Royal castle of Koenigsberg before the war. Royal Castle Koenigsberg - the sad history of our state

Legends and were of the Royal Castle of Königsberg

Komsomolskaya Pravda has prepared a special project dedicated to the main virtual attraction of Kaliningrad

762 years ago, according to the German chronicler Peter of Dusburg, Königsberg Castle was founded on the high bank of the Pregel River. The appearance of the castle, and subsequently the city of the same name, is associated with the King of Bohemia, Ottokar II Przemysl, who at that time led a crusade against the pagan Prussians. Many historians also say that Königsberg (translated from German as King’s Mountain) received its name thanks to Ottokar. However, there are different versions on this matter. Be that as it may, today Königsberg Castle, which stood until the early 1970s, when it was finally blown up, in Kaliningrad, and not only is called Royal.

Several decades have passed since the castle does not physically exist, but despite all this, it is one of the two most popular buildings in modern Kaliningrad (the second building is, of course, the House of Soviets). They constantly talk and write about him, his photographs are hung on city streets and in the offices of Kaliningrad companies, experts, politicians and ordinary people argue frantically over whether the castle needs to be restored. One opinion: it is necessary - it will again become the architectural dominant of the city center. Other: in no case, because the restoration of the castle is nothing more than an act of “creeping Germanization.” And these disputes, it seems, will not subside soon. More precisely, they will calm down when the castle is either finally restored, or another shopping center (or something similar) appears in its place.

Be that as it may, the Royal Castle still exists in the minds of Kaliningrad residents, it is constantly discussed and written about. We write too. Today, for example, exactly 762 years after the moment when Ottokar and his comrades laid the first stone on the Royal Mountain (this happened in winter, and the construction itself started six months later), Komsomolskaya Pravda presents to your attention a small special project dedicated to this important, but virtual landmarks of our city.

Castle with royal status

As in any other self-respecting medieval city in Europe, the most important first defensive, then administrative, and then simply tourist attraction in Königsberg was the castle. Which, accordingly, was called Koenigsberg. It was already in Soviet folklore that they began to call him Royal. Although, to be fair, there is a certain logic in this. Although Kaliningrad archivist Anatoly Bakhtin, a major specialist in the history of the Teutonic Order, there are doubts about the “royal” origin of Königsberg Castle.

Castle yard. On the right is the once popular restaurant "Blütgericht".

In the footsteps of Ottokar II

But what, Anatoly Pavlovich, because according to the most popular version, the castle was called Royal because it was founded on the personal orders of the Czech king Ottokar II, who led the next crusade to Prussia?

No one can reliably confirm this, although such a mention is made by the famous chronicler Peter of Dusbrug in his “Chronicle of the Prussian Land”. But I doubt that Ottokar was even here. Most likely, his army, returning along the ice of the frozen river from Tapiau (modern Gvardeysk. - Ed.), did not go along the now known channel, but along a different one and went straight to the bay. The king himself, after the goal of the campaign was achieved: several fortresses were taken and the Prussian tribes were brought into submission, probably remained in the Rudau region (the current village of Melnikovo. - Ed.), where he met with local princes who converted to the Christian faith and received gifts and privileges for this. However, this is just a hypothesis. Be that as it may, later a well-known legend (the authenticity of which can be debated) took shape and took root among the masses. This often happens in history.

- But there are no doubts about the date of foundation of the castle?

Not the slightest. In the winter of 1255, the territory was captured, and in the summer they began to build a fortress. Again, it is not known for certain whether, as they say, there was a Prussian sacred grove in this place, there was an ordinary fortification, or there was nothing there at all. Perhaps the archaeological excavations currently underway at the site of Königsberg Castle will bring some clarity. But for the construction of a strong point, the protruding part of the steep bank above the Pregel floodplain was ideal. Since it was already surrounded by river waters on three sides, all that remained was to dig up the base of this small peninsula with a ditch. Then build a defensive rampart, crowning it with a palisade. This fortress itself was of modest size - less than 100 by 100 meters. But the order immediately set its sights on a larger site next door, to which they soon began transporting stones for a more substantial castle. Although its construction, I think, began only 15-20 years later, because it took time to procure the required amount of building materials, then the Second Prussian Uprising broke out...

- By the way, the rebels were never able to take Königsberg Castle then?

- Failed. It so happened that no one could ever take him. The stone castle was never even stormed. Based on the fact that the usual construction period for a castle was at least a decade, it was only by the 90s of the 13th century that the entire perimeter was made of stone. But by that time, the order’s possessions had already expanded so much that Königsberg Castle was far from the borders on which the fighting took place. The Lithuanians sometimes reached it during their raids, but, of course, they did not dare to undertake a long and difficult siege of such an impressive structure. In size, Königsberg Castle was second only to Marienburg, although later it seemed to be surpassed in this regard by Ragnit (modern Neman. - Ed.). The base, about three meters high, was made of wild stone, on which brick walls and towers rose.

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Königsberg Castle had the usual rectangular shape for these buildings of the Teutonic Order - in this case, elongated from west to east. It was surrounded by a double wall with four corner towers - two on the north and south sides. Of these, only the octagonal Haberturm (that is, the Oat Tower) in the northeastern corner of the fortress remained until modern times. Built at the end of the 14th century, the main Schlossturm tower crowned the entire architectural ensemble. Inside the fortress, in the western half of the castle courtyard, the Convention building was located. It contained a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary and a refectory. Adjacent to the inner ring of the fortress wall was a hospital, a shelter for elderly knights - a firmarium, a small barn and other premises. There was a well in the center of the courtyard.

When lime is stronger than stone

- Were the bricks for such a large-scale construction made right there, on site?

Yes. Clay was dumped into the dug ditches, filled with water and left to settle for several years, stirring occasionally. This was necessary in order to remove lime impurities - if this is not done, the lime will simply explode the brick. When the mixture reached the required conditions, we began to form bricks.

They say that the traces of animals and people found on order bricks are connected with some mysterious rituals practiced by the builders of Teutonic castles?

Complete nonsense. They simply dried the brick right there, next to the housing. Children, dogs, various domestic animals were running around the site - no, no, someone was stepping on the still plastic clay. I myself came across bricks, for example, with traces of bird feet. In general, no magic or other cabalism, just ordinary everyday moments.

But what about the bonding solution, which was allegedly mixed with blood, egg yolks and other exotic ingredients - also lies?

Well, maybe eggs and other things were added somewhere to increase strength, since they write that. But the builders of the Teutonic castles did not particularly need this, since they had at their disposal the best lime in all of Europe, which was delivered from Sweden. Over the years, not only did it not crumble or weather, but, on the contrary, it only became harder. Its quality can be judged at least by this fact. While working on Balga, I needed a cobblestone. On a stone that had fallen out of the old wall, there were remnants of medieval lime, which I decided to chip off. But in the end the stone itself split, but the lime remained intact...

- What was Königsberg Castle like at the first stage of its existence?

According to the statutes of the Teutonic Order, the permanent presence of 12 knights plus the commander in the castle was quite sufficient. Although here everything depended on the size of the fortress. Since Königsberg Castle was quite large, from 40 to 80 order brothers could live in it at the same time. Therefore, the purpose of the castle in those harsh times was purely utilitarian; it did not shine with special beauty. A kind of stone box with narrow loopholes instead of normal windows. The basement and first floor were allocated for storage of various equipment and products. On the second floor there was a refectory, a meeting room and bedrooms - a kind of knightly dormitory. On the topmost - third (sometimes fourth) floor, away from dampness, grain reserves were usually stored. Along the perimeter there was a military passage with embrasures both outside and inside the castle. The latter was done in case the besiegers broke through into the castle courtyard. There was also a pre-castle fortification - a fort, where other premises could have been arranged, say, for the Supreme Marshal of the Teutonic Order, who had a residence here. A two-story building was built for such an important leader.

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After the reform of the order's administration in 1309, Königsberg became the residence of the order's marshal. And above the extensive cellars, where the famous Königsberg wine restaurant “Blütgericht” was later built, a so-called marshal’s house with residential and service premises was erected. When the Supreme Master moved in there in 1457, the entire building began to be called the Hochmeister wing. Later, the court court, the budget ministry, the chamber of military and state property, and the state archive of East Prussia were located there. The exhibition collection of the Königsberg State Library was also kept there.

Where does the underground passage lead?

Well, what would a medieval castle be without an underground passage! They say that there were several of these in Königsberg, including one that stretched under the river bottom to the island of Kneiphof?

Alas, only one underground passage is reliably known - the same one that was rediscovered during archaeological excavations several years ago. Which for some reason has not yet been cleared, which, I must admit, surprises me extremely. But this can be done even by volunteers, if there is not enough money. Even in response to my questions, representatives of the historical and art museum, in whose jurisdiction the object is located, referred to the need to obtain various permits for work and other bureaucratic red tape. But it seems to me that no one simply wants to seriously get involved with this work. We also know about a secret communication linking the castle with the fort. But it was a relatively short and shallow underground passage, and it was probably destroyed already in Soviet times, when the Central Square with its fountain was being developed.

It is known that over the centuries-old history of its existence, Königsberg Castle was rebuilt several times. How significant were the changes in his appearance?

Well, by the 18th century, or even earlier, from the medieval Gothic there, in addition to the basements, only small fragments remained in the northern wing. During the Thirteen Years' War, the southern wall was badly damaged. There was a period at the beginning of the 19th century when a significant part of the castle was completely destroyed - either after a fire, or as a result of some other incident. This is even reflected in the engravings. And in this completely unsightly form it existed for quite a long time, although at that time it was still considered royal. Intensive restructuring began during the reign of Duke Albrecht, who no longer needed a military castle, but a secular palace.

In which there are not cramped cells, but spacious rooms, not narrow loopholes, but wide windows. Then came the time of the Baroque, when Gothic was generally considered barbaric architecture. They rushed to plaster everything, all the castles: Brandenburg, Insterburg... even the Cathedral on the island was also plastered. It was only in 1911, when a large-scale reconstruction was carried out, that the plaster was finally knocked down. Then another restructuring followed. Let's say, if we take the most popular view, thanks to postcards, from the side of the facade, then the huge window in the center was replaced by many smaller openings.

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After the secularization of the Prussian possessions of the Order by Albrecht of Brandenburg in 1525, Königsberg Castle became the property of the Duke of Prussia and was once again reconstructed. In 1697, the Elector of Brandenburg and the Duke of Prussia, Frederick III, received the Grand Embassy of Peter I at the castle. The so-called Muscovite Hall remained in memory of this event. The coronation of the first Prussian king, Frederick I, took place in the castle church in 1701.

Royal status

Despite all these upheavals, Königsberg Castle invariably remained the most status object for the city?

Without a doubt. Since the 18th century, Prussian kings have always been crowned here. After the unification of Germany in 1870, the Prussian kings became Kaisers (emperors). But before becoming the ruler of the empire, he first had to receive the title of King of Prussia. It should be noted that Soviet architects were well aware of this status, because Moscow specialists insisted on the conservation of the ruins and the subsequent restoration of the Königsberg Castle. It was the local party elite that somehow managed to insist on its complete demolition. Even under the Germans, in order to achieve a beautiful view of the castle, entire streets of houses that surrounded it closely were demolished on the southern and southwestern sides. There were even many extensions directly to the castle walls - especially from the north. Archaeologists working at the castle site recently stumbled upon the foundations that remained from them. They didn’t even immediately understand what it was...

- How realistic are the plans to recreate Königsberg Castle?

If desired, this can be done without any problems. Although medieval technologies, of course, will no longer be used. But there are many other ways. Of course, restoration on the original foundations is unrealistic. Perhaps there should be a concrete base, lined with boulders at the bottom and brick at the top, as it once was. As for the form in which the castle should be restored, this is, without a doubt, in its condition in 1944 - this is the most recognizable form. I do not rule out that in the first few years many, especially inveterate aesthetes, will spit in disgust when they look at the “remake.” But think how quickly Kaliningraders got used to the same Fish Village! And then, in this part of the city an architectural dominant is needed, which could serve as the basis for the planned restoration of the cities of Altstadt and Kneiphof. The House of Soviets is clearly not suitable for such a role.

Where to look for the treasures of the Royal Castle

Over its 700-year history, Königsberg has accumulated so many cultural artifacts that it would be more than enough for several cities. Today in Kaliningrad we have only a small fraction of what was in the city before the war. The most valuable things were either swept away by the fire of war, or dispersed to unknown places, or moved to other cities and already there delight curious tourists.

Back in January 1945, Stalin issued a decree “On the procedure for using captured national economic property,” which stated what to do with what, says Sergei Yakimov, director of the Historical and Art Museum. – The decree did not say a word about cultural values! Therefore, the attitude of the Red Army military leaders towards them was appropriate.

The royal castle boasted rich collections of weapons and military equipment.

The Mystery of the Amber Room

The most valuable exhibit of Königsberg was, of course, the Amber Room, which the Nazis took from the Catherine Palace in Pushkin. They have been searching for it throughout the post-war period; they have dug up tons of East Prussian soil, but so far the search has not been crowned with success. Recently, the version that the room does not exist in Kaliningrad has become increasingly popular - either it was taken outside of East Prussia, or it burned down during one of the many fires in the Royal Castle.

General Smirnov, the first commandant of Koenigsberg, writes that during the examination of the Royal Castle, many books, paintings, carpets, dishes and other valuable items from Petrodvorets and Gatchina were found, continues Sergei Yakimov. – There, in one of the rooms of the southern wing, a book of records of the castle museum was discovered, in which the Amber Room was listed as number 200. I can tell you as a museum worker that if museum objects are transported somewhere, then so are the accounting books.

It turns out that the Amber Room was not moved anywhere? So she died in a fire?

“I read documents from that time in which there is not a word about the fire,” continues the museum director. – The fire happened, I suspect, later.

The chair from the Tiled Hall of the Royal Castle and the frame of the crown with the scepter of King Frederick I of Königsberg are now in Charlottenburg Palace. And books from the Silver Library of Duke Albrecht ended up in the university library of Toruń.

Sergei Yakimov told a story about the keeper of the amber room, Professor Alfred Rhode. In his opinion, if the Amber Room had been taken away, then Rode would certainly have left - such is the fate of all curators of museum collections: they follow their collection like a thread following a needle. However, the professor remained in Königsberg and one day came to the military commandant’s office. “My name is Professor Rohde,” he said. “Last night your soldiers raped my wife and stripped me.”

Along with Professor Rohde, the mystery of the Amber Room perished. Many have no doubt that it is still stored somewhere in the Kaliningrad region. Or another version is that the room was taken out in a hurry, and after that there was a fire in the castle.

If at least some mention remains of the Amber Room, then the fate of the entire two museums is covered in deep darkness. We are talking about the Museum of the Teutonic Order in Lochstedt Castle, the ruins of which are located near Primorsk, and the Pillau Museum.

There was an interesting story with Lochstedt,” says Sergei Yakimov. – When our troops took the castle, they found there exhibits of the Vilnius Historical Museum, which the Germans had taken away at the beginning of the war. And - not the slightest trace of the Order Museum. No books, no paintings, no knight's armor - nothing!

This is what the historical center of Königsberg looked like in the late 1930s.

There was an interesting story with Lochstedt,” says Sergei Yakimov. – When our troops took the castle, they found there exhibits of the Vilnius Historical Museum, which the Germans had taken away at the beginning of the war. And - not the slightest trace of the Order Museum. No books, no paintings, no knight's armor. Nothing!

Sergei Yakimov suggests that the exhibits of the Lochstedt Museum were packed into boxes and hidden somewhere some time before the Soviet offensive on Pillau.

"Silver Library" and the "Prussia" collection

In the Royal Castle, which at the beginning of the last century the Germans turned into a museum complex, and in addition to the Amber Room, there was a huge amount of cultural property. It is enough to mention the extensive collection of amber, which was collected over centuries, a collection of royal regalia, ceremonial portraits of Prussian kings and other paintings, weapons. The castle housed the famous “Silver Library” - 20 volumes of ancient books in silver bindings, the richest archaeological collection of the Prussia Museum... Most of these treasures were lost during a British air raid in August 1944 - then the castle, like the entire central part of Königsberg, suffered greatly. The Germans managed to take something to the interior of Germany. The rest disappeared in an unknown direction and was collected bit by bit in the post-war period. I managed to collect, admittedly, not much.

A huge part of the cultural property was exported as trophies, but this was not recorded as cultural property, says Sergei Yakimov. “They disappeared into the vastness of the vast Soviet Union. They also settled in the apartments of Kaliningrad residents. But something still remains hidden underground.

The fate of the archaeological museum "Prussia" - a collection of antiquities from the times of Prussian tribes and Teutonic knights - is characteristic. Before the advance of the Red Army, the collection was dispersed in different places. It is assumed that one part of it, stored in the basements of the Royal Castle, burned down during a fire back in August 1944, the other was discovered in the post-war period in Poland in the city of Kętrzyn. Well, the biggest surprise awaited the search engines at the turn of the millennium. A significant part of the Prussia Museum, already plundered by black diggers, was found in the casemates of one of the Königsberg forts. Now it is exhibited in the Historical and Art Museum.

The famous Königsberg libraries have also been preserved. Now, however, they are far from our city.

Most of the “Silver Library” (14 volumes) was discovered in the Polish city of Torun, and now unique books are in Warsaw. As for the collection of books from the 16th – 18th centuries, the so-called. The Wallenrod Library, which was located in the Königsberg Cathedral, the remaining part of it is scattered in different corners. 291 bindings from a unique 10,000-strong collection were discovered in 1981 in the Uzkoye estate near Moscow and then transferred to Kaliningrad State University. However, the lion's share of surviving books today is in various collections in Moscow, St. Petersburg, Poland and Lithuania.

Excavations at the castle site have been taking place since the 90s of the last century. Something has come across, although there are no sensational finds yet.

They collected 1,500 boxes of extremely valuable property! - says Sergey Yakimov. “Only among the collected scientific equipment was there something that was not produced anywhere else and that could not be bought for any money.

And yet the valuable cargo was appreciated. Its approximate cost was about 10 million rubles in gold... And this was only what they managed to find immediately after the assault, what did not have time to burn, was not hidden and did not become personal trophies immediately after the capture of the city by the Red Army.

A huge part of cultural property was taken out as trophies, but this was not recorded as cultural property, says Sergei Yakimov. “They disappeared into the vastness of the vast Soviet Union. They also settled in the apartments of Kaliningrad residents. But something still remains hidden underground.

Andrey Przhezdomsky

Koenigsberg was not only a transit point for valuables transported by the Nazis, but also had its own cultural, historical, scientific and technical resources. The city had dozens of museums, research and educational institutes, laboratories, libraries, archives, and financial institutions. Each of these objects contained hundreds and thousands of exhibits, tomes, paintings, objects of decorative and applied art, unique scientific instruments and what is usually stored in bank safes, says the researcher. - During the war years, these collections were significantly replenished with trophies exported by the Nazis from the occupied territories of Poland and the Soviet Union, material assets confiscated from Jews sent to their deaths in Auschwitz, Majdanek, Treblinka and other concentration camps. Considering that from the beginning of the war in 1939 until mid-1944, Königsberg, unlike most cities in Germany, was the calmest city, since it was not subject to Allied bombing (our two raids in 1941 do not count), various items of Nazi plunder were concentrated here from Central and Western Europe - from France, Benelux, Czechoslovakia...

A painting by the Bohemian artist Matthias Zwischek, which was kept in the Royal Castle, is now in Berlin.

So, what was stored in Königsberg? Let's start with what was kidnapped by the Nazis on Soviet territory. These are exhibits of Belarusian museums (about 12 thousand) - paintings by outstanding artists, icons of Russian and Western European painters (at least 1.7 thousand), antique furniture by Russian masters, collections of artistic porcelain by Russian, Chinese and Western European masters, carpets and tapestries. The Nazis took no less number of trophies to Königsberg from the territory of occupied Ukraine: over 1.5 thousand exhibits from the Museum of Russian Art in Kyiv; more than a thousand paintings, including paintings by Aivazovsky, Vasnetsov, Vrubel, Kramskoy, Shishkin; about a thousand icons from the Kiev Pechersk Lavra; folding icons, Caucasian sabers and daggers from Taganrog museums, etc. And the suburban palaces of Leningrad in Pushkin, Pavlovsk, Gatchina! The Nazis plundered them completely. There are park sculptures, tens of thousands of volumes of rare books and manuscripts, paintings by artists Spielberg, Zegers, Corrado, Bessonov and many others, French grandfather clocks, crystal chandeliers, porcelain vases and thousands of other exhibits.

Koenigsberg treasures from museums and private collections also make up a considerable part of the valuables lost during the war. The Silver Library of Duke Albrecht, a significant part of the collection of the Amber Collection of the Geological and Paleontological Institute, gold and silver jewelry, ancient porcelain and earthenware, Limoges enamels, many sculptural works and paintings disappeared. And there is no need to talk about precious metals and stones, bars of gold and platinum, gold and silver coins, as well as thousands of gold crowns knocked out from prisoners, living and dead. A huge number of them were stored in safes and special underground shelters.

How the witch was drowned in the cat's stream

Despite the fact that only dungeons remain of the Königsberg Castle, it is the most famous landmark of modern Kaliningrad. At least those that have not survived to this day. It is worth adding that many mysteries and secrets, legends and tales, as well as quite scientific assumptions and disputes are associated with the Koenigsberg Castle.

At the beginning of the 18th century, the witches who lived in Königsberg looked something like this.

Nomadic Fortress

To begin with, the very foundation of the fortification, around which the city of Königsberg later grew, still raises many questions. It is known for certain that the castle owes its origin to the King of Bohemia, Ottokar II Przemysl, who in December 1254 led another crusade to Prussia to help the Teutonic Order, which was exhausted in a difficult struggle with the pagans.

Concentrating his forces on Balga, on the morning of January 9, 1255, Ottokar moved across the bay to Medenau (the modern village of Logvino in the Zelenograd region). “...The king entered Sambia with his army near the volost called Medenov, and, having burned everything that could be taken by fire, and taking captive and killing many people, he spent the night there,” writes the order’s chronicler Peter from Dusburg. - The next day he came to the Rudov volost (the village of Rudau - now Melnikovo. - Ed.) and took the castle with a powerful blow. And such a massacre of the Sambian people was done there that the nobles offered hostages to the king, asking him ... not to destroy the entire people.”

Further, Ottokar’s bloody path lay through Waldau (Lower Guryevsky District), Kaimen (Zarechye) and Tapiau (Gvardeysk). “... So that he would not inflict the same massacre on them (the Prussians) as on the others, each of them (the Prussian leaders) gave their sons as hostages, pledging, under pain of death, to humbly obey the demands of the faith and brothers,” continues Peter from Dusburg. “When all this was duly accomplished, the king... having walked to the mountain where the Koenigsberg castle now stands, he and his brothers decided to erect a castle there to defend the faith and left them wonderful royal gifts to help build it.”

After this, considering his pilgrim mission completed, the king left for home. That is, it may well turn out that Ottokar never visited the mountain itself on the banks of the Pregolya, only from afar appreciating the benefits of the place and advising to build a castle here. Following this advice, according to Peter of Dusburg, “the master and brothers successfully prepared everything necessary for construction and, taking with them the Prussians loyal to themselves, with a large army they went in the year of our Lord 1255 and in the place that is now called the old castle, built Königsberg Castle." According to the chronicler, the Prussians called the high hill Tuvangste from the name of the forest that covered it (possibly a sacred grove). Peter does not mention a word about any Prussian fortress. The Teutons had already erected a powerful wooden-earth fortification, leaving Burchard von Hornhausen as commander there “with many brothers and squires.” Plus, initially the castle was not located where the order’s dungeons gape today. Only later was it “transported to the place where it stands now, on that mountain, and surrounded by two walls with nine stone towers.”

Hordes of wolves rushed at the gate...

The construction of the very first Königsberg Castle is associated with a mystical story about an old she-wolf who appeared every evening at the construction site and watched people, keeping within the distance of a crossbow shot. The order's brothers felt so uncomfortable under the wolf's gaze that they decided that one of the Prussian wolf sorcerers had turned into a beast. The she-wolf was nicknamed Guerra. They said that her lair was not far to the east of the castle, and the Teutons did not even dare to look in that direction.

Either wolves attacked Königsberg Castle, or werewolves... This is how medieval artists depicted werewolves.

The winter of 1256 turned out to be fierce. In the vicinity of Königsberg, packs of wolves were rampant, and people often became their prey. And then one day the wolves approached the very walls of the fortification. Having lured the animals closer with pieces of meat that were thrown through loopholes, the Teutons shot the “children of Guerra” with crossbows. That night, a deafening howl was suddenly heard, and hordes of huge wolves surrounding the castle began to rush at the gate, scratching them with their claws. The entire order brethren was gripped by horror.

“And with the first ray of sunshine they saw Guerra in the castle courtyard,” says the legend. “And no one could raise the crossbow or draw the sword.” They opened the gate, allowing the old she-wolf to leave. But long after this, murdered brother knights were found on the river bank: some with their faces eaten away, others with terrible wounds, and many completely torn to pieces. No one else saw Gerra herself, only her traces in the vicinity of the castle, which plunged even the bravest warriors into horror.”

Gallows on the mountain

Unlike the legend of Guerra, the so-called. The Second Prussian Uprising is a historical fact. It lasted for 12 years, and began after the knights suffered a severe defeat at Durban on July 13, 1260. Then one hundred and fifty order brothers, led by Master of the Livonian Order Burchard von Gornhausen and Marshal Heinrich Botel, fell at once. Here is what Peter from Dusburg writes about this: “...The Prussians, seeing that the brothers suffered losses in this battle in brothers, squires, horses, weapons and other things necessary for battle, heaping evil upon evil and misfortune upon misfortune, again abandoned the faith and Christians and slipped back to their former errors, and the Sambas of one person named Glande, the Nattangi - Heinrich Monte, the Warmians - Glappo (or Glappe - Ed.), the Pogezans chose Auttum, the Barts chose Divan as leaders and leaders of their army.”

His associates were no less talented military leaders. It is known that Divan died during the siege of the Shensee fortress. Heinrich Monte managed to be taken by surprise at one of the sites with a small number of soldiers. The “vile traitor” who caused so much trouble was first hanged by the enraged Germans, and then pierced with a sword. Glappe was betrayed by one of his close associates named Steinov. He advised to besiege one of the castles in Sambia, and in the meantime he informed the Koenigsberg commander about the whereabouts of the leader. Suddenly attacking the Prussians besieging the seaside castle, the Teutons killed everyone. “But he (the commander) took Glappo with him to Königsberg and hanged him on the mountain, which is still called Mount Glappo after his name,” the chronicler informs.

It is, of course, impossible to determine today with an accuracy of one meter where that gallows stood. It is only known that the place of execution was chosen on a gentle hill opposite the castle: historians believe that in modern landmarks it is somewhere in the area of ​​the House of Communications - Kopernik and Zhitomirskaya streets.

Ghost of the Iron Maiden

The Cat Creek once flowed near Königsberg Castle - it is believed that it was on the site of modern Zaraiskaya Street. This waterway also appears in several ancient legends.

One of the legends tells about two witches who, as is customary among this category of representatives of the witchcraft workshop, loved to turn into cats. Taking on an animal form, the inventive friends climbed into the brewing kettle and, as if in a boat, rode in it not only along the stream, but even went out into the river. Having had a fun night, the cats became women again when day came.

The witches were let down by their inherent immoderation in sexual relations. Regular rafting in the beer cauldron and other entertainment left almost no time and energy for housekeeping. And the friends hired a boy to serve them. Apparently, the young man was not only hard-working, but also handsome, and maybe the aforementioned hypersexuality of the sorceresses had an effect. Be that as it may, they soon demanded intimate services from the boy.

With witches and sorcerers in the Middle Ages, the conversation was short: a passionate conversation and a fire. Miniature from 1447.

The young lover tried his best in bed too. Again, we can assume that at first he even liked it. But then the boy got tired of the constant harassment of his employers, and he came up with a way to get rid of the villainous women. Watching when they once again turned into cats, the servant locked them both in the notorious cauldron, which he put on the fire, boiling the witches alive.

Moral: pedophilia, even in the Middle Ages, did not bring anyone any good in the end.

Another legend tells of a beautiful girl who was suspected of witchcraft. Such an accusation was verified simply: the alleged witch was placed in a bag and thrown into the water. If she didn’t drown, it means she became a victim of slander, but this, it seems, never happened. Our heroine also died, drowned in Cat Creek. And then she returned from the other world dressed in armor, and even clutching a sword in each hand! This ghost was known in Königsberg under the name of the Iron Maiden.

Good wine for a suicide bomber

It is a rare story about Königsberg Castle without mentioning the restaurant “Blütgericht” - translated from German as “Bloody Judgment”, located in one of the basements of the order’s stronghold. Until the 17th century, there was a prison with numerous torture chambers, to which the drinking establishment, which arose in 1827, owes its name. In memory of the prison, a “Chamber of Martyrs” was installed in the restaurant, where the Martyr’s Passage led with maliciously grinning faces painted on the walls.

And here we cannot do without a fragrant legend. They say that one Koenigsberger, sentenced to death for his passion for black magic, on the way to the scaffold persuaded the executioner and the convoy to go to the Blütgericht and drink a glass of good wine “No. 7”. It was unthinkable to refuse the suicide bomber’s last request. As a result, the whole company got completely drunk, with the exception of the condemned man, who was either being cunning or experiencing such fear that he couldn’t get drunk. The master of affairs and the guards fell asleep, some at the table, some under it, and the condemned warlock safely took off.

Who knows how reliable this whole story is. But it is known for sure that the popular restaurant was willingly visited, for example, by the famous writer Ernst Amadeus Theodor Hoffmann. And he even wrote one of his poems right in the wine cellar, which is called “Blütgericht.”

The Mystery of the Amber Room

If we move from fairy tales to stories, it is necessary to mention that Königsberg Castle, among other objects, is indicated as a possible storage location for the Amber Room. Her search became one of the fetishes of the second half of the 20th century and does not stop to this day. It has been practically proven: at least for some time, the famous “amber cabinet”, disassembled into parts and packed into boxes, was indeed stored in the northern wing of the castle along with other works of art. Most likely, he died there in a fire after the carpet bombing of the city by British aircraft in August 1944.

An employee of the brigade of the Committee for Cultural and Educational Institutions under the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR, which, after the capture of Königsberg by Soviet troops, worked on the territory of the castle, Alexander Bryusov in his diary mentions the found copper pendants and burnt carved moldings from the doors of the Amber Room, as well as iron plates with screws, with which parts of the cabinet were attached to the walls of the drawers. Nevertheless, the fact of the destruction of the treasure, to the delight of treasure hunters, adventurers, fiction writers and journalists, was never finally proven. Therefore, sensational reports continue to appear from time to time about another possible hiding place with an Amber Room inside. And in this regard, they are in no hurry to completely discount the Königsberg Castle.

Koenigsberg as a fortress

The struggle for Konigsberg is an episode of the great battle with our Slavic neighbor, which had such a terrible impact on our fate and the fate of our children and whose influence will be felt in the future. This struggle for territory between the Germanic and Slavic peoples has been going on since the time of our ancestors, times barely known to history. By the beginning of the era, the power of the Germans extended all the way to the lower Volga. But the Slavs were just as powerful - around 700 they crossed the Elbe. Over the centuries, the border changed first in one direction and then in the other, for borders are like peoples. This is something living, they change depending on the energy of peoples. After our last push to the East, the return flow of the Slavs was more powerful than ever, it demolished all dams and obstacles. This war captured Koenigsberg, which then served the Germans as a bastion against the East.

Koenigsberg was founded in 1258 by the German Order of Knights in honor of King Ottokar of Bohemia, who participated in the Order's summer campaign to the East. The castle, the construction of which began during the founding of the city, was its first defensive structure. In the 17th century, the city was fortified with a rampart, ditches and bastions, thus becoming a fortress. These structures gradually deteriorated and did not serve much service either in the Seven Years' War or in the Napoleonic Wars. In 1814, Koenigsberg was declared an open city, but in 1843 its fortification began again, and what was then called a fortress fence was erected, that is, a ring of fortifications around the city with a length of 11 kilometers. Their construction was completed in 1873. In 1874, construction began on a defensive belt of 15 forward forts, the construction of which was completed in 1882. To protect the mouth of the Pregel, a strong fortification was built on the right bank near the Holstein estate. Even stronger was the fortification of Friedrichsburg on the left bank of the mouth of the Pregel.

The circumference of the defensive belt of the forts reached 53 kilometers by the time of the final battles. Even during the First World War, the defense was strengthened by the construction of intermediate fortifications between the forts. The forts had, in general, the following design: a main barracks surrounded by a moat and a drawbridge with an entrance device. The main barracks was covered by an earthen embankment, 3-4 meters thick, which protected it from fire even from modern medium-caliber artillery pieces. At the top there was an open position from which the main fire of the fort had previously been conducted. Later, special artillery positions were built nearby for batteries adjacent to the fort. The brick used for construction was fired several times, thereby achieving increased strength. Thus, these old fortifications were quite reliable protection, including from modern artillery. However, their disadvantage was that the ability to observe and fire from there was very limited. Having an entrance from the back, they were a real mousetrap. During World War I, Russian cavalry reconnaissance reached the very gates of Koenigsberg in August 1914; the fortress was not particularly important even then. However, given the very fact of its existence, the Russians at that time were advancing in East Prussia at a relatively slow pace, which created the conditions for the Battle of Tannenberg.

And in World War II, the Russians showed too much honor to the Konigsberg fortress. Only after three months of fighting before the fall of Koenigsberg, having gathered 5 armies, did they decide on the final battle. In general, only in combination with the defensive position on the Daimyo Line and in the Heilsberg Triangle, Königsberg was a fortress in the modern sense of the word. It ceased to be such when the defense could rely only on the belt of forts of 1882 (and this is exactly what happened in the spring of 1945). The defensive system of Königsberg itself included the following fortifications:

1. Defensive line of the forefield: in the south: Gutenfeld - Ludwigswalde - Bergau - Heide - Waldburg. in the north: Palmburg - Kleinheide - Trutenau - Moditten.

2. Front line of defense: along the line of old forts in front of the ring highway.

3. Defensive fortifications on the city outskirts.

4. In the city: fortifications for individual and group defense of houses, basements, etc.

The construction of direct defensive structures began, strictly speaking, only at the end of December 1944, when an order was received to focus attention on the fortress itself. Therefore, much of what could have been built during a long war turned out to be impossible. In addition, in terms of providing resources, the front, of course, always stood in the foreground, and for it something had to be given from the reserves of the fortress.

The defensive line of the forefield, which consisted of trenches and some wire fences, was basically prepared for combat operations. However, due to the strong onslaught of the enemy and the impossibility of occupying it entirely, this position was of little justification. From the beginning of January 1945, the main attention was paid to the belt of forts, which was equipped as the front line of defense.

As for construction, due to a lack of forces and resources, unfavorable weather and limited time, it was no longer possible to do anything particularly significant in the old forts. However, we were able to supplement them with field fortifications - machine gun and rifle nests were equipped on the crests of the ramparts, firing sectors were cleared, firing points and wire barriers were arranged on the glacis, pressure mines were placed. The ring of forts was closed with anti-tank ditches. Anti-tank guns, intended to flank the anti-tank ditches and, above all, the glacis of the forts, arrived from Berlin too late.

The barracks of the forts, which even before December were partially occupied by administrative bodies and the like, were in a suitable condition. The roads leading from the line of forts to the city were mined and equipped with electric anti-tank barriers. The following 19th-century fortifications also played a role in the battles on the outskirts of the city on April 8-9: the Haberberg and Friedland ravelins, the Friedland Gate, the Pregel bastion, part of the field fortifications, the Lithuania bastion, the ramparts between Pregel and Oberteich, Sackheim and the Royal Gate, the Grolman bastion with the defensive barracks "Kronprinz", the Rossgarten Gate, the Don Tower, the Wrangel Tower, the forward fortification "Bettgershefchen", the Sternwarte bastion, the sally gate.

In the next chapter, General Lyash recalls the military operations of his troops on the territory of the Soviet Union from 1941 to 1944. In 1944 he was sent to the Western Front, to France. In October 1944, Lyash received a five-week sick leave and came to East Prussia, in Osterode.

TRIP TO KONIGSBERG LETTER 57 Dear friend! Since you, I hope, are very curious to know what kind of news it was that made us so happy, I will begin my current letter with the satisfaction of this curiosity of yours and say that it was as follows. How we

ENTRANCE TO KONIGSBERG Letter 58 Dear friend! Since with our arrival in Konigsberg a new and especially memorable period of my life began, then, before describing my stay in this city, may I be allowed from you, dear friend, to preface some

KONIGSBERG LETTER 79 Dear friend! We celebrated both Christmastide and the beginning of 1760 in the usual way - with many amusements, and our general, being a hunter for them, and besides having the need for his love intrigues with Countess Keyserlingsha, this time did not

2. Koenigsberg - Korolevets

Postscript to the short story “Konigsberg-Korolevets”: my interview with RIA Novosti on June 23, 2004 about the book by K. Scott-Clark and A. Levy “The Amber Room” I am one of those people who have very close friendly ties with Great Britain. I have visited many times

“My home is my fortress” At first, people lived on one large land and were sociable, benevolent, and hardworking. They cultivated fields, inhabited forests and mountains. We moved along rivers. And finally they came to the sea. They began to swim in the sea. The islands were discovered. They settled them. And they separated!

My home is my fortress My home is my fortress! Clear for everyone. But in construction you need success. My home is my castle! I'll lock it up. Constipation, of course, requires a fence. The fence, of course, needs a Dog. In addition to the dog, of course, a wife. There are already three of us, We -

Chronicle of the battles for East Prussia and Koenigsberg 1944-1945 August 1944. The offensive launched by the Russians on June 21 was stopped in early August at the borders of East Prussia. August 26-27, 1944. A night raid by British aircraft on Koenigsberg causes severe damage to the northern

Moscow - Koenigsberg Lily and Krasnoshchekov were one of the most discussed love couples in Moscow; Lily did not hide anything; it would be against her nature and principles. But if she hardly paid attention to the gossip around this novel, then the rumors about the embezzlement that began

Their home and fortress

Fortress Mid-seventies. In Arkady Natanovich's desk there are several completely finished, unpublished things. However, no one in the USSR is in a hurry to print them - they have fallen out of favor. One of his friends is visiting Arkady Natanovich. “Well, at least someone would show up,” says

KONIGSBERG The formation of senior lieutenant Zinaida Shepitko, by the spring of 1945, became part of one of the armies of the 3rd Belorussian Front, which was aimed at storming and capturing Konigsberg. Preparation and then carrying out the operation to capture the fortress and capital of the Eastern

KONIGSBERG The Tehran Conference has ended. Judging by the dates of his service, the newly minted General Nikolai Grigorievich Kravchenko is again sent to war, but to war in the deep rear, as if they are hiding a deserved man who unexpectedly found

Veshki - Kyiv - Koenigsberg January 3rd is the youngest one - Masha's birthday. Joy! A week later it’s completely different in the heart. I looked around, talked to the district committee members and was horrified. Things are bad in the area. The ranks of district officials have thinned out. Lugovoy, for example, was promoted to the regional committee. Badly

Chapter 4. KONIGSBERG In Konigsberg, two very different people appeared at the Arsenyevs at different times and independently of each other. Both of them were prisoners of war. Their names were Pyotr Khomutin (everyone called him Petka) and Nikolai Shestakov. The first appeared at the beginning of 1943, the second - before

Koenigsberg The fortified city of Koenigsberg, the capital of East Prussia, was well prepared for long-term resistance to the attackers. As we were told before the assault, the city was surrounded by three lines of defense, the first of which, the outer one, consisted of 15 old forts,

Wawel Castle has stood majestically above the Vistula for almost a millennium. Over its long history, the castle has witnessed many events and survived dozens of wars, destruction, fires and reconstructions. Wawel is a symbol of Poland and a place of special significance for the Polish people.

In the 11th century, on the site of Wawel there was a fortified settlement of the Vistula tribe. In the 14th century, Krakow became the capital of the Polish state, and Wawel the royal residence. Officially, Krakow was considered the capital until 1795, but after the monarch moved to Warsaw in 1609, in fact, it was not one; Polish kings continued to be crowned in Krakow.

The impetus for the move was a severe fire at Wawel Castle, which King Sigismund III simply decided not to restore. They say that he was a noble alchemist, he was looking for the secret of the Philosopher's Stone, and the fire happened because of his alchemical experiments in a laboratory set up in one of the halls of the castle.

The Royal Castle. On the left is the Jordan Tower, on the right is a complex of three towers - the Danish Tower, the Chicken Leg and the Tower of Sigismund III Vasa, and right behind the wall is the royal garden.

Memorial "Katyn Cross" at the Church of St. Egidio. According to legend, the temple was built by Prince Vladislav in gratitude to God for the birth of his son. However, research has shown that the building was built in the first half of the 14th century. In the 19th century, redevelopment began in Krakow: the defensive fortifications of the Old Town and many dilapidated buildings were demolished. The Church of St. Egidio was also planned to be destroyed, but the city residents opposed it and managed to defend the temple.

During the Swedish Flood, the castle was partially destroyed and looted; after Poland lost its independence, it generally fell into the hands of practical Austrians, who stationed a cavalry garrison in it. The Polish public could not tolerate such an attitude towards the national shrine. A ransom was collected - 3,504,609 Austrian crowns, which was paid to the Austrian government for Wawel. In 1905, Austrian soldiers abandoned the castle, and in 1911, the whole of Wawel. Restoration work began after World War I and continued for several decades.

Senator's Tower.

During World War II, the castle was the residence of the German Governor-General Hans Frank. In the ancient rooms and halls of the royal palace, the Nazis set up offices and apartments for their officials. When Frank had to flee Krakow under the pressure of the Soviet Army in 1945, he still managed to order that all buildings on Wawel and the best monuments in Krakow be mined. And only the lightning march of the Soviet troops saved both Krakow and Wawel. Marshal Konev, who carried out this brilliant maneuver, was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the City of Krakow as a sign of gratitude and recognition of his services.

Sandomierz Tower.

Exhibition and Conference Center. Former Austrian military hospital. The building was built according to the design of the architect Felix Ksenzharsky in 1853-1856.

On the left in the panorama are the buildings of the seminary and the cathedral museum (covered with a tiled roof), the vicarage (green roof), then the Cathedral of Saints Stanislaus and Wenceslas and the building of the royal kitchens, behind which is the royal castle itself.

Wawel Cathedral once hosted coronations, and today the remains of Polish monarchs rest. From the original building of the temple, only part of the tower of the Silver Bells and the crypt of St. Leonard have been preserved; the current building was erected in the 14th century. In the center of the cathedral stands the Altar of the Fatherland, on which the monarchs of Poland placed war trophies. Not far from the altar are the royal stone sarcophagi and the tomb of Casimir Jagielon.

One of the towers houses the largest Sigismund bell in Poland. Residents of the city believe that at the time when this ringing is heard, you need to make a wish, and it will certainly come true. Another romantic belief promises young girls who touch the huge tongue of “Sigismund”, weighing 365 kg and held by giant leather straps, to get married soon.

In the 20th century, the Wawel See became famous because its bishop was Karol Wojtyla, the future Pope John Paul II.

Photography is prohibited inside the cathedral. A very strange ban that always surprises me.

In front of the entrance to the cathedral hang...bones. These are mammoth bones. According to popular belief, the bones of such a strange animal bring prosperity and peace to the land on which they are located.

On the gates of Wawel Cathedral there is a stylized letter K. Among the residents of the city, this symbol is much more popular than the official symbols.

Copper model of Wawel Castle and Krakow.

Almost in the center of the panorama is the Thieves (Zlodeyskaya) Tower - one of the three fully preserved Wawel towers, which was used as a prison. It was built under Casimir the Great. In the sixteenth century, the tower was destroyed by fire and then renovated several times. In the mid-nineteenth century, it was rebuilt by the Austrians, like other Wawel towers. In 1950-1951 it was restored to its eighteenth-century condition according to a project prepared under the leadership of Witold Minkevich.

In the foreground are the foundations of buildings destroyed at the beginning of the 19th century: the Church of St. Michael, the House of the Housekeeper Kowalski, the House of Canon Stanislav Bork, the Church of St. George.

The arcaded courtyard of the castle. Each tier is of a different height, but the proportions are found so successfully that the entire courtyard is permeated by a feeling of perfect harmony and lightness. Next to where I'm standing is the entrance to the room where Leonardo da Vinci's painting "Lady with an Ermine" is being shown.

Filming inside the castle is also prohibited.

The interior halls are hung with ancient tapestries made in Brussels by order of King Sigismund the Old - 365 pieces, exactly the number of days in the year. During the wars, the Krakow authorities hid them either in the mountains or in monasteries; some of the tapestries were burned in fires. One day the king wanted to replenish the treasury and pawned the tapestries in Gdansk, but the Sejm bought the shrine and from then on only rented them out to the kings!

After the war between the Bolsheviks and the White Poles, the tapestries ended up in the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg, but later the Soviets had to return them to their rightful owners. At the beginning of World War II, the tapestries were hidden from the Nazis, taken first to Romania, then to Canada, and returned to Wawel in 1961.

Fragments of paintings depicting portraits of Roman emperors in medallions, floral ornaments and decorative compositions on ancient themes have been preserved to this day on the walls of the southern and eastern wings of the castle.

Forged copper drain in the shape of a dragon's head.

One of the most interesting halls in the castle is the Ambassadorial Hall, which is famous for its unique ceiling, in the niches of which there are carved wooden heads of courtiers, which is why the hall was also called “Under the Heads”. Once there were one hundred and ninety-four of them, only thirty have survived to this day - the rest burned down during a strong fire in Wawel in the 17th century.

Once, when the king was holding court in the Ambassadorial Hall, for some reason he sentenced an innocent man to death. Then the mouth of one of the wooden heads opened and said: “Rex Auguste, judica juste!” (“King Augustus, judge fairly!”).

Above the entrance to the store there is such a funny figurine of an angel. He holds scales in his hands, on the bowls of which he rests his feet.

The walls of the castle are covered with ivy.

At the other entrance to the castle there is an equestrian monument to the leader of the 1794 uprising, Tadeusz Kościuszko. During World War II, when the temporary headquarters of the Nazis was located in the castle, a German general ordered the demolition of the monument, which was immediately carried out, and at the end of the war, a copy of the destroyed monument was cast in Germany and brought to Wawel, only the German horse turned out to be fatter than the Polish one and Kosciuszko changed the horse to a more well-fed one :)

Under the wall, Russell Crowe works part-time as a medieval knight.

This lion guards the entrance to the tomb under the Tower of Silver Bells, where Polish President Lech Kaczynski and his wife Maria are buried.

They died in a plane crash near Smolensk airport. A delegation consisting of political, military, public and religious figures of Poland flew with the president. There were 89 passengers and 7 crew members on board the plane. The purpose of the visit was to visit the Katyn Memorial near Smolensk on the day of the 70th anniversary of the Katyn massacre.

Marshal Jozef Pilsudski, a Polish statesman and political figure, the first head of the revived Polish state, the founder of the Polish army, is buried in the second room of the tomb.

View of the Vistula from Wawel Hill.

In the distance you can see the Church of St. Svyatoslav Kostka.

And we go underground, into the cave of the dragon Smoke. There are several versions of the legend about the dragon, but my friend told the real, terrible story about human cruelty ren_ar . I highly recommend reading it.

The total length of the dungeons is 270 meters, of which 81 are tourist routes. The most interesting, as always, was hidden (
The first information about the cave appeared in the Polish Chronicle in the 12th/13th century thanks to Master Vincent. After the death of the dragon, this was one of the most famous passages into the castle.

In the 17th-18th centuries, a famous tavern was located in the cave - it was often described in travel notes by famous travelers and foreign diplomats.

With the partition of Poland, when Wawel Hill was occupied by Austrian troops, the cave was closed, and the lower entrances to it were walled up.

At the exit from the cave we are greeted by the dragon himself, who spews fire every 5 minutes or by SMS by phone 7168 with the text “smok”. He has to earn his living somehow, right?

There is a legend that a mysterious stone is hidden in Wawel - a source of unusually powerful energy. Hindus believe that there are seven main energy centers on our planet that give a person unprecedented strength. As if the god Shiva once scattered seven stones to the seven cardinal directions. And it seems that one of these stones is now hidden somewhere in the thickness of the Wawel Hill. They say that it is located in the dungeon of the western wing of the royal castle, in the chapel of St. Gereon, which does not exist today.

Once a month, gala concerts of ancient music from the series “Wawel Evenings” are given in the Senator’s Hall; on “Days of Krakow” performances are staged in the castle courtyard. And on the night of Ivan Kupala, at the foot of the castle along the Vistula, according to ancient Slavic custom, maiden wreaths and boats decorated with colorful lights float, by the way, today is June 21, the day of the summer solstice.

Everyone who has visited Wawel, having learned its history, everyday life and holidays, takes with them an unfading memory of it.

To be continued...

The history of Königsberg begins with the Royal Castle of the same name. The castle was a symbol of Koenigsberg, and it remains so to this day; it is printed on souvenirs, people write and talk about it. But he's not there...

The royal castle was founded in 1255 - shortly after King Ottokar's campaign in Sambia. It was originally built from wood.
In 1262, an outer defensive wall was built from stones. It covered the entire rectangle of the castle. Later, inside, a second row of walls was built up to 2 meters thick and up to 8 meters high. The castle was built from huge boulders at the base, and then from ceramic bricks and field stones, the so-called “Vendian masonry”. Everything was held together with a special solution. The defensive walls ended with a crenellated top. On the northern side of the castle 4 large towers were built, in the north-west a corner tower was erected and in the east another powerful quadrangular Lidelau tower was built. Further to the east there was another large quadrangular tower - it was called “At the Grain House”.
Subsequently, the Royal Castle was constantly rebuilt and completed, thereby expanding and decorating. And already in the Middle Ages it was a powerful, impregnable fortress. However, when its walls ceased to be protection from cannons, they sheltered a collection of works of art and valuable libraries. Gradually the castle became the cultural center of the Prussian lands.
The turning point in the development of the castle came in 1525, when the palace became the official residence of the first secular ruler of Prussia. Administrative premises, ceremonial and residential quarters for the duchess and the court were needed. The medieval decoration of the premises looked old-fashioned; the Renaissance was coming into fashion.
On January 18, 1701, after the coronation of Frederick III, the castle became a royal residence - and remained so for two centuries, until 1918, when Emperor Wilhelm II was overthrown as a result of the revolution in Germany.
The building had a maximum length of 104 meters and a width of 66.8 meters. The tallest building in the city - the Castle Tower, 84.5 meters high, was rebuilt in 1864-1866 in the Gothic style.
In 1924, the castle was converted into a museum complex. It housed the city art gallery, the Prussian Museum and the Museum of the Order, and the Office for the Protection of Monuments.
There are many photographs left of this magnificent work of architectural art, there are even photos of its interior decoration. Here are some of them.

I found a film compiled from photographs of the Royal Castle. Lasts 10 minutes, but worth watching, very beautiful

In 1942, part of the Amber Room, which fascist troops took from the Catherine Palace in Pushkino, was exhibited in the Royal Palace.

In August 1944, when Koenigsberg was bombed by our allies, the castle burned, leaving only charred walls. But the façade of the castle remained undamaged, and was slightly damaged during the assault on Konigsberg in April 1945.
This is the state in which our state received it.

Eyewitnesses say that the Royal Castle was destroyed in stages. Immediately after the war, a stone crusher started working on its territory: bricks were prepared. Constant vibration, as well as snow and rain, led to the fact that on the night of December 14-15, 1952, the upper floors of the main tower collapsed, right onto the roadway. After this, for some time they still tried to preserve the remains of the tower, but... the city authorities ordered: to blow it up! And with the help of 810 kg of TNT, the tower, along with the entire southern wing of the castle, disappeared forever. It was blown up between February 12 and March 10, 1953.
Explosion of the main tower of the royal castle in the winter of 1953

But the western wing remained.

But at that time the fate of the Royal Castle had not yet been finally decided. On the one hand, the chief architect of Kaliningrad P.V. Timokhin believed that “the city of Koenigsberg and the Koenigsberg region will not be reconstructed.” And he wrote to the Secretary of the Central Committee of the All-Union Communist Party (Bolsheviks) Malenkov: “I ask you to give instructions to create a republican center for dismantling buildings in Kaliningrad, which could centrally supply building materials obtained from dismantling any construction site in the country. Only in Kaliningrad can you get from dismantling destroyed buildings, about two billion pieces of brick, thanks to which it is possible to save the main capital investment for the construction of 20-25 brick factories."
On the other hand, since the beginning of the 50s, the clearing of rubble in the city center was in full swing, and Leninsky Avenue was being developed.
The castle, reduced to ruins, stood for several more years. Until Kosygin, the then chairman of the Council of Ministers of the USSR, visiting the Kaliningrad region, asked the then first secretary of the regional committee of the CPSU Konovalov: “What is this in your city center?”
He allegedly replied: “Here we are going to restore the castle and open it to the local history museum.” To which Kosygin allegedly barked: “Museum for what?!” Prussian militarism?! May he not be here tomorrow!” And Konovalov begins to act.
On June 6, 1966, the decision “On the detailed planning project for the city center” appeared. With Konovalov’s resolution: “Approve. The House of Soviets should be located on the territory of the former Royal Castle.” The verdict is final and cannot be appealed. “The rotten tooth of Prussian militarism must be pulled out!!!” - a catchphrase that seems to belong to Konovalov.
For example, Marienburg Castle in Malbork. The Second World War left smoking ruins on the site of the castle, but the Polish authorities decided to restore the castle to its pre-war appearance.

On the ruins of the “cradle of Prussian militarism” a completely new, beautiful Soviet city was to be erected, which would become a monument to the great victory. What restoration of the castle could we be talking about?...
And here it is, a monument - a new symbol of Kaliningrad - the House of Soviets, unfinished with broken windows, still standing.

In 2001, the study of the foundations of Königsberg Castle began, the project was financed by the German magazine "Der Spiegel". Excavations were carried out until 2008, when the project was curtailed and funding ceased, as the management of the German magazine could not find common ground with the regional Government. Now the excavated ruins are slowly being destroyed by rain and wind, covered only by a small, drafty canopy. Now there are excursions there.

I read one version that I found interesting. Perhaps fragments of the Royal Castle have survived to this day - this is the fence. Look how similar they are...
Fragment of the promenade of the Royal Castle.

Fence near KSTU

This fence did not exist near Victory Square in Koenigsberg, and it appeared only in the 50s. But it is unlikely that something similar would have been built in the Soviet era. There is an assumption that it was dismantled and moved.
I would like to end this sad story, as they say, on an optimistic note. There are projects for the restoration of the Royal Castle, which means there is hope that it will appear in its place. Here is one of the projects

With the creation of the German Empire, Prussia fades into the background, becoming a province of the newly formed state. Königsberg still remains its capital, and the Royal Castle is the royal residence, since the Kaisers are de facto and de jure kings of these lands. The center of all important events is transferred to Berlin, the capital of Germany, while the city on the Pregel lives in relative peace. And the further narrative will be closely intertwined with the stories of the entire empire, because it cannot be otherwise.

Bismarck's Empire, also known as the Second Reich, was federal in nature. According to the new constitution, the state included twenty-two monarchies, including Prussia, Bavaria, Saxony, the great duchies of Baden and Hesse and other lands, along with free cities. Each of these subjects, according to the adopted constitution, had a certain independence.

At the head of the empire was the Kaiser - first among equals, the King of Prussia. On behalf of the entire empire, he could declare war and make peace, appoint and dismiss officials of the state administration, including the head of government - the chancellor.

Parliament was divided into two chambers - upper and lower. The upper house was called the Bundesrat and consisted of representatives of the states that were part of the empire, and the representatives from Prussia were personally appointed by the Kaiser. He also exercised general leadership through the Imperial Chancellor. In fact, it was the executive power, the decree of which had the force equivalent to the force of law.

The lower house was called the Reichstag. Representatives to it were elected through general and direct elections, with secret voting, for a period of three years. Its creation was necessary to deprive neighboring states of the opportunity to declare that the empire was created by force, and not from the general will of the peoples included in it. The power of the Reichstag was insignificant, moreover, the Bundesrat could easily dissolve it by decree, which subsequently happened quite often, but, nevertheless, not a single law concerning the internal structure could be adopted without his participation.

South wall of the Royal Castle:

Courtyard:

In Germany, a favorable environment is developing for conducting all kinds of research, especially related to military affairs, which is facilitated by the rapid development of progress. In 1860, the technology of rifled artillery appeared, and the firing range of guns increased significantly. And this served as an impetus for improving the construction of fortresses. The enemy had to be stopped long before he approached the city within shooting distance. And since 1872, the construction of a ring of the same type of defensive forts with a length of approximately forty kilometers began in Konigsberg, protecting the city center, most of which have survived to this day. Twelve large and five small forts were built at a distance of approximately four kilometers from each other, each of which was named after German generals and kings. The main construction was completed by 1876.

Plan of Fort X, "Kanitz"

While ruling the empire, Otto von Bismarck ruled with an iron fist, for which he received the nickname “Iron Chancellor”. In 1873, he began reforms of law, government, finance and education. The last of these reforms led to conflict with the Roman Catholic Church, given that the population of Germany consisted mainly of Catholics, and Prussia did not betray Protestantism, this was not surprising. The confrontation reached a critical point and the chancellor took tough measures, starting the “Kulturkampf” - the fight against the dominance of the Catholic Church. Many bishops and priests fell into disgrace and were arrested. Schools were separated from the church, civil marriage was introduced, and the Jesuits were expelled from Germany.

Under his leadership, any political alliances that could harm the interests of Germany were suppressed, good relations were maintained with all the great powers, in particular alliances were concluded with Austria-Hungary, Russia, England and Italy, in various combinations. All these actions were aimed at keeping France, humiliated and hurt by recent losses, isolated, and to maintain the status quo in the Balkans and the Middle East.

The rapidly developing industry gave birth to a working class, which by this time could no longer exist in the conditions in which it found itself. The workers' socialist movement is gaining strength, becoming a serious threat to the state. In 1878, socialists made an attempt on the Emperor's life. Enraged by this, Bismarck passed through the Reichstag the “Socialist Law,” which prohibited the activities of Social Democratic parties. Dozens of newspapers and societies are closing. These measures, of course, could not isolate the masses of the proletariat from the influence of parties, but for some time they distracted them from revolutionary sentiments. A year later, the Chancellor goes into open confrontation with the liberals, completely pushing them out of politics, and subsequently relies on a coalition of large landowners to pass laws in their interests.

In Königsberg, horse-drawn carriages opened in 1881 - transporting passengers on rails in carriages driven by horses. This was the first sign of the beginning of democratic public transport.

Horse-drawn:

Tram prototype car:

On Bridge:

Until the end of his days, the Kaiser was a supporter of friendship between Germany and Russia; he said that if someone from his circle tried to turn against the Russian Empire, it would be regarded as high treason. And the chancellor, acting for the benefit of the state, always remained within the framework of the existing balance of power in the world.

After the death of William I on March 9, 1888, his son Frederick III ascended the throne, but ninety-nine days after the coronation he died of illness, passing the throne to his son William II, which he took on June 15, 1888. This was the year known as the year of the three Kaisers.

The Dowager Empress, the mother of the Kaiser who ascended the throne, will write shortly after the coronation: “I mourn for Germany, now it will become different. Our son is young, blinded, obsessed. He will choose the wrong path and allow bad people to persuade him to bad deeds.” As history has shown, her words turned out to be prophetic.

Kaiser Wilhelm II and his wife, Kaiserina Augusta Victoria:

William II was born with a physical disability and the constant struggle with the disease made him a strong and stubborn man. The first manifesto issued by William II was an appeal to the army and navy, which stated that he was ready to fight side by side with them so that not a single inch of German territory would be lost. It was understood that he was faithful to the course of his ancestors and the militarization of the country would continue, the ultimate goal being the establishment of world domination of Germany. While in Königsberg, he said: “The Prussian king is able to maintain peace, and I know that whoever wants to break it will receive a lesson that he will remember a hundred years later.” Bismarck was still in power, but the new emperor did not want to be in the shadow of this great man. At one of the banquets he said: “There is one, only one master in the country - that’s me, and I won’t tolerate another.” A little later, taking advantage of significant disagreements over changes to the Socialist Law, Wilhelm II forced the Chancellor to resign. On March 18, 1890, Otto von Bismarck left his post, which caused great concern in neighboring states, because it was with his figure that the future of diplomacy in Europe was associated.

Otto von Bismarck:

Leo von Caprivi, a Prussian general, is appointed to the post of chancellor, but real power, equal, perhaps, only to the power of the Turkish Sultan or the Russian Tsar, solely belonged to the Kaiser, who did not want to share it with anyone and until the end of his reign six more chancellors, former his “errand boys.” The political course completely departs from the methods used by Bismarck, nullifying all his foreign policy achievements.

The Emperor of Germany does not tolerate any criticism and explodes at any reason, while considering himself infallible, the ruler of God's grace. He fiercely opposes any attack on his rule, including the working class. Giving a speech in 1894 in Königsberg, he called on the nation to fight for “religion, morality and order” against subversive parties. Declaring at the same time that the soldiers must unquestioningly obey his will and if they receive an order, they must “kill their fathers and brothers.” Later, when his law “On Subversive Elements” did not pass through the Reichstag, he exclaimed: “Now we have nothing left but rifle fire in the first instance and grapeshot in the second!”

In Königsberg in 1893, Hermann Theodor Hoffmann was appointed to the post of mayor. Under him, factories and factories were actively built in the city, in pursuit of the ever-increasing needs of the city and the military industry. In 1895, the first electric tram was launched on the route. And the city becomes the first in Germany where public transport is owned not by private owners, but by the municipality. A year after this, to the delight of the residents, he opens the gates.

The first electric trams near the castle walls:

Tram on the bridge:

:

Wilhelm passionately desires a redivision of the world in which Germany would play a leading role. Dominion of the seas became one of his priorities, England, with its primacy at sea, became one of the main enemies of the empire, not yet clearly, without open confrontation, but the first steps towards challenging it are already being taken. The country begins building a fleet that will have no equal in the whole world. At the same time, the ground forces are only slightly improved. Forces are gradually concentrated on the borders with potential opponents; the Kaiser in 1898 wrote: “In East Prussia, I must keep one army corps on the border against three Russian armies and nine cavalry divisions, from which no Chinese wall surrounds me.”

Eastern wall of the Royal Castle, with gates:

Kaiser's soldiers at the Eastern wall of the castle:

The Kaiser personally supervises the construction of each warship. General management of the creation of the fleet was entrusted to the initiator of the construction program approved in 1898 by the Reichstag, State Secretary of the Naval Department Alfred von Tirpitz. According to the adopted plan, 19 battleships, 8 coastal defense battleships, 12 heavy and light cruisers were to be built, and two years later the program was doubled. And in 1900, a statement was made publicly: “The ocean is necessary for the greatness of Germany... Now not a single important decision in the world can be made without Germany and the German emperor... And to use everything for this... including the most tough measures are not only my duty, but also my most pleasant privilege.”

In the same year, construction of a small railway was completed in Koenigsberg, connecting the capital of Prussia with resort pearls on the coast. The routes were launched: Koenigsberg - Neuhausen (Gurievsk) - Curonian Lagoon and Koenigsberg - Neukuren (Pionersky) - Rauschen (Svetlogorsk). Construction of a modern harbor began and the city became a major trading center, through which hundreds of tons of cargo pass every day. One hundred and ninety thousand people lived in the city.

Vessel on Pregel:

Work on the vessel:

Wilhelm saw an opportunity to consolidate his policy of moving towards warmer seas in the Turkish direction, expanding influence in the Middle East and rapprochement with Austria-Hungary, largely thanks to the efforts of the Caprivi. All these actions were openly directed against Russia. According to the new doctrine, cooperation between the Teutons and the Slavs became inappropriate.

History has never known a more unreasonable ruler in foreign policy with such enormous power. Getting involved in all world conflicts, he either warns the world against the “yellow danger”, then demands the annexation of Mozambique, then declares himself the patron saint of all Muslims, then dreams of creating a colony in South America, then promises the US protection of California from Japan, then demands rapprochement with Russia and France against England, then with England, even through concessions to the colonies, then... He declares that: “I finally understood what the future awaits us Germans, what our mission is!... We will become the leaders of the East in the fight against the West! ... Once we explain to the Germans that the British and French are not white at all, but black, and we will be able to rouse the Germans against this gang!” Wilhelm changes his political course ten times a year. His mind made up dozens of combinations in which some sides became allies, others opponents, and after a couple of days everything changed and those who seemed allies became enemies in this situation. It was simply impossible to predict possible developments. But one thing was certain - day after day, year after year, Germany was preparing for war.

Troops at the barracks:

Wilhelm II sought by all means to remove Russia from influence in matters of European politics. And he, in his letters to Nicholas II, tries to push the latter to get involved in the war in the east: “Russia... must strive to reach the sea and have an ice-free harbor for its trade... In the Far East you cannot come to terms with such a situation (lack of Pacific ports). Therefore, it is clear to any unprejudiced person that Korea should and will be Russian.” This letter was followed by the Manifesto of Nicholas II declaring war on Japan, which became known as the Russo-Japanese War of 1905-1907. However, oddly enough, contrary to the wishes of the German, the events that took place further strengthened Russia’s authority in Europe, and a completely unexpected turn for him was that the Russian Empire moved towards rapprochement with Great Britain.

Koenigsberg continued to modernize. In 1905, the Kaiser-Brücke Bridge was built across the Pregel arm, connecting the island of Lomse with the densely populated area south of the island of Kneiphof. The following year the bridge on the Schlossteich was reconstructed. In 1907, a powerful power plant was put into operation in the Kosee area, which gave a new impetus to the development of the industrial potential of Koenigsberg. On December 12, the brainchild of the naval development program, the cruiser christened “Königsberg” by the then mayor of the city, Dr. Siegfried Körte, was launched from the stocks in Kiel. This elegant and powerful ship appeared in the city’s port more than once during the celebration of its founding.

Kaiser-Brücke Bridge:

View from the bridge:

Cruiser "Konigsberg"

England, realizing the growing threat to its dominance in the seas, is getting involved in an arms race, declaring that for every warship built by the Germans it will build two. Dreadnought fever begins. In the matter of shipbuilding, a significant impetus followed after the Battle of Tsushima, the experience of which, studied by dozens of strategists, politicians and military engineers, was realized in the idea - big ships, big guns. England, taking this experience into account and using newly invented turbines, built the most powerful and fastest ship at that time - the Dreadnought.

In 1910, having once again visited the Royal Castle, Wilhelm II said: “It was here that my grandfather again placed, by his own right, the crown of the Prussian kings on his head, once again showing those clearly that he owns it solely by the grace of the Almighty, and not by mercy Parliaments, national assemblies or plebiscites", quite unequivocally hinting that his power is based on the will of heaven and does not depend on human laws. These words caused discontent in society, but even then the faithful chancellor Theobald von Bethmann-Hollweg managed to smooth out the corners.

Schlossteich promenade:

Trade at the port:

In the spring of 1912, the British government sent the Secretary of Defense to Berlin with a proposal to slow down the arms race. But all proposals were rudely rejected, the emperor declared: “My patience and the patience of the German people has run out.” To which the government of Foggy Albion directly stated that in the event of war, England would side with France and Russia, its eternal enemies.

When the fatal shots were fired in Sarajevo, Germany had only one ally - Austria-Hungary, while its allied countries Romania, Greece and Italy declared their neutrality. The blame for starting the war lies entirely with William II. With his pressure, he actually forced Austria-Hungary to start a war against Serbia, fully confident that Russia would not interfere in the war because of the “regicides.” “Serbia is a gang of robbers that needs to be punished for murder,” “It’s time to deal with the Serbs, and as soon as possible,” he wrote. And after Austria rejects the answer to its ultimatum, on July 28, 1914, a war begins, called the First World War.

The Kaiser has waited in the wings, here it is, the opportunity to show these presumptuous states their place in history, the place of the conquered and humiliated at his feet, here is the opportunity to test the strength that has been gathering for so long in action. And the people, his united people, will follow him to the end: “I don’t know any parties anymore, I only know the Germans!”

Prussia was the only one of the German provinces where military operations were carried out. But Koenigsberg itself was spared the war, and its forts peacefully dozed throughout the war. Only at the beginning of the war were Russian troops able to approach Tapiau (Gvardeysk), but were then driven back to the Masurian swamps. The second army of General Samsonov was defeated, commander Rannenkampf was declared a traitor, Russian troops, left without support and clear command, died in thousands on the battlefields.

Given the power of the German navy, Russian military strategists, considering a naval war in the Baltic, relied on the use of mines. And on the minefields placed on the approaches to Memel, Polangen, Pillau and the Bay of Danzig, Germany lost several large warships. At the end of 1915, after studying military operations at sea, Wilhelm wrote: “The war in the Baltic Sea is very rich in losses without corresponding successes.”

In the war, the Kaiser personally showed himself to be a very weak strategist. Having at his disposal the most modern fleet at that time, he was afraid to use it and, during all four years of hostilities, the naval armada remained in the ports. Since he was unable to establish himself and achieve any significant success in the role of commander-in-chief, control of military operations passes to the main headquarters. After being appointed chief of staff of Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg on August 29, 1916, he was completely removed from command.

Paul von Hindenburg:

On March 3, 1918, in Brest, after well-known events in Russia, a peace treaty was signed and the Soviets left the war, but this could no longer stop anything in the balance of power.

In August 1918, it became finally clear that the war was lost, and Wilhelm began to seek peace with the countries of the Entente, which, seeing its success, refused him. In the fall, a revolution breaks out in the troops and navy. Unrest engulfs Berlin and the Kaiser, clinging to the hope of preventing his fall, orders his generals to lead troops to Berlin to quell the unrest. Hindenburg rejects his order and Wilhelm II flees the capital to Holland, where he lived for the rest of his life. On November 28, 1918, he abdicates the throne, thus becoming the last Kaiser of Germany, as well as the man who destroyed four empires - Russian, German, Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian. Thus ends the imperial period in the history of the Royal Castle, Königsberg and East Prussia. To be continued…

South wall:

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