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Studierende sitzt am Arbeitsplatz und schaut auf den Laptop. © Aliona Kardash​/​TU Dortmund

HOLO-VOICES - testimonies that last

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© Lars Berg​​/​​MKW NRW
NRW-Ministerin Ina Brandes eröffnete die Ausstellung HOLO-VOICES am internationalen Gedenktag an die Opfer des Nationalsozialismus.
Minister Brandes opens HOLO-VOICES at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex

On January 27, the International Day of Remembrance for the Victims of National Socialism, the HOLO-VOICES exhibition opened at the UNESCO World Heritage Site Zeche Zollverein in Essen. It enables an impressive new form of remembrance: Holocaust survivors meet visitors as lifelike holographic projections - present, approachable and capable of dialog.

In a specially set up projection room, contemporary witness Inge Auerbacher appears on stage as a glowing projection. She responds to questions from the audience with authentic statements from her life, which are selected from hundreds of original recordings using artificial intelligence. She talks about her childhood in the Theresienstadt concentration camp, about hunger, about everyday life under inhumane conditions and about personal memories that touch and have a lasting effect.

Research meets culture of remembrance

HOLO-VOICES was opened by Science and Culture Minister Ina Brandes. The exhibition is unique in Europe and preserves the voices of contemporary witnesses for future generations. The project sponsor is the Technical University of Dortmund, which contributes its interdisciplinary expertise in science, technology and journalism.

A decisive contribution to the technical implementation was made by the team led by Prof. Mario Botsch from the Department of Computer Science at TU Dortmund University. Using modern digital processes and innovative visualization techniques, the team made a significant contribution to immortalizing the contemporary witnesses as realistic holographic projections, thus opening up new ways of learning and remembering.

In addition to Inge Auerbacher, the hologram of Kurt Salomon Maier is also currently on display. Other contemporary witnesses, including Eva Weyl, were recorded in interviews at TU Dortmund University and are gradually being integrated into the exhibition. The AI used selects only original answers and does not generate any new content - the authenticity of the testimonies is fully preserved.

 

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