Virtual journey through time: New VR experience in the German-German Museum!

Virtual journey through time: New VR experience in the German-German Museum!

In the German-German Museum Mödlareuth, something exciting is happening! From now on, visitors can immerse yourself in the eventful history of this unique place - and this in a futuristic way, because the museum now offers virtual tours. Based on the historical reality of the shared village, which belongs to both Thuringia and Bavaria, the guests with virtual reality glasses are offered an impressive experience. According to mdr , there was close cooperation with historians and filmmakers in Foreground.

The virtual time trip begins in 1952 when the border lock started and ends with the fall of the wall. A total of seven intensely designed scenes are experienced, including an exciting nighttime escape situation with search lights. The entire tour not only includes the purely technical component, but also an emotional encounter with the story that the Museum once founded as a memorial for German division.

innovative technologies for historical memories

With an investment of 296,000 euros, of which 90% were financed by the Smart City project of the Hof district, the goal is to make technology tangible for everyone and to reduce inhibitions. This can also be seen in the structured form of the tour, which starts after a six-minute VR introductory film in or in front of the museum. The participants are accompanied by the fictional figures Lise and Ludwig, who understand the chronology of the division and their central events with the spectators.

The VR tours begin with a guided tour, which takes about 75 to 90 minutes and shows the original locations of the division. This could be the idea of digital learning through the use of expanded reality, as in an article by bpb.de addressed, reflect. Here it is emphasized how VR enables the users to understand historical situations emotionally.

memory and innovation combined

The Museum Mödlareuth is not only a technical project, but also a place that is reminiscent of the history and victims of the SED dictatorship. This balance between innovative approach and the preserved historical context is of the utmost importance for the perception of such places of remembrance. Digital technologies such as AR and VR can be an aid to immerse yourself in the awareness of history and to create understanding of the complex issues of the division of Germany, without losing respect for the affected fates, as is also emphasized in the considerations of VR and AR in historical-political education.

The German-German Museum Mödlareuth has thus demonstrated a good hand by using the possibilities of the digital world to give visitors deeper insights into the divided history. History really comes to life here, and it remains to be seen how these innovative tours will develop in the future.