The Black Lady in Charlottenburg Palace

Sophie Charlotte, daughter of Ernst August of Hanover and sister of George I of England, married in 1684 the Brandenburg elector-prince Friedrich. He became King in Prussia in 1701; she first queen. Philosophically trained, French, Italian, Latin; she received Leibniz at her table. She built the palace Litzenburg 1695-1699 (later named Charlottenburg). Her library — the Goldener Saal — was her dearest place. On 16 January 1705 she travelled to Hanover for her mother’s funeral. She caught a throat infection. On 1 February 1705 she died, aged 36. Her last words: «Do not bury me in Charlottenburg. I will not be dead in my own palace.» She was buried in the Berlin Dom.

From 14 February 1705 (two weeks after her death) a black figure was seen in the Goldener Saal — a woman in black mourning dress, reading by the bookcases, one book in hand. First seen by guard Joachim Vermeer; later by two hundred court staff. The figure is always the same: she stands by the third case on the right, reads silently, looks up when one enters. Tradition: whoever hands her a book without speaking gets one nod and she vanishes. Whoever speaks to her is blown out of the hall by a cold gust (35 documented cases 1705-1918). In WWII 600 of her 3,000 books were destroyed. Since she appears more often and seeks — tradition says — the lost volumes. In 2026 Charlottenburg stands, the library restored, 2,400 of her books kept. Tradition: «A queen who would die in her palace and is not allowed stays. No curse; longing. Give her a book, she forgives that she died elsewhere. A book is more than a grave.»