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• 02 Nov 2009

  Twinity Reconstructs the Berlin Wall

  Twinity, the 3D mirror world made of real people and real
  places, is commemorating the 20th anniversary of the fall
  of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War by
  rebuilding a 2 km stretch of the wall in virtual Berlin.
  
  Berlin, 2 November 2009 – At a press conference at Berlin’s City
  Hall today, Metaversum GmbH, the makers of 3D mirror world
  Twinity, announced the opening of the world’s first open-air wall
  museum in Twinity’s virtual Berlin in collaboration with the Berlin
  Senate and Berlin.de to commemorate the world-changing
  events of 1989.
  
  For almost three decades, the reality of everyday life in Berlin
  was shaped by a wall that divided the city in two. From today,
  visitors to virtual Berlin in Twinity can go on a virtual journey
  through history, and explore a 2 km-long, true-to-scale section
  of the Berlin Wall from the Reichstag, past the Brandenburg Gate
  and Potsdamer Platz, culminating in a realistic replica of
  Checkpoint Charlie.
  
  Entering the virtual wall museum in Twinity is like stepping back in
  time to Berlin in November 1989. Visitors not only see the Berlin
  Wall and its immediate environs reappearing before their eyes,
  they also experience the remarkable transformation of today’s
  Berlin back to Berlin as it was in 1989. Whole buildings vanish and
  visitors suddenly find themselves standing in the infamous death
  strip between the two border walls. This astonishing effect is
  particularly striking at the Potsdamer Platz, the Brandenburg
  Gate, and Checkpoint Charlie.
  
  Twinity users can tour the area between the Reichstag and
  Checkpoint Charlie, and engage with interactive media content
  including video and audio guides at seven key points along the
  way. Documentaries and witness accounts, plus links to relevant
  Berlin Wall content on Berlin.de, describe the building of the wall,
  key dates in its history, and the incredible events of 1989. This
  allows Twinity users to experience the wall at first hand while
  grounding their experience with contextual information.
  
  “Twinity’s open-air wall museum brings the unique history of our
  remarkable city and the events of this special year to a
  worldwide audience,” explained Dr. Richard Meng, Speaker of
  the Berlin Senate. “We welcome such innovative use of
  technology to illustrate historical events with real significance
  and support this act of remembrance and celebration.”
  
  Jochen Hummel, CEO of Metaversum GmbH, added, “We are
  happy to see Twinity setting an important precedent in a virtual
  world: The museum makes history real for young people and gives a global audience important insights into the divided Berlin, while serving as a virtual monument to help us learn from
  our past.”
  
  “Those visiting Berlin today are often surprised to see how few
  traces remain of the Berlin Wall. The virtual wall museum in Twinity
  is designed to show tourists and Berlin residents how the city was
  once completely split in two,” elaborated Sven Heller, Managing
  Director of BerlinOnline Stadtportal GmbH & Co. KG. “Exploring
  the wall in Twinity is an incredible experience and we are happy
  to be able to support this important project.”
  
  The opening of the virtual wall museum will be accompanied by
  many different Berlin Wall-related events and special
  promotions. Visit www.twinity.com/en/wall to find out more.
  
  The Berlin Wall project has been developed in cooperation with
  the Berliner Forum für Geschichte und Gegenwart e.V., the Berlin
  Senate, and Twinity’s exclusive media partner Berlin.de.
  
  The mirror world Twinity is currently in public Beta. You can
  register for free at www.twinity.com and begin exploring the
  world today.
  
  (find the full article here: http://press.twinity.com/press_kit/Press_Releases/English_Pr...)
  
  Deutsche Version: http://press.twinity.com/press_kit/Press_Releases/German_Pre...
  
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