Fraunhofer HHI presents the Virtual Reality experience of Holocaust survivor Eva Umlauf
The Fraunhofer Heinrich-Hertz-Institut (HHI) will show the virtual reality experience of Holocaust survivor Dr. Eva Umlauf to the public for the first time on November 8, 2023. As part of the event "Eva Umlauf - her testimony", everyone interested can learn more about the project at the institute in Berlin-Tiergarten. As a highlight, 80-year-old Eva Umlauf will be present at the event to share her views on the future of remembrance culture.
The project is concerned with recording Eva Umlauf's experiences during National Socialism and making them accessible to posterity through VR. The Fraunhofer HHI, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and INVR.Space GmbH have worked together intensively over two years to achieve this prospect. Using the technique of volumetric video, whose basic technology "3D Human Body Reconstruction" was developed by researchers at Fraunhofer HHI, allows to record the memories of Holocaust survivors for future generations.
As part of the event, the partners will jointly provide insight into VR development and elucidate the principles of their design decisions. For the first time, this virtual reality experience exploits the technology of subsequently animating the volumetrically depicted person. In doing so, it becomes possible for the contemporary witness Eva Umlauf to continously look at the user throughout the entire experience and hold eye contact. The results of initial surveys on how the VR experience is received by students will also be presented.
The main aim of the project was to create opportunities to process memories of the Holocaust using technical means and to consider these in conjunction with other media of remembrance. This approach was intended to explore how new types of technology can be employed to raise historical awareness and sensitize people to injustice. Such research objectives are of great relevance in times of emerging anti-Semitism, xenophobia, and armed conflicts.
The event on November 8 proceeds with the following schedule: The launch of the VR Experience "Eva Umlauf - her testimony" starts at 4:00 pm in the Science Tech Space @ HHI at Salzufer 15-16 in Berlin. After an introduction, there will be a discussion about VR with young people. Participants will also have the opportunity to try out VR for themselves. A reception afterward will provide room to discuss the topic and the impressions gained.
On the same day, the symposium "Potentials and Challenges of Educating on Difficult History with XR" will also take place in the Science Tech Space @ HHI from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. The symposium, held in English, will examine the role of VR in teaching about the Holocaust and the use of innovative technologies at memorial sites. Furthermore, findings from qualitative surveys on learning with VR experiences will be presented. The symposium is designed as a hybrid event: Interested people can participate on-site or digitally via Zoom. The project team led by Dr. Oliver Schreer (Fraunhofer HHI) and Prof. Anja Ballis (LMU Munich) is looking forward to welcoming guests and whoever is interested in Berlin on this day.
Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Oliver Schreer
Phone +49 30 31002-620
Email Oliver.schreer@hhi.fraunhofer.de
Weitere Informationen:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/potentials-and-challenges-of-educating-on-difficult-history-with-xr-tickets-736336772107?aff=oddtdtcreator
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