WDR AR 1933-1945

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.