Use and Embedding of Interactive Media in a Museum of Contemporary History

The "Haus der Geschichte" employs a total of 100 media-stations with more than 27 hours of audio-visual material. The basic media lay out of the exhibition is structured into three levels. Continuous programms - like endless videos - form the first layer of impression. They offer general informations. The visitors have the chance to get an overview of a certain era. On the second level media-stations offer additional facts about specific objects or certain scenic arrangements. Touch screens are employed to guide the visitors through the immense wealth of background information. Interactive systems represent the third level. By these means the museum becomes more "hands-on" than any other history museum that I have seen so far. Let me now describe various examples, where and to what purpose media are employed in the museum