In an immersive, one-hour experience, the Deutschlandmuseum tells two thousand years of German history – from the uprising of Germanic tribes against the Romans in 9 AD to the Football World Cup in Germany 2006.
The museum innovatively combines the worlds of interactive, educational museums with immersive theme park storytelling to create a compelling experience. Like never before, this combination allows guests to be absorbed into history, inspiring them to learn and to want to discover even more after they leave.
Visitors to the museum embark on an incredible journey through twelve pivotal eras in German history. The design and execution engulf guests in the time, making them feel like they are standing at a critical historical moment, such as when Germanic tribes come together into a reunited Germany. From there, guests stroll through an ancient forest, a medieval castle, an early printer’s room, a trench from World War I, a shopping arcade from the Wilhelminian era, an apartment building during the economic miracle after the war, or a Berlin S-Bahn.
Working with a limited budget and on a tight, year-long schedule, the design team created and built effective, accurate sets and used in-house effects and powerful videos to place guests in each historical moment. There are deceptively real trees in the forest, creaking floorboards in the castle walls, shadows playing behind the stained-glass windows, the stench of gunpowder in the trenches, luminous shop windows in the Golden Twenties, debris in destroyed Berlin in 1945, and a ride on the S-Bahn through Berlin in the 1990s.
Combining this design aesthetic with an impressive collection of historical artifacts, such as medieval weapons, books from the 16th century, and prostheses from the Weimar Republic, captivates guests into each story like never before. To compliment the collection, guests are further drawn into each story through detailed graphics, text, and educational and re-enacted films.
The experience features seven immersive rooms using scenery and five more abstract spaces, using video and other techniques to still create a sense of time and place. But in both types of exhibit spaces, the history comes to life in never-before-seen ways. The walls, paintings and views out the windows are alive with video re-enactments of the time represented, immersing guests into the moment. Every room also features unique, hands-on interactives like printing on Gutenberg’s press, exploring the national colors with the help of artificial intelligence, or solving a criminal case in the Roaring Twenties to make guests feel part of this history.
The museum was envisioned by Robert Rückel, founding director of the DDR Museum Berlin, managing partner of the German Spy Museum, nominated three times for the European Museum of the Year Award. To create this truly unique experience, Robert chose Creative Studio Berlin with Executive Creative Director Chris Lange, who created designs for Europa-Park, LEGOLAND, Shrek’s Adventure, Rulantica, and the 2020 TEA Thea Award-winning “Snorry Touren” dark ride. Together, this team has created an entirely new, memorable museum.
Partners
Creative Studio Berlin
BänferKartenbeck
Bentin Projects
Crossworks Projects
Atelier Thilo Krause
Movie Construction
Ravir Film
Playing History