Journey into history: “TimeRide” offers virtual tours through historic Cologne. Starting in the summer, it should go to Cologne in the “golden 20s”. How was it in those days?
The year 1926 was a special one for the people of Cologne: after British troops occupied the city in the course of the First World War, the last soldiers of the British Empire were withdrawn from Cologne in January 1926. The people of Cologne celebrated this with spontaneous celebrations. The withdrawal of the British troops meant a new beginning for the city: During the First World War, which raged in Europe since 1914, and the subsequent occupation by the victorious powers, there was no carnival in Cologne – after the British withdrew from Cologne, it broke Cologne way of life back on track.
Virtual time travel through old Cologne
Today, almost 100 years later, there are only a few testimonies from that time. Isolated film recordings give an impression of Cologne in the “golden 20s”, but cannot really make this era tangible. The company “TimeRide” wants to change that. Since it was founded in 2016, Jonas Rothe’s company has been offering virtual time travel in various cities. In addition to Berlin, Dresden, Munich and Frankfurt am Main, “TimeRide” also operates a location in Cologne – on the Alter Markt, right in the center of the historic city center.
A street scene on the Alter Markt (screenshot from VR experience): The Cologne people’s attitude towards life should become tangible. (Source: TimeRide)
Participants in the virtual time travel take a seat in a replica of Cologne’s first electric tram and can experience the city up close through virtual reality glasses. While the tram “drives” through Cologne in the 1920s, passengers can let their gaze wander in 360 degrees through the animated Cologne – and discover a lot in the process. “The journey begins at the Alter Markt and ends at the Neumarkt,” explains press spokesman Julian Herbig, “and the tram passes through Cologne’s old central station and of course the cathedral as well.”
Two protagonists lead narrative through Cologne
This creates an authentic view of the city’s architecture and the people who lived in it at the time. During the quarter-hour journey, the participants follow the stories of the train driver Pitter and the hat maker Tessa, whose husband was left on the battlefield during the First World War: “It is true that we are showing the golden 20s, but not everything was golden back then.” Time travelers can spot war invalids in the alleys of the old town and witness the poor conditions that prevailed in parts of the cathedral city.
Cologne Central Station as seen from the cathedral: This is what the building looked like in the 1920s. (Source: TimeRide)
But the resurgent joie de vivre of Cologne residents is also palpable. The virtual tram ride leads past spontaneous carnival celebrations and parades, shows the elegant fashion of the 20s and passes historic buildings that are no longer part of the cityscape today. Such as the “Ewige Lampe” inn in the immediate vicinity of the cathedral, which at that time was the meeting place for intellectuals and artists.
During the journey, the jerking of the wagon and the oncoming wind make for an authentic experience: “The people of Cologne love their city and strongly identify with its history and culture,” says Herbig, “and the illusion really takes you along and immerses you the old Cologne. “
“The way of life defines the city to this day”
“TimeRide” has existed in Cologne since 2017. Initially, the virtual city tour showed Cologne in 1909, that is, during the imperial era and years before the outbreak of the First World War.
The VR rides through the historical cityscape at “TimeRide” are funded by the Film and Media Foundation NRW and represent the highlight of the three-quarters of an hour journey through time. Before the participants take a seat in the replica of the tram, they learn more about the time in front of the historical backdrop , to which they are transferred with the help of VR glasses: “We also convey background knowledge and want to bring people closer not only to the cityscape, but also to the way of life back then,” says Herbig, who is himself a historian. “After all, the atmosphere and the attitude towards life are things that define the city to this day.”
Opening in summer
At the moment the new journey through time through old Cologne is still under construction. Julian Herbig and managing director Jonas Rothe expect an opening in the summer – provided the corona pandemic does not stand in the way of a premiere of the new offer.
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