Germany: A Time Travel Into the Golden 20s – TimeRide Launches New VR Content at Cologne Location

After TimeRide‘s first location opened in Cologne in the fall of 2017, the location has now been given a new virtual time travel experience. It goes to the year 1926, which was a special one for Cologne after the World War I and the occupation by the British, because it was allowed to celebrate carnival again after twelve years of abstinence. Before boarding the original streetcar car for the VR city tour, visitors walk through two new experience rooms to learn more about the background history.

Here, in the “Lichtspielhaus“ (Engl.: cinema), the history from 1909 – the year in which the previous experience took place – to 1926 is first outlined in a short film and the main protagonists, hatter “Tessa“ and train driver “Pitter”, are introduced to the audience. The tour continues to the “Hatter’s Store”, which was equipped with numerous props and a total of 138 hats from the traditional Cologne hat manufacturer Diefenthal. Here, the guiding staff gives an exciting insight into the craft of hat making. Then it is on to the main event of the experience, the city tour in the historic Cologne streetcar. With the help of VR technology, guests here experience a ride through downtown Cologne on Shrove Monday 1926, for which graphic designers recreated some 1,200 buildings and 3,500 people.

Jonas Rothe, founder and managing director of TimeRide GmbH, emphasizes the up-to-dateness of the theme: “The time travel to Cologne in 1926 has a very strong topical reference. A look at Cologne’s history shows us very clearly that even after the most serious crises, better times will come again if you just do not give up. With this homage to the confidence and indomitable cheerfulness of the people of Cologne, we also want to give our visitors optimism and joie de vivre.” Cologne’s famous singer Ludwig Sebus was also involved in the development of the VR experience. Sebus, who was born in 1925, acts as narrator and contemporary witness for TimeRide: “This film has succeeded in authentically picking up on the everyday life of the time. When I watch this film, it is as if I can perceive the time of my childhood once again, it is very moving.”

The new experience will officially open to visitors starting tomorrow. A new TimeRide experience is also scheduled to open in Saarburg later this year, and virtual city tours with TimeRide-GO! will also be offered in Dresden as early as next week. If you want to find out even more details about TimeRide, do not miss the interview with Jonas Rother in our upcoming EAP issue, which will be published on September 1st. (eap)