Photo: German National Library DNB
Frankfurt (KNA) A classic literary book can now also be tried virtually: Goethe’s “Faust” will be shown by the German National Library on October 19 Virtual reality application. “Goethe VR” is an interactive experience of artificial reality, as Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s tragedy “Faust I and Faust II” adapts to the digital world, the National Library in Frankfurt announced on Tuesday.
Equipped with virtual reality goggles, players actively participate in the narration: they sign the agreement with Mephisto, travel to the witch’s kitchen, meet Gretchen and search for the “core of the matter”.
Being close to the original is an important part of quoting in Seven Scenes. In a playing time of 15 minutes, a virtual world will be created, which “in terms of atmosphere and content” corresponds to the literary paradigm. Participants should learn about conflicts, central characters, and dominant ideas, and learn interesting facts about Goethe (1749-1832) and the genesis of the text.
In terms of content, VR takes passages that can be read as a reflection on modern people. Faust’s tireless search for the new, his anxiety and desire to experience the perfect moment, formed the framework for the digital version. The National Library indicated its collection’s mission. Works in many versions are collected here: as comics, as adaptations of children’s books, in translations. Nearly 3,000 different versions of “Faust I and II” by Goethe are in stock.
Goethe VR is available in nine languages: German, English, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Indonesian, Polish, Czech and Arabic. You can play for free from October 19 during the opening hours of the German Museum for Books and Writing at the German National Library in Leipzig and in the lobby of the German National Library in Frankfurt am Main. The project will open on October 17 in the presence of game designers and other project managers from ZDF Digital at the German Museum of Books and Writing in Leipzig.
Goethe VR. Goethe’s Faust as an interactive ‘virtual reality experience’: in Leipzig: Tuesday to Sunday 10am-6pm, Thursday 10am-8pm, on public holidays 10am-6pm, closed on Mondays. Free admission in Frankfurt: Monday to Friday 9am to 9:30pm, Saturday 10am to 5:30pm, closed on Sundays and public holidays, also from December 24, 2021 to January 2, 2022. Entry is free
Exhibition link: https://www.dnb.de/DE/Kulturell/GoetheVR/goetheVR.html;jsessionid=848D725754DE786B53FABB6AE5D64B72.internet272
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