Situation:

Over 16,000 Stolpersteine exist in NRW, a stark physical embodiment of the Nazi regime's victims. Their impact is inherently localized, potentially limiting broader awareness and engagement. Increasingly digital generations connect with history in new ways.

Brief:

Create a digital experience augmenting the Stolpersteine, preserving their power while ensuring broader accessibility. Make the personal stories behind each stone discoverable in a way that connects deeply with a global audience.

Objectives:

Combat forgetting and raise awareness of victims of Nazi persecution beyond a geographic area.

Employ technology to emotionally engage diverse audiences with history. Inspire reflection and encourage a commitment to social justice and battling prejudice.

The core creative idea of digitizing "Stolpersteine NRW" lies in making the tangible intangible, and the local universal. Here's how:

1. A Digital Archive: A central website becomes a repository for every Stolperstein's information. Detailed records capture names, personal histories, and any available photographs or documents.

2. Interactive Map: Each stone's physical location is plotted on a digital map. Viewers can explore it virtually, "stumbling" upon stories they may never encounter in person.

3. Augmented Reality: On-location visitors use AR technology to overlay biographical information onto the physical Stolpersteine, enhancing the in-person experience.

4. Social Amplification: Individual stories are made shareable. This encourages digital participation and generates social discourse, amplifying the reach for younger generations.

The idea hinges on the juxtaposition of the deeply personal stones and vast digital resources, driving emotional engagement on a wider scale.

Target Audience:

• Global Citizens: Anyone interested in human rights, history, and social justice, regardless of location.

• Younger Generations: Those accustomed to digital learning and social sharing, to foster new forms of historical engagement.

• Educators: Schools, universities, museums finding rich resources to augment traditional teaching.

Strategic Approach: The project emphasizes accessibility as a primary form of activism. By removing geographic barriers, the act of remembrance transforms into active participation, open to anyone with an internet connection. Its power lies in prioritizing storytelling, using biographies and photos to personalize victims and combat indifference, forging powerful emotional connections. The platform encourages both community collaboration and crowdsourced research, ensuring ongoing growth as more information contributes to an ever-expanding digital archive. Finally, the strategy positions itself as an invaluable resource for both educators and sparking broader social discussions, ensuring ongoing relevance to fostering historical awareness and combating prejudice.

Implementation took place in three phases:

1. Data Collection: Thorough research to create individual records for each Stolperstein, sourcing biographies, photos, and related documents from local archives and community partners.

2. Platform Development: A robust website integrating the database, interactive map, and AR functions, optimized for diverse devices.

3. Ongoing Storytelling: Adding elements like historical audio clips or visual narratives within individual profiles.

Placement was primarily digital across web and app platforms accessible globally.

Built to expand indefinitely as more Stolpersteine are added across NRW and potentially throughout Germany.

Over 600,000 app downloads

240,000 unique visitors to the website

More than 06:30 minutes avg. dwell time

85,929 people have so far placed a virtual candle

Over 4 hours of custom audio stories

226 graphic stories with 1138 illustrations

6583 historical photos archived

People from 159 countries have accessed the app so far