The Neckar delta around Heidelberg has not only been a metropolitan region since modern times. The Celts and Romans settled here and left their traces behind, as numerous archaeological finds prove. Nevertheless, hardly anyone can really imagine what their own homeland looked like in the past. The HD Discovery Station brings long-gone eras to life on a virtually created area of 100 square kilometers, as you can see in the video
The Neckar delta around Heidelberg has not only been a metropolitan region since modern times. The Celts and Romans settled here and left their traces behind, as numerous archaeological finds prove. Nevertheless, hardly anyone can really imagine what their own homeland looked like in the past. The HD Discovery Station brings long-gone eras to life on a virtually created area of 100 square kilometers, as you can see in the video
Who wouldn’t want to travel back to the time when the royal seat of Heidelberg shone in princely splendor? visitors can go on a journey through time in the archaeological department of the Kurpfälzisches Museum in Heidelberg. The HD Discovery Station offers virtual exploration tours of Celtic and Roman life on the Neckar. Another level shows Heidelberg at the height of its political power around 1620, with several time windows offering a view of the siege situation in 1622.
On a journey through time in Heidelberg
The journey through time begins with a game controller. Whether flying from high above or hovering close to the ground, there is plenty to discover. Where were the artifacts on display in the museum found? Where, for example, was the Jupiter Giant’s Column located? And what did Heidelberg Castle and the city look like 400 years ago? The buildings of the past are recreated in great detail, while the landscape along the Neckar with the Heiligenberg also provides surprisingly natural impressions. There are also explanatory texts, illustrations and many opportunities for interaction.
Developed exclusively for the Kurpfälzisches Museum in Heidelberg
The interactive exhibit was developed and realized exclusively for the Kurpfälzisches Museum. This was made possible by the Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation and the Friends of the Kurpfälzisches Museum. The HD Discovery Station was expanded to include the 1620 time level for the “War and Peace” exhibition in September 2022. The development was carried out in collaboration with MESO Digital Interiors from Frankfurt, a design studio for interactive experiences at the interface of people, space and technology. The project is supported by the Surveying Office of the City of Heidelberg, and the HD Discovery Station has been one of the highlights of the Kurpfälzisches Museum since 2020.
“Historical trail” in the city forest redesigned
The storming of the city of Heidelberg by Tilly during the Thirty Years’ War took place 400 years ago. To mark the occasion, the forestry department of the municipal landscape and forestry office has redesigned the “Historical Trail” in cooperation with the Kurpfälzisches Museum and with funding from the Neckartal-Odenwald Nature Park. The hiking trail leads along archaeological monuments from the time of the Thirty Years’ War. The town has redesigned the route, opened up the surviving historical remains of the walls of the military outworks and updated and completed the information boards along the trail. At a total of ten stations, information boards explain the town’s defenses and the fortified positions of the attackers. The Manfred Lautenschläger Foundation made the 3D visualizations possible. They are part of the virtual 3D reconstruction of the entire cityscape around 1620, which can be explored at the HD Discovery Station in the Kurpfälzisches Museum.
The siege of Heidelberg
In 1619, Elector Frederick V of the Palatinate was elected King of Bohemia as a Protestant and moved his residence from Heidelberg to Prague. The Battle of White Mountain ended his kingship after just one year. Mocked by his Catholic opponents as the “Winter King”, he had to go into exile with his family to escape the turmoil of war. The consequences of this defeat were devastating for the Electoral Palatinate: the royal seat of Heidelberg became the tragic scene of the Thirty Years’ War. The siege of Heidelberg by imperial Bavarian troops under General Tilly began on July 1622. On September 16, the besiegers entered the city and forced the garrison to surrender on September 19, 1622. The “Historical Trail” is based on contemporary accounts and reports.
In this video, you fly back to Heidelberg’s Celtic era by remote control. Based on scientific facts and with the help of modern game design technology, a realistic picture of the original landscape formed by “wild waters” is drawn (George Hulm, Technical Environment Artist, MESO Digital Interiors ©).
