On the trail of things: experiencing history

The challenge for the HPI d-school team was: “Design an online presence for the digital collections of the Sachsenhausen and Buchenwald memorials that is accessible to all visitors (especially young people) and combines the historical sites and exhibitions with a virtual learning experience.”

For many pupils, visiting a former concentration camp is part of their history lessons – often accompanied by uncertainty: How do you prepare? How do you behave properly? And how do you process the experience afterwards? This is precisely where the Buchenwald, Mittelbau-Dora and Sachsenhausen memorials wanted to come in and create a digital solution that would arouse young people's curiosity and facilitate their access. The d-school student team was commissioned to develop a concept that would make historical content more accessible to young visitors and create a new learning experience.

A Design Thinking team from the HPI d-school delved deep into the world of digital collections and virtual exhibitions. After intensive research, site visits and interviews with guides, teachers and students, it became clear that a digital supplement should not only inform but also awaken the young people's spirit of discovery.

A conversation with Shoah survivor Ivan Ivanji brought a crucial insight: young people should not approach memorial sites with fear or a sense of duty – but with curiosity. This “aha” moment had a decisive impact on further development.

The team then developed an app, which sends pupils on an interactive learning journey in a playfull way. Starting with digital objects, they can explore the historical path of real people – an approach that not only helps with preparation but also structures the visit to the memorial.

After use, pupils can discuss their learning experiences, save digital objects and biographies in a personal library and discover new stories that invite further exploration.

At the end of the Design Thinking process, the concept developed by the students, including a prototype for the user journey, was handed over to the memorial sites and the design office “Zum Kuckuck”.

The web app “Things on the trail” has been online since February 2023. It offers a new way to engage digitally with the history of the concentration camps. Pupils can prepare for their visit, research historical objects and reflect on their experiences. Markus Wegewitz from the Buchenwald and Mittelbau-Dora Memorials Foundation summarizes: “Things on the Trail has created a new way of approaching history digitally. The collaboration with the HPI School of Design Thinking has provided valuable impetus.