berlinHistory vs WDR AR 1933

To walk through Berlin is to walk on historical ground – few other places in the world hide so many distinct layers of history beneath the surface. Many traces of the past have faded over the years, however, to such a degree that even the historically inclined pass them by completely oblivious. The berlinHistory app pins the city’s historic sites, buildings, and events to their exact locations, allowing the hidden past to be seen and experienced. There are many meticulously designed websites and apps on the history of Berlin, but most of these are difficult to find, rarely updated, and only reach a limited audience. With the berlinHistory app, we hope to create THE definitive historical platform for Berlin, where all of the city’s establishments are present. In cooperation with all of Berlin’s historical and cultural institutions, the berlinHistory app has developed a “digital museum” that preserves all sorts of historical content, establishes meaningful thematic connections and ensures easy access for users. The meta- app, created as a continuously growing platform for Berliners and visitors young and old alike, is free and without advertisements. Besides texts on historical sites, themes, and epochs available in multiple languages and accompanied by before-and-after photos, the numerous POIs (Point of Interest) also provide historical video footage and audio recordings of first-hand accounts. Furthermore, the app offers audio-guided, thematic walking tours of historically significant locations, even outside of the major tourist areas. Different display options (thematic view, list view, and epoch view) offer users the ability to filter content to suit their individual interests and optimize their experience. Functions: - Location-based texts in German and English - Image galleries - Before-and-after pictures - Timelines: pictures of a place from different epochs - Additional epoch and event texts as well as biographies - Digital audio tours with media (photos, audios, videos, music) - Breakdown by epoch - Accurate historical maps and aerial photos - Topic-based tab view with search function - Contemporary witness interviews and other videos

Let augmented reality take you right into their stories, and experience up close how children and teenagers experienced the "Third Reich". The last contemporary witnesses are at an advanced age, some over 90 years old. They were young during a time of horror. Now you can bring them into your home or classroom with the app WDR AR 1933-1945. Also available in English! As the witnesses tell their stories, you see 3D visual elements: You find yourself in the middle of a battle in World War Il or stand in front of a fence in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. Anne Frank's friend Hannah tells of her last encounter with her there. As you discover these stories in your classroom, London is in flames, German bombers fly over your head in an attack squadron. HOW IT ALL WORKS The app is easy to use: Aim your smartphone camera or tablet at an empty space on the floor two metres away from you. As you aim, move your camera to scan the floor. A white circle appears. Wait until the circle is filled. That is how you position the contemporary witnesses like a hologram. As they tell their story, you can look around the room and live the experience with your smartphone or tablet. WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT Our app explores three chapters from the Nazi era: The first one, "Children of War", shows the war through children's eyes. There are three stories: Anne from Cologne experiences the war in an air raid shelter. "It was hell," she says. Vera talks about the Blitz on London in which she loses her father. And Emma recalls the German Siege of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Over a million people perish because Hitler is intent on starving the city. In the chapter "My Friend Anne Frank", her best friends recall the days of their youth, as well as Anne's arrest and death in the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. With Augmented Reality, this National Socialist crime against humanity becomes tangible in a completely new way. In "18 and Sent to War" Wehrmacht soldiers talk about being frightened to death and their feelings of guilt. At the age of 18, Jürgen becomes a tank commander responsible for 24 soldiers. And at the same age, Willi is sent to war against his will. What is it like to be sent to war as a young person and become part of a murderous regime? WHAT AUGMENTED REALITY MEANS Augmented reality, or AR for short, is a technology that allows you to discover in a real room virtual images of contemporary witnesses, as well as three-dimensional animations and additional information. Augmented reality blends the real world with virtual elements. It lets the contemporary witnesses sit across from you like holograms or walk through the room and tell you what they experienced during the Nazi era. The stories are short, around three to five minutes, but very intense and moving. Use your tablet or smartphone to bring all these 3D animations and holograms into any room you choose. TECHNICAL NOTES: Use Wi-Fi to download the app! The full app has a data volume of about 2 GB.