♪ ♪ 443 00:18:40,269 --> 00:18:41,953 Fishburne: Is it possible 444 00:18:42,104 --> 00:18:45,531 the Czech authorities have something to hide? 445 00:18:45,625 --> 00:18:48,442 - There is one incident that suggests that the Czechs 446 00:18:48,461 --> 00:18:50,795 are trying to keep a secret from the rest of Europe, 447 00:18:51,022 --> 00:18:52,705 and it dates back to before the war. 448 00:18:52,799 --> 00:18:54,465 ♪ ♪ 449 00:18:54,617 --> 00:18:56,359 Fishburne: In 1938, 450 00:18:56,452 --> 00:18:59,804 as part of a notorious treaty called the Munich Agreement, 451 00:18:59,955 --> 00:19:03,141 this region of Czechoslovakia was ceded to Hitler 452 00:19:03,292 --> 00:19:07,386 by Britain, France, and Italy to avoid war. 453 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:09,722 - It's considered one of the greatest betrayals in history. 454 00:19:09,816 --> 00:19:11,390 ♪ ♪ 455 00:19:11,484 --> 00:19:14,393 Fishburne: Six months later, Hitler violates the pact 456 00:19:14,487 --> 00:19:17,229 and invades the rest of Czechoslovakia. 457 00:19:17,323 --> 00:19:19,548 ♪ ♪ 458 00:19:19,642 --> 00:19:21,642 - The Nazis and the Munich Agreement 459 00:19:21,661 --> 00:19:25,404 are still a sore subject in all of the Czech Republic, 460 00:19:25,556 --> 00:19:27,147 but particularly in the region 461 00:19:27,167 --> 00:19:28,741 where Frydlant Castle is located. 462 00:19:28,835 --> 00:19:32,003 ♪ ♪ 463 00:19:32,230 --> 00:19:33,987 - Stenz and Mederer are convinced 464 00:19:34,081 --> 00:19:36,582 that the Amber Room is hidden behind the castle's walls, 465 00:19:36,676 --> 00:19:39,068 and their theory is that the Czechs are hiding it 466 00:19:39,086 --> 00:19:41,237 because of the Munich Agreement back in 1938. 467 00:19:41,255 --> 00:19:42,829 ♪ ♪ 468 00:19:42,924 --> 00:19:44,015 The Germans betrayed them, 469 00:19:44,242 --> 00:19:45,666 and all of Europe was in on it. 470 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,001 After the Nazis are kicked out, 471 00:19:48,021 --> 00:19:50,671 the Czechs decide not to give the loot back. 472 00:19:50,765 --> 00:19:52,673 They wall it up and hide it, 473 00:19:52,692 --> 00:19:54,433 sitting on these national treasures 474 00:19:54,585 --> 00:19:55,860 as an act of revenge. 475 00:19:56,087 --> 00:19:57,603 ♪ ♪ 476 00:19:57,755 --> 00:19:59,346 - Stenz and Mederer continue 477 00:19:59,365 --> 00:20:01,014 to pressure the Czech authorities 478 00:20:01,034 --> 00:20:02,700 to reveal what's behind those walls, 479 00:20:02,927 --> 00:20:05,611 and the Czech authorities continue to resist. 480 00:20:05,705 --> 00:20:07,947 ♪ ♪ 481 00:20:08,099 --> 00:20:09,189 While they still haven't revealed 482 00:20:09,283 --> 00:20:10,857 what's behind those walls, 483 00:20:10,877 --> 00:20:13,026 they insist it is not the Amber Room, 484 00:20:13,046 --> 00:20:14,937 and they say Stenz and Mederer 485 00:20:14,956 --> 00:20:17,440 are just a couple of deluded treasure hunters 486 00:20:17,458 --> 00:20:19,625 trying to spin fantasies. 487 00:20:19,719 --> 00:20:22,795 ♪ ♪ 488 00:20:22,947 --> 00:20:24,613 Fishburne: But what if the Amber Room 489 00:20:24,632 --> 00:20:27,800 is not behind any walls? 490 00:20:27,952 --> 00:20:29,635 - Once again, let's assume that the Nazis 491 00:20:29,787 --> 00:20:32,230 did pack up the Amber Room into 24 crates 492 00:20:32,457 --> 00:20:34,715 and remove it from Konigsberg Castle 493 00:20:34,809 --> 00:20:36,141 under Adolf Hitler's orders. 494 00:20:36,236 --> 00:20:38,069 The thing is that at this point in the war 495 00:20:38,296 --> 00:20:40,129 in January 1945 when Hitler gives that order, 496 00:20:40,147 --> 00:20:41,739 the Nazis are expecting 497 00:20:41,966 --> 00:20:44,075 to lose a lot of territory in East Prussia, 498 00:20:44,226 --> 00:20:46,410 so they're not gonna just move back a few miles. 499 00:20:46,562 --> 00:20:50,081 They need to trigger an overall broader evacuation, 500 00:20:50,308 --> 00:20:52,992 and that becomes Operation Hannibal. 501 00:20:53,086 --> 00:20:54,919 ♪ ♪ 502 00:20:55,146 --> 00:20:57,922 - So Operation Hannibal is an attempt 503 00:20:58,073 --> 00:21:02,001 to evacuate all of East Prussia via the Baltic. 504 00:21:02,153 --> 00:21:05,170 We're talking the German army, civilians, 505 00:21:05,323 --> 00:21:07,006 anything they can evacuate. 506 00:21:07,158 --> 00:21:09,600 Fishburne: And some eyewitnesses think 507 00:21:09,827 --> 00:21:12,344 they also attempt to rescue the Amber Room. 508 00:21:12,438 --> 00:21:15,998 - Thousands of people descend on the harbor of Gotenhafen 509 00:21:16,017 --> 00:21:18,592 where the converted luxury liner 510 00:21:18,611 --> 00:21:20,853 "Wilhelm Gustloff" is standing by 511 00:21:21,005 --> 00:21:22,446 to provide an evacuation. 512 00:21:22,673 --> 00:21:24,023 ♪ ♪ 513 00:21:24,117 --> 00:21:26,117 - People are just cramming into this area. 514 00:21:26,268 --> 00:21:28,953 They're desperate. There's no turning them back. 515 00:21:29,104 --> 00:21:31,605 They eventually get on the "Wilhelm Gustloff." 516 00:21:31,624 --> 00:21:34,183 I'm talking about 10,000 people, 517 00:21:34,276 --> 00:21:36,368 and they think this is Noah's Ark, 518 00:21:36,521 --> 00:21:37,628 this is their salvation, 519 00:21:37,855 --> 00:21:39,630 this is gonna get them to safety. 520 00:21:39,782 --> 00:21:41,465 [ship's horn blowing] 521 00:21:41,617 --> 00:21:45,711 Fishburne: The boat departs on January 30th, 1945. 522 00:21:45,805 --> 00:21:48,472 ♪ ♪ 523 00:21:48,624 --> 00:21:51,142 - But the Soviet Navy is waiting for any transports 524 00:21:51,369 --> 00:21:53,627 moving back and forth on the Baltic, 525 00:21:53,646 --> 00:21:56,314 and within hours of departure, 526 00:21:56,541 --> 00:21:59,058 the "Wilhelm Gustloff" is torpedoed and sunk. 527 00:21:59,152 --> 00:22:01,877 So we wonder... 528 00:22:01,896 --> 00:22:03,395 was the Amber Room inside of it? 529 00:22:03,489 --> 00:22:07,158 ♪ ♪ 530 00:22:07,385 --> 00:22:11,053 With a death toll of more than 9,000 killed, 531 00:22:11,072 --> 00:22:13,722 the sinking of the "Wilhelm Gustloff" 532 00:22:13,741 --> 00:22:16,167 is the greatest maritime disaster in history. 533 00:22:16,318 --> 00:22:20,245 Greater than the "Titanic" and the "Lusitania" combined. 534 00:22:20,398 --> 00:22:24,008 Fishburne: But was the Amber Room actually on board? 535 00:22:24,235 --> 00:22:25,751 ♪ ♪ 536 00:22:25,845 --> 00:22:28,495 - Evacuees there report seeing the 24 crates 537 00:22:28,589 --> 00:22:31,998 containing the Amber Room being loaded aboard the ship. 538 00:22:32,018 --> 00:22:33,926 - The Russians believe any number 539 00:22:34,078 --> 00:22:37,671 of valuable stolen goods are on the "Wilhelm Gustloff," 540 00:22:37,690 --> 00:22:40,265 including the most valuable one of all, 541 00:22:40,360 --> 00:22:41,584 the Amber Room. 542 00:22:41,602 --> 00:22:43,936 ♪ ♪ 543 00:22:44,030 --> 00:22:46,364 So several months later, the Russians conduct a dive. 544 00:22:46,591 --> 00:22:48,440 ♪ ♪ 545 00:22:48,534 --> 00:22:51,202 Fishburne: They find bodies, equipment, and crates, 546 00:22:51,353 --> 00:22:53,520 but no Amber Room. 547 00:22:53,539 --> 00:22:55,706 - But they find something suspicious. 548 00:22:55,933 --> 00:22:58,376 It looks like someone has gotten there first 549 00:22:58,527 --> 00:23:01,027 because there's this large panel 550 00:23:01,047 --> 00:23:03,455 that's been removed from the hull of the ship, 551 00:23:03,608 --> 00:23:05,549 and behind that is this big cargo hold 552 00:23:05,701 --> 00:23:08,460 that could have held the two dozen or so crates 553 00:23:08,554 --> 00:23:11,555 holding the Amber Room, and it's been emptied out. 554 00:23:11,782 --> 00:23:14,466 They think a theft has taken place 555 00:23:14,619 --> 00:23:17,878 because most of the wreckage is pretty much undisturbed. 556 00:23:17,972 --> 00:23:19,121 So it really looks like 557 00:23:19,140 --> 00:23:20,623 someone who knew what they were doing 558 00:23:20,716 --> 00:23:23,475 went in and looted this specific area. 559 00:23:23,569 --> 00:23:26,629 For the dive team, this discovery is bittersweet 560 00:23:26,647 --> 00:23:28,072 because on the one hand, 561 00:23:28,223 --> 00:23:30,816 it means that the torpedo didn't destroy the Amber Room. 562 00:23:30,910 --> 00:23:32,651 But where is it? 563 00:23:32,745 --> 00:23:34,394 ♪ ♪ 564 00:23:34,414 --> 00:23:35,729 Fishburne: The "Wilhelm Gustloff" 565 00:23:35,748 --> 00:23:38,398 is now classified as a war grave, 566 00:23:38,418 --> 00:23:40,476 making future expeditions illegal. 567 00:23:40,494 --> 00:23:42,144 ♪ ♪ 568 00:23:42,163 --> 00:23:44,255 If the shipwreck contains more clues 569 00:23:44,482 --> 00:23:46,590 to the Amber Room's whereabouts, 570 00:23:46,742 --> 00:23:49,760 they will remain hidden forever. 571 00:23:53,766 --> 00:23:55,582 Fishburne: For over 50 years, 572 00:23:55,676 --> 00:23:58,269 the search for the Amber Room started with one question: 573 00:23:58,496 --> 00:24:01,180 Where did it go after the Nazis stole it? 574 00:24:01,332 --> 00:24:03,666 There was no reason to challenge the belief 575 00:24:03,759 --> 00:24:05,668 that Hitler's army took the artwork 576 00:24:05,761 --> 00:24:08,687 to Konigsberg Castle for display 577 00:24:08,839 --> 00:24:11,264 until a radical, new theory emerged 578 00:24:11,284 --> 00:24:12,858 with a shocking twist. 579 00:24:12,952 --> 00:24:16,770 What if the Nazis stole the wrong Amber Room? 580 00:24:16,864 --> 00:24:19,515 [soft dramatic music] 581 00:24:19,533 --> 00:24:21,033 - In 1995, 582 00:24:21,127 --> 00:24:23,686 a Russian historian named Vladimir Lepskiy 583 00:24:23,704 --> 00:24:27,039 reveals this new, extensive research that he's done 584 00:24:27,191 --> 00:24:29,208 and potentially a new finding. 585 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:31,117 ♪ ♪ 586 00:24:31,137 --> 00:24:33,696 Fishburne: Lepskiy claims to have uncovered proof 587 00:24:33,714 --> 00:24:35,806 that Soviet leader Joseph Stalin 588 00:24:36,033 --> 00:24:38,625 created a ruse to trick the Germans. 589 00:24:38,719 --> 00:24:40,703 - According to Lepskiy, 590 00:24:40,721 --> 00:24:43,038 it starts out not as a trick at all. 591 00:24:43,057 --> 00:24:44,798 It starts out as an act of goodwill 592 00:24:44,817 --> 00:24:46,650 because in 1939, 593 00:24:46,877 --> 00:24:48,969 the Germans and the Russians aren't enemies yet. 594 00:24:48,988 --> 00:24:50,395 They're close neighbors, 595 00:24:50,548 --> 00:24:52,548 and they actually have really good reason 596 00:24:52,566 --> 00:24:56,235 to try to keep the peace after the devastation of World War I. 597 00:24:56,387 --> 00:24:58,829 ♪ ♪ 598 00:24:58,981 --> 00:25:00,998 - They sign the Molotov-Ribbentrop 599 00:25:01,149 --> 00:25:02,500 Non-Aggression Pact, 600 00:25:02,651 --> 00:25:05,002 which has also been called the Hitler-Stalin Pact. 601 00:25:05,229 --> 00:25:07,730 It's technically a partition of Poland 602 00:25:07,748 --> 00:25:10,249 by the two counties, but it serves to try 603 00:25:10,401 --> 00:25:13,068 and slow Germany's rapid progression toward war. 604 00:25:13,087 --> 00:25:15,996 Fishburne: To commemorate signing the pact, 605 00:25:16,015 --> 00:25:18,240 Stalin orders a copy of the Amber Room 606 00:25:18,259 --> 00:25:20,667 to be made for Hitler. 607 00:25:20,686 --> 00:25:22,761 - Stalin intends to give it to Hitler 608 00:25:22,855 --> 00:25:24,930 when he finally visits the Soviet Union. 609 00:25:25,082 --> 00:25:26,357 It'll be a nice version. 610 00:25:26,584 --> 00:25:28,584 It just won't have all of the precious metals 611 00:25:28,602 --> 00:25:30,102 and gems as the original. 612 00:25:30,254 --> 00:25:33,179 It won't be worth a half a billion dollars. 613 00:25:33,199 --> 00:25:35,774 It'll be worth more like 10 to 12 million. 614 00:25:35,926 --> 00:25:37,517 ♪ ♪ 615 00:25:37,537 --> 00:25:39,928 Fishburne: Stalin commissions Anatoly Baranowsky, 616 00:25:40,022 --> 00:25:42,373 Russia's most famous amber craftsman, 617 00:25:42,524 --> 00:25:45,100 to make the copy. 618 00:25:45,119 --> 00:25:47,269 - So Baranowsky actually makes a copy, 619 00:25:47,288 --> 00:25:48,771 and in addition to that, 620 00:25:48,789 --> 00:25:51,440 his apprentices make another copy. 621 00:25:51,458 --> 00:25:53,792 Fishburne: But Hitler never receives the gift. 622 00:25:53,944 --> 00:25:58,964 Instead, he breaks the non-aggression pact 623 00:25:59,058 --> 00:26:01,225 and invades Russia. 624 00:26:01,376 --> 00:26:05,304 - Of course, Stalin knew the reputation that Hitler had, 625 00:26:05,456 --> 00:26:07,956 a reputation for stealing art and treasures 626 00:26:08,050 --> 00:26:09,808 and taking them back to Germany, 627 00:26:09,960 --> 00:26:12,552 and he knows that Hitler wants the Amber Room. 628 00:26:12,646 --> 00:26:15,314 - So according to this theory, 629 00:26:15,408 --> 00:26:18,133 Stalin plays a brilliant trick on his former ally. 630 00:26:18,152 --> 00:26:20,803 ♪ ♪ 631 00:26:20,821 --> 00:26:22,413 The theory goes like this. 632 00:26:22,564 --> 00:26:26,083 Before the Nazis were able to get to the Catherine Palace, 633 00:26:26,234 --> 00:26:28,994 the Russians were able to swap the original Amber Room 634 00:26:29,146 --> 00:26:30,421 for the reproduction, 635 00:26:30,648 --> 00:26:31,647 and that's what the Nazis steal-- 636 00:26:31,665 --> 00:26:33,332 The wrong room. 637 00:26:33,426 --> 00:26:36,242 The copies of the Amber Room are made in May 1941, 638 00:26:36,337 --> 00:26:39,412 but the Germans don't get to Leningrad until September, 639 00:26:39,432 --> 00:26:43,342 and it was during that time that the switch is made. 640 00:26:43,494 --> 00:26:45,085 - Vladimir Lepskiy says that the Soviets 641 00:26:45,104 --> 00:26:48,013 do actually pack up the Amber Room panels 642 00:26:48,165 --> 00:26:49,832 and hide them away, 643 00:26:49,850 --> 00:26:52,684 and they leave the apprentice copy in its place. 644 00:26:52,837 --> 00:26:57,356 So it's a bait and switch of the eighth wonder of the world. 645 00:26:57,508 --> 00:26:58,674 ♪ ♪ 646 00:26:58,767 --> 00:27:00,192 - So the Nazis were duped. 647 00:27:00,286 --> 00:27:02,527 The Amber Room they took back to Konigsberg 648 00:27:02,680 --> 00:27:04,771 is the fake Amber Room. 649 00:27:04,865 --> 00:27:07,291 So all of these people who are chasing theories from there, 650 00:27:07,442 --> 00:27:10,961 they are chasing the copy, not the original Amber Room. 651 00:27:11,113 --> 00:27:12,445 - From the Russian perspective, 652 00:27:12,465 --> 00:27:14,873 this story is a phenomenal bombshell 653 00:27:15,025 --> 00:27:18,193 because it would provide relief for Russian authorities 654 00:27:18,212 --> 00:27:20,362 because it would be proof 655 00:27:20,381 --> 00:27:23,198 that they did not lose or destroy the Amber Room. 656 00:27:23,217 --> 00:27:24,642 ♪ ♪ 657 00:27:24,793 --> 00:27:26,535 Fishburne: But if this is true, 658 00:27:26,628 --> 00:27:29,054 where's the real Amber Room? 659 00:27:29,206 --> 00:27:32,465 - So some believe that in November of 1941, 660 00:27:32,485 --> 00:27:34,652 the original Amber Room was packed up 661 00:27:34,803 --> 00:27:37,154 and sent to a pro-Soviet billionaire 662 00:27:37,381 --> 00:27:39,731 in the United States named Armand Hammer. 663 00:27:39,884 --> 00:27:41,992 ♪ ♪ 664 00:27:42,219 --> 00:27:43,719 Armand Hammer was a pharmaceutical 665 00:27:43,737 --> 00:27:45,237 and oil magnate, 666 00:27:45,331 --> 00:27:46,997 and he was the son of Russian immigrants 667 00:27:47,224 --> 00:27:48,891 who were big supporters of Lenin. 668 00:27:48,909 --> 00:27:52,561 So Hammer's strong Soviet ties lead to this nickname, 669 00:27:52,579 --> 00:27:54,913 "Lenin's chosen capitalist." 670 00:27:55,065 --> 00:27:57,065 ♪ ♪ 671 00:27:57,084 --> 00:27:59,659 Hammer has this world-famous art collection, 672 00:27:59,679 --> 00:28:01,570 and it's alleged that the Amber Room 673 00:28:01,588 --> 00:28:03,238 became part of it 674 00:28:03,331 --> 00:28:05,015 maybe as some sort of collateral 675 00:28:05,242 --> 00:28:07,075 in his business deals with Russia. 676 00:28:07,169 --> 00:28:08,927 Fishburne: Others think it ended up 677 00:28:09,079 --> 00:28:10,595 back where it started. 678 00:28:10,748 --> 00:28:12,672 - In 1979, the Soviet government 679 00:28:12,692 --> 00:28:14,583 orders yet another copy of the room. 680 00:28:14,601 --> 00:28:16,101 24 years later, 681 00:28:16,195 --> 00:28:19,104 this new copy of the Amber Room is completed, 682 00:28:19,256 --> 00:28:20,698 partly paid for by the Germans 683 00:28:20,849 --> 00:28:23,349 for a total cost of $11 million. 684 00:28:23,369 --> 00:28:26,094 It is ultimately installed in the Catherine Palace, 685 00:28:26,113 --> 00:28:28,539 and that's where it is on display to this day. 686 00:28:28,690 --> 00:28:29,873 But there are some who believe 687 00:28:30,025 --> 00:28:31,116 that this is actually 688 00:28:31,268 --> 00:28:32,876 the real, original Amber Room, 689 00:28:33,028 --> 00:28:34,619 that it was pulled out of storage 690 00:28:34,772 --> 00:28:37,197 and reinstalled by the Russian government 691 00:28:37,216 --> 00:28:38,290 decades later. 692 00:28:38,442 --> 00:28:40,033 ♪ ♪ 693 00:28:40,052 --> 00:28:41,960 - That would be an incredible story 694 00:28:42,054 --> 00:28:43,628 if it were true, 695 00:28:43,781 --> 00:28:45,447 but unless there was a confession 696 00:28:45,466 --> 00:28:48,726 by somebody who truly knows, we will never know. 697 00:28:53,065 --> 00:28:55,307 Fishburne: For 75 years, 698 00:28:55,459 --> 00:28:58,810 some experts believed the Amber Room was lost at sea 699 00:28:58,904 --> 00:29:02,130 when a German ship called the "Wilhelm Gustloff" 700 00:29:02,149 --> 00:29:04,299 was torpedoed. 701 00:29:04,318 --> 00:29:07,152 - But early searches of that turned up nothing. 702 00:29:07,246 --> 00:29:09,062 And there's another ship 703 00:29:09,081 --> 00:29:11,139 that the Nazis used during the evacuation, 704 00:29:11,158 --> 00:29:14,251 and that ship was thought to be lost until now. 705 00:29:14,402 --> 00:29:16,144 Fishburne: Could the Amber Room 706 00:29:16,163 --> 00:29:20,424 actually be on that long-lost vessel, 707 00:29:20,575 --> 00:29:22,484 the SS "Karlsruhe"? 708 00:29:22,503 --> 00:29:24,820 [dramatic music] 709 00:29:24,913 --> 00:29:27,172 - The "Karlsruhe" was made in 1905. 710 00:29:27,324 --> 00:29:30,416 That's a ship with a 218-foot overall length 711 00:29:30,511 --> 00:29:32,995 and a beam of 33 feet. 712 00:29:33,013 --> 00:29:35,755 It was a part of Operation Hannibal in 1945, 713 00:29:35,775 --> 00:29:37,941 which was the seaborne evacuation 714 00:29:38,093 --> 00:29:40,426 of German military personnel and civilians 715 00:29:40,446 --> 00:29:43,096 as the Soviet military approached. 716 00:29:43,190 --> 00:29:45,524 - And here's the thing. 717 00:29:45,676 --> 00:29:48,118 The "Karlsruhe" departed from Konigsberg. 718 00:29:48,270 --> 00:29:51,013 A lot of people have focused on the "Wilhelm Gustloff," 719 00:29:51,031 --> 00:29:54,683 which was a much larger ship, and that left from Gotenhafen, 720 00:29:54,701 --> 00:29:57,369 which was about 100 miles away. 721 00:29:57,521 --> 00:29:59,187 The "Karlsruhe" was practically 722 00:29:59,206 --> 00:30:02,541 within walking distance of Konigsberg Castle. 723 00:30:02,693 --> 00:30:04,450 ♪ ♪ 724 00:30:04,470 --> 00:30:06,637 Fishburne: The ship departs at nearly the same time 725 00:30:06,788 --> 00:30:10,957 the allies destroy Konigsberg Castle in air raids. 726 00:30:10,976 --> 00:30:13,035 - The wreckage of the "Karlsruhe" 727 00:30:13,053 --> 00:30:14,144 has never been found. 728 00:30:14,371 --> 00:30:15,887 So in 2020, 729 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:19,041 this Polish diving team decides they're gonna go for it 730 00:30:19,059 --> 00:30:21,877 because there could be the most interesting story 731 00:30:21,895 --> 00:30:25,397 sitting at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. 732 00:30:25,549 --> 00:30:30,994 Fishburne: The team is led by salvage diver Tomasz Stachura. 733 00:30:31,221 --> 00:30:35,574 - SS "Karlsruhe" was one of the 247 ships 734 00:30:35,726 --> 00:30:39,244 which sank during the Hannibal Operation in 1945. 735 00:30:39,396 --> 00:30:41,229 ♪ ♪ 736 00:30:41,248 --> 00:30:43,915 We was looking for this wrecks a few months 737 00:30:44,009 --> 00:30:47,085 when we realized that maybe on the deck of this wreck 738 00:30:47,237 --> 00:30:49,237 is something important. 739 00:30:49,256 --> 00:30:51,181 We didn't want to be too excited, 740 00:30:51,333 --> 00:30:53,499 but we have to admit that maybe 741 00:30:53,594 --> 00:30:55,501 it's Amber Room over there 742 00:30:55,596 --> 00:30:58,671 because if the Germans want to send something valuable 743 00:30:58,691 --> 00:31:01,341 or something important to them to the West, 744 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:04,269 "Karlsruhe" was last chance for them. 745 00:31:04,421 --> 00:31:05,863 ♪ ♪ 746 00:31:06,014 --> 00:31:09,774 - So the ship departs Konigsberg on April 11th, 1945. 747 00:31:09,869 --> 00:31:12,202 It was part of a convoy that was headed 748 00:31:12,429 --> 00:31:14,446 to the German port of Swinemunde, 749 00:31:14,598 --> 00:31:17,115 which is now part of modern-day Poland. 750 00:31:17,267 --> 00:31:19,525 Fishburne: According to Nazi navy reports, 751 00:31:19,545 --> 00:31:23,438 the ship is carrying 1,083 people, 752 00:31:23,457 --> 00:31:26,608 mostly German civilians. 753 00:31:26,627 --> 00:31:28,443 - The "Karlsruhe" also appears to be carrying 754 00:31:28,462 --> 00:31:33,615 about 360 tons of other goods on crates, 755 00:31:33,634 --> 00:31:35,967 so the diving team thinks there's a good chance 756 00:31:36,061 --> 00:31:38,303 that the Amber Room is among those crates. 757 00:31:38,455 --> 00:31:40,472 ♪ ♪ 758 00:31:40,566 --> 00:31:44,050 - So the reports say that the ship was overloaded, 759 00:31:44,069 --> 00:31:46,962 which means it probably fell behind the rest of the convoy, 760 00:31:46,980 --> 00:31:49,314 making it a perfect target for the Soviet Navy. 761 00:31:49,408 --> 00:31:51,224 ♪ ♪ 762 00:31:51,318 --> 00:31:55,303 It's gonna meet the same fate as the "Wilhelm Gustloff." 763 00:31:55,322 --> 00:31:59,249 It's gonna be torpedoed, it's gonna go underwater. 764 00:31:59,476 --> 00:32:02,235 Everyone on board, everything inside of it 765 00:32:02,254 --> 00:32:03,495 goes down with it. 766 00:32:03,647 --> 00:32:08,258 ♪ ♪ 767 00:32:08,410 --> 00:32:10,243 Fishburne: Now Stachura's job 768 00:32:10,262 --> 00:32:13,488 is to figure out where that happened. 769 00:32:13,507 --> 00:32:16,007 - The Baltic is an incredibly challenging place 770 00:32:16,160 --> 00:32:18,602 to conduct any kind of an underwater expedition. 771 00:32:18,829 --> 00:32:20,270 It's because of the fact that you have 772 00:32:20,422 --> 00:32:22,831 very difficult temperatures during the winter months, 773 00:32:22,849 --> 00:32:24,441 howling winds, 774 00:32:24,592 --> 00:32:28,003 and the howling winds churn up extremely heavy surf. 775 00:32:28,021 --> 00:32:31,448 And these are all things that are enemies of conducting 776 00:32:31,599 --> 00:32:33,358 any kind of an underwater search. 777 00:32:33,510 --> 00:32:35,010 ♪ ♪ 778 00:32:35,028 --> 00:32:36,787 - We had access to the Russian archives 779 00:32:37,014 --> 00:32:40,182 which said that 13th of April, 1945, 780 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:44,202 Russian aircraft sank the SS "Karlsruhe." 781 00:32:44,296 --> 00:32:46,354 But the problem was that 782 00:32:46,448 --> 00:32:50,025 they show five different position, 783 00:32:50,043 --> 00:32:51,543 and the distance between each other 784 00:32:51,695 --> 00:32:53,878 was between 10 to 50 miles. 785 00:32:54,031 --> 00:32:56,198 ♪ ♪ 786 00:32:56,216 --> 00:32:57,716 - The problem here is this ship may have 787 00:32:57,868 --> 00:33:00,535 actually engaged in evasive maneuvers, 788 00:33:00,628 --> 00:33:02,721 so it could basically turn up anywhere. 789 00:33:02,873 --> 00:33:04,389 ♪ ♪ 790 00:33:04,483 --> 00:33:06,391 But the search team has some original documents, 791 00:33:06,543 --> 00:33:08,485 and that's because when the ship sank, 792 00:33:08,636 --> 00:33:12,047 the Germans were able to rescue 113 survivors from the wreck. 793 00:33:12,065 --> 00:33:14,716 - [speaks German] 794 00:33:14,735 --> 00:33:17,477 - In addition to that, the British intercepted 795 00:33:17,496 --> 00:33:20,905 and decoded transmissions relating to the sinking. 796 00:33:21,058 --> 00:33:22,724 And the British intercepted a German telegram 797 00:33:22,743 --> 00:33:24,726 about the rescue as well. 798 00:33:24,745 --> 00:33:27,820 Fishburne: All of the evidence points to an area 799 00:33:27,914 --> 00:33:33,159 a few dozen miles north of the polish town of Ustka. 800 00:33:33,178 --> 00:33:36,071 - The ship is about 300 feet down, 801 00:33:36,164 --> 00:33:38,089 so this is a dangerous mission. 802 00:33:38,183 --> 00:33:40,684 It's an expensive and resource intense mission, 803 00:33:40,911 --> 00:33:43,186 and it's gonna take perfect weather 804 00:33:43,338 --> 00:33:45,096 and a whole lot of luck. 805 00:33:45,249 --> 00:33:46,506 ♪ ♪ 806 00:33:46,600 --> 00:33:48,600 Fishburne: In June 2020, 807 00:33:48,694 --> 00:33:51,528 the Baltic team finally launches their expedition 808 00:33:51,679 --> 00:33:52,771 from Gdansk. 809 00:33:52,865 --> 00:33:54,439 ♪ ♪ 810 00:33:54,533 --> 00:33:59,761 - We have 300 feet of water. Cold, dark water. 811 00:33:59,780 --> 00:34:01,521 This dive is very demanding, 812 00:34:01,615 --> 00:34:05,208 and we don't need only to dive, we have to work underwater. 813 00:34:05,435 --> 00:34:08,286 We have a lot of good equipment, 814 00:34:08,438 --> 00:34:12,883 we have underwater drone, we have multibeam. 815 00:34:13,034 --> 00:34:17,295 We have sonars, and we have ten very well-trained divers. 816 00:34:17,447 --> 00:34:18,963 ♪ ♪ 817 00:34:19,116 --> 00:34:22,225 This is, like, amazing moment in the history. 818 00:34:22,377 --> 00:34:26,063 - You know, this is the kind of expedition that truly 819 00:34:26,214 --> 00:34:30,567 just lights up the imagination because there's so much history 820 00:34:30,794 --> 00:34:33,070 down at the bottom of the Baltic Sea, 821 00:34:33,221 --> 00:34:34,979 and potentially the Amber Room. 822 00:34:35,132 --> 00:34:37,074 ♪ ♪ 823 00:34:37,225 --> 00:34:40,985 And it could all resurface for the first time in 75 years. 824 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,750 ♪ ♪ 825 00:34:50,738 --> 00:34:52,831 Fishburne: It's June 2020, 826 00:34:52,925 --> 00:34:55,908 and an expedition led by Tomasz Stachura 827 00:34:56,002 --> 00:34:58,653 is heading into the Baltic Sea on a treasure hunt. 828 00:34:58,672 --> 00:35:00,246 [soft dramatic music] 829 00:35:00,265 --> 00:35:01,765 Its mission? 830 00:35:01,916 --> 00:35:04,917 Locate the wreck of the torpedoed Nazi steamer 831 00:35:05,011 --> 00:35:09,664 SS "Karlsruhe" and see if the Amber Room's on board. 832 00:35:09,683 --> 00:35:14,427 ♪ ♪ 833 00:35:14,521 --> 00:35:17,430 - We don't know exactly what we can expect on the bottom. 834 00:35:17,449 --> 00:35:19,190 Maybe the current will be huge, 835 00:35:19,343 --> 00:35:22,602 maybe the visibility will be close to zero, 836 00:35:22,621 --> 00:35:25,513 or the wreck would be covered by nets. 837 00:35:25,532 --> 00:35:28,199 All of them are very dangerous, 838 00:35:28,352 --> 00:35:31,294 so we must be prepared for all condition. 839 00:35:31,521 --> 00:35:38,284 ♪ ♪ 840 00:35:38,303 --> 00:35:41,805 - For 75 years, no one has seen this ship. 841 00:35:41,956 --> 00:35:44,790 It's just been lost, but we know that it carried 842 00:35:44,810 --> 00:35:47,869 hundreds of tons of Nazi goods. 843 00:35:47,888 --> 00:35:50,221 So could the Amber Room be among them? 844 00:35:50,315 --> 00:35:54,709 Fishburne: As the divers descend to 288 feet, 845 00:35:54,728 --> 00:35:56,987 the search conditions grow more challenging. 846 00:35:57,214 --> 00:36:01,716 ♪ ♪ 847 00:36:01,735 --> 00:36:05,069 - In a safe way, we have to use a lot of equipment. 848 00:36:05,164 --> 00:36:08,481 We have to use very high-quality dry suit. 849 00:36:08,500 --> 00:36:12,151 Special underwater heating system. 850 00:36:12,171 --> 00:36:16,989 We have to survive more like three hours underwater. 851 00:36:17,009 --> 00:36:21,011 We have 300 feets of cold, dark water. 852 00:36:21,162 --> 00:36:22,846 It's not easy dive, 853 00:36:23,073 --> 00:36:27,242 and we have to do it in a very, very safe way. 854 00:36:27,260 --> 00:36:28,576 ♪ ♪ 855 00:36:28,595 --> 00:36:31,429 After a careful 20-minute descent... 856 00:36:31,581 --> 00:36:33,598 [suspenseful music] 857 00:36:33,692 --> 00:36:37,252 The divers pinpoint the SS "Karlsruhe." 858 00:36:37,270 --> 00:36:40,030 ♪ ♪ 859 00:36:40,181 --> 00:36:42,941 - [indistinct exclamation] 860 00:36:43,093 --> 00:36:46,185 Fishburne: This is the first time the ship has been seen 861 00:36:46,205 --> 00:36:49,280 since 1945. 862 00:36:49,433 --> 00:36:52,358 - So this is the moment after 75 years 863 00:36:52,377 --> 00:36:55,045 we salvage "Karlsruhe" from the dark. 864 00:36:55,272 --> 00:37:00,366 ♪ ♪ 865 00:37:00,385 --> 00:37:03,294 We saw that the beautiful wreck, 866 00:37:03,388 --> 00:37:06,539 if you can say about the wreck beautiful. 867 00:37:06,558 --> 00:37:09,467 I have never seen so many artifacts, 868 00:37:09,619 --> 00:37:13,212 so many crates, so many things on the wreck on the bottom. 869 00:37:13,232 --> 00:37:15,123 This is amazing. 870 00:37:15,141 --> 00:37:17,459 ♪ ♪ 871 00:37:17,477 --> 00:37:19,978 - It's a treasure trove of material. 872 00:37:20,072 --> 00:37:22,906 They find china plates that are in great shape, 873 00:37:23,133 --> 00:37:25,633 they find military vehicles still intact 874 00:37:25,727 --> 00:37:28,060 with the rubber still on the tires. 875 00:37:28,154 --> 00:37:29,654 [scuba equipment hissing] 876 00:37:29,748 --> 00:37:31,656 ♪ ♪ 877 00:37:31,750 --> 00:37:34,751 Fishburne: But what about the Amber Room? 878 00:37:34,978 --> 00:37:37,812 Beneath a large pile of debris, 879 00:37:37,905 --> 00:37:40,482 the divers make out what appear to be 880 00:37:40,500 --> 00:37:42,317 dozens of sealed crates. 881 00:37:42,335 --> 00:37:48,431 ♪ ♪ 882 00:37:48,583 --> 00:37:50,750 - Now that's the most interesting thing, of course. 883 00:37:50,844 --> 00:37:52,160 Here we have crates 884 00:37:52,178 --> 00:37:54,104 that match the description of the Amber Room. 885 00:37:54,255 --> 00:37:56,331 Of course, they might just contain ammunition 886 00:37:56,349 --> 00:37:57,941 or silverware, sundries. 887 00:37:58,092 --> 00:38:00,335 But what if? 888 00:38:00,353 --> 00:38:01,519 ♪ ♪ 889 00:38:01,671 --> 00:38:03,113 Fishburne: Unfortunately, 890 00:38:03,264 --> 00:38:06,766 the team is unable to safely transport the crates. 891 00:38:06,785 --> 00:38:09,953 They'll have to return with additional equipment. 892 00:38:10,180 --> 00:38:12,030 ♪ ♪ 893 00:38:12,124 --> 00:38:14,607 - So unfortunately, they can't search the crates 894 00:38:14,701 --> 00:38:16,108 on this trip. 895 00:38:16,128 --> 00:38:17,460 At those depths, 896 00:38:17,612 --> 00:38:20,112 you only have about 30 minutes max down there. 897 00:38:20,132 --> 00:38:21,706 The last thing they want to do 898 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:24,208 is potentially damage the Amber Room in the process. 899 00:38:24,303 --> 00:38:26,044 ♪ ♪ 900 00:38:26,138 --> 00:38:28,638 - This expedition is step number one: 901 00:38:28,865 --> 00:38:31,808 to identify the wreck, to check what is this, 902 00:38:31,959 --> 00:38:35,979 but definitely we need expedition number two 903 00:38:36,130 --> 00:38:39,649 when we can check exactly what cargo contain. 904 00:38:39,876 --> 00:38:41,376 ♪ ♪ 905 00:38:41,394 --> 00:38:42,802 Fishburne: Plans are moving forward 906 00:38:42,821 --> 00:38:44,470 for a salvage and recovery mission 907 00:38:44,564 --> 00:38:46,548 in the next few months. 908 00:38:46,566 --> 00:38:47,882 ♪ ♪ 909 00:38:47,975 --> 00:38:50,810 - To check cargo on the "Karlsruhe," 910 00:38:50,829 --> 00:38:53,312 we need to do it on the proper way. 911 00:38:53,406 --> 00:38:56,482 On the proper way that means that we have to spend days 912 00:38:56,501 --> 00:38:59,836 or even weeks on the position, 913 00:39:00,063 --> 00:39:03,247 that we have to anchor permanently the boat 914 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:05,675 with special equipment for the divers. 915 00:39:05,902 --> 00:39:09,087 ♪ ♪ 916 00:39:09,181 --> 00:39:10,830 - This time, they'll be bringing many more resources 917 00:39:10,924 --> 00:39:12,498 to the effort. 918 00:39:12,517 --> 00:39:15,668 They'll have divers that can work on a rotating basis, 919 00:39:15,687 --> 00:39:18,596 they'll have equipment that can float large objects. 920 00:39:18,690 --> 00:39:19,931 ♪ ♪ 921 00:39:20,083 --> 00:39:21,173 If they find a crate, 922 00:39:21,193 --> 00:39:22,359 they'll need to leave it sealed 923 00:39:22,586 --> 00:39:24,435 until they get it to the surface. 924 00:39:24,529 --> 00:39:27,012 - The dive team is also gonna be bringing a representative 925 00:39:27,107 --> 00:39:30,349 from the National Maritime Museum in Gdansk, Poland 926 00:39:30,443 --> 00:39:31,275 as an advisor. 927 00:39:31,370 --> 00:39:32,760 ♪ ♪ 928 00:39:32,779 --> 00:39:34,612 - It's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity 929 00:39:34,764 --> 00:39:37,523 to bring something as rare and as valuable 930 00:39:37,617 --> 00:39:40,785 a cultural resource as the Amber Room to the surface. 931 00:39:40,879 --> 00:39:45,030 ♪ ♪ 932 00:39:45,125 --> 00:39:47,792 This is a mystery on par with the Dead Sea Scrolls 933 00:39:47,886 --> 00:39:50,945 and the discovery of King Tut's tomb. 934 00:39:51,038 --> 00:39:53,114 Is it down there? I don't know. 935 00:39:53,207 --> 00:39:54,891 But I certainly hope it is, 936 00:39:55,042 --> 00:39:57,635 because I would love to see this thing finally revealed. 937 00:39:57,787 --> 00:39:59,396 I would love to see this mystery solved. 938 00:39:59,623 --> 00:40:02,306 ♪ ♪ 939 00:40:02,401 --> 00:40:05,235 - I couldn't imagine how would we feel 940 00:40:05,462 --> 00:40:09,906 when we find hard proof on the "Karlsruhe" ship 941 00:40:10,057 --> 00:40:11,482 that we find Amber Room. 942 00:40:11,635 --> 00:40:15,245 This is absolutely out of my imagination, 943 00:40:15,396 --> 00:40:18,248 but perhaps it will be something special and unique 944 00:40:18,475 --> 00:40:21,734 and maybe I remember this moment 945 00:40:21,828 --> 00:40:23,995 till to end of my life. 946 00:40:24,089 --> 00:40:30,093 ♪ ♪ 947 00:40:30,320 --> 00:40:32,170 - Could the Amber Room lie in crates 948 00:40:32,322 --> 00:40:33,988 at the bottom of the Baltic Sea? 949 00:40:34,081 --> 00:40:36,507 If the dive team is successful 950 00:40:36,601 --> 00:40:39,752 and can salvage what's aboard the SS "Karlsruhe," 951 00:40:39,771 --> 00:40:44,015 we may soon know the answer to this enduring mystery. 952 00:40:44,167 --> 00:40:46,017 I'm Laurence Fishburne. 953 00:40:46,111 --> 00:40:50,004 Thank you for watching "History's Greatest Mysteries." 954 00:40:50,023 --> 00:40:52,782 ♪ ♪