Media library
Phoenix VR
The Lab for Innovative Teaching combines history and technology: JLU VR invites you to experience Justus Liebig University as it once was – before its destruction in 1944. The virtual reconstruction makes the historic buildings and rooms accessible again and offers a unique glimpse into a piece of academic contemporary history. The project makes it possible to enter the main building with virtual reality headsets and experience the university as if you were really there.
With the move into the new university building of the Ludoviciana, opened in 1880 at Ludwigstraße 23, the Giessen Collection of Classical Antiquities was provided with a representative architectural setting. Together with the Institute of Archaeology, it occupied more than 300 square metres, encompassing the foyer and the two windowed halls at the front of the building. The presentation of the archaeological objects attracted both members of the university and visitors from outside the institution. The collection of original ancient artefacts—many of which are still on display today in the Oberhessisches Museum—was complemented by an extensive collection of plaster casts of ancient sculptures. These casts were used not only for teaching purposes but also for drawing courses.
As part of a major refurbishment of the building in 1940, the plaster cast collection was subsequently displayed in a dedicated “Sculpture Hall” above the newly constructed vestibule leading to the main auditorium. The statues, effectively staged on the first floor, were already visible from the foyer through five large wall openings. Plaster casts of the over-life-size statues known as the Venus Townley and the Ares Borghese welcomed visitors to the left and right of the two staircases and guided them towards the collection.
It was precisely at this location that the plaster casts were still situated when the building was extensively destroyed during the air raid on Giessen on 6 December 1944, the 80th anniversary of which is marked in 2024. While the architectural framework of the university building has since been reconstructed and the original collection was preserved thanks to its timely relocation, only minor remnants now bear witness to the once extensive plaster cast collection.
Through the project Phoenix VR , the Department of Classical Archaeology at Justus Liebig University Giessen is undertaking an initiative to digitally reconstruct the lost holdings using 3D models in their original arrangement within a virtual environment. The aim is to make the plaster cast collection and its original visual and spatial impact accessible once again to students and visitors, and to integrate it into exhibitions, teaching and research.
VERSION & NAVIGATION
Browser-Version
Please open the browser-based version via the link, ideally using the
Firefox browser
.
You can look around using the mouse. Use the
W
,
A
,
S
and
D
keys to move forwards (
W
), backwards (
S
), to the left (
A
) and to the right (
D
).
Virtual Reality-Version
Please open the link on your headset using the
Meta Browser
. Choose VR-Version. The application is optimised for
Meta Quest 1, 2 and 3
.
Producer
Classical Archaeology
Faculty 04 - History and Cultural Studies
Department of Ancient Studies
Lab for Innovative Teaching
Staff Division Studies, Teaching, Further Training and Quality Assurance
Service Center for Didactics of Higher Education
Joint Project Network for Impactful Digital International Teaching Skills (NIDIT)
Direction
Maraike Büst, Eva Dabrowski, Dr Claudia Schmieder, Dr Michaela Stark
Programming
Joshua Stürtz, Noah Stürtz
Design
Tobias Jung, Joshua Stürtz, Noah Stürtz
UI/UX Design
Joshua Stürtz
Middleware-Host
Blender, Godot
Assets
Credits
Raphael Vogel
Sketchfab: Titan
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@TitanGameDesign
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/titangamedesign/
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/TitanGameDesign
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Half-timbered House, Detmold, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-detmold-germany-47cd3d0c489b4be689646913416cfc49 -
Half-timbered House, Lippstadt, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-lippstadt-germany-dc03c9d7afc3405da64f84573d434ef7 -
Half-timbered House, Celle, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-celle-germany-acc0ba96e30d47d1ae2f11ad6b789004 -
Half-timbered House, Aalen, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-aalen-germany-4ee69ced00b04df7acd40d7079e5b599 -
Half-timbered House, Lippstadt, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-lippstadt-germany-f542f7790e1e44ee8c5ca1cfc0d9cb42 -
Half-timbered House, Paderborn, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-paderborn-germany-ca215fdfe2b24dc09dea7ecdd129a69d -
Half-timbered House, Mosbach, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-mosbach-germany-03cff98216194746881abf572a9af8a -
Half-timbered House, Detmold, Germany
https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/half-timbered-house-detmold-germany-404416fb5d644991bd242f6ee11553f3
Low Poly Tree
https://skfb.ly/6sSUr by Anthony Van Dosselaer is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 licence.
Hedgeshttps://skfb.ly/otLXq by 1-3D.com is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.
Classic Park Bench (Low Poly)https://skfb.ly/6Vnwn by Berk Gedik is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Victorian Street Lamphttps://skfb.ly/6VNBx by Discover is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Curtainhttps://skfb.ly/6VNBx by Discover is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Curtain rodhttps://skfb.ly/o8xYu by lugsserg is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence.
Athena Lemniahttps://skfb.ly/SvGV by Geoffrey Marchal is licensed under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/ CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 licence.
Diskobolhttps://creativecommons.org/public-domain/cc0/ CC0 Public Domain.
Parthenon Sculptures East Pedimenthttps://skfb.ly/oFoCW by artfletch is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
100.KC.11 Aphrodite Townleyhttps://skfb.ly/o7E8y by Ancient World 3D is licensed under CC Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/
Aphrodite crouching at her bath (better)https://skfb.ly/MELp by HoangHiepVu is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .
Betender Knabehttps://skfb.ly/NpMs by tux is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ .
Textures
Brick_Pavement_02_Texture
https://polyhaven.com/a/brick_pavement_02 by Charlotte Baglioni, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Gravel_Road_Texturehttps://polyhaven.com/a/gravel_road by Amal Kumar, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Gravelly_Sand_Texturehttps://polyhaven.com/a/gravelly_sand by Dario Barresi, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Leafy_Grass_Texturehttps://polyhaven.com/a/leafy_grass by Charlotte Baglioni, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Rocky_Tile_Floor_Texturehttps://polyhaven.com/a/rock_tile_floor by Charlotte Baglioni, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Rocky_Trail_02_Texturehttps://polyhaven.com/a/rocky_trail_02 by Amal Kumar, sourced from https://polyhaven.com/ is licensed under CC0.
Do you have any questions or suggestions about the project?
✉
michaela.stark