Departure Neuaubing is a digital exhibition project by the Munich Documentation Centre on the history of Nazi forced labour and its lasting effects to the present day. The history is made accessible through artistic and narrative formats in the form of an interactive web application and a mobile game.
Departure Neuaubing takes as its starting point the future Neuaubing memorial, due to open in 2025. Thousands of people were forced to work in Munich-Neuaubing during the Nazi era. It is estimated that up to 200,000 people from all over the world were forced labourers in the city of Munich. The digital history project Departure Neuaubing explores these historical connections and focuses on the European connections to the present day.
The six sub-projects look at the issue of forced labour from different perspectives. Through reportage, film and photography, they explore forced migration and exploitation, loss and remembrance, and continuities of the Nazi era. A glossary provides information on the subject of Nazi forced labour. Important terms, places and people are explained. A forum also serves as a platform for exchange and discussion.
In the app Forced Abroad – Days of a Forced Labourer, users immerse themselves in the story of Jan de Boer, a young Dutchman who was deported from Rotterdam to Neuaubing for forced labour at the age of 19. At first, Jan de Boer is lucky. He escapes the Nazi raid on occupied Rotterdam in November 1944 to deport young men to Germany for forced labour. He and his family struggled through a winter of hunger and extreme cold for several weeks, until he was finally called up for labour service on 8 January 1945. Under difficult conditions, he began a journey into the unknown that would eventually take him to Munich. He kept a daily diary of his experiences. He writes about fear, homesickness and the harsh working conditions, but also about how he managed not to give up.
Based on a true story, memories and experiences can be collected in a diary as the plot progresses. The game is illustrated by comic book artist Barbara Yelin. Forced Abroad can be downloaded for free from the Google Playstore and the Apple Store. The game has also been accompanied by educational materials suitable for students in ninth grade and above. The resources can be found here.
Link to the trailer (in German)
Contact
Munich Documentation Center for the History of National Socialism
Max-Mannheimer-Platz 1
80333 Munich, Germany
Email: nsdoku@muenchen.de
