Sackheim Gate

The current building of the Sackheim Gate was built in the middle of the 19th century. However, the first gate on this place was built during the construction of the first fortification of Königsberg at the beginning of the 17th century. Until the end of the 19th century, while gross fortifications existed, the gate served as a checkpoint at the entrance to the city. After the barrages were destroyed, the defense function was lost and the barrages became a kind of the triumphal arch analogue. At the beginning of the 20th century, the gates were sold by the military department to the city. After that, a part of the casemates was demolished and residential houses were added to the gate. After World War II, the gate began to be used as a warehouse. This function was performed until 2006. At the same time, the gate has the status of a historical monument of Federal importance. In 2006, the restoration of the gate began. 

After restoration will be completed, it was planned to transfer the gate to the Federal state institution «Center for Standardization and Metrology». The Sackheim Gate has one passage in the form of an arch. In the past, there were also smaller arches on the sides, which may have been pedestrian walkways, but they have not survived to the present day. At the corners of the gate there are four towers: two round from the city and octahedral from the outside. On the city side, the gates were decorated with high reliefs by Johann David Ludwig York and Friedrich Wilhelm Bülow, from the outside – with the image of a black eagle (the Order of the Black Eagle was the highest award of Prussia). 

 In 2013, the Sackheim Gate was placed under the control of the Kaliningrad Union of Photo Artists, together with a group of curators initiated the creation of an art platform called «the Gate» . A large-scale reconstruction was carried out inside the building: windows were installed, communications were held, in 2015 a second floor was built.