Breaking Out: Escape Helpers – A Virtual Journey Through Tunnel 57 in Berlin

ZAUBAR's Breaking Out: Escape Helpers project offers an immersive and haptics mixed reality experience that takes users through Tunnel 57, a historic escape tunnel used by East Berliners for two days during the Cold War. The number indicates how many people could flee. Before, it took the West Berlin students, who dug the tunnel, several months to build it under the highest secrecy.

‍A Glimpse into History

This virtual journey offers an in-depth exploration of the tunnel and the courageous individuals who risked everything for the chance at freedom. Tunnel 57, located beneath Berlin's streets, was one of the many secret escape tunnels built by those desperate to flee the oppressive East German regime. Between 1962 and 1964, they became a lifeline for many, allowing them to flee to West Berlin undetected. Despite the challenges and risks, these escape efforts were vital for many East Berliners seeking to escape political persecution and start anew.

‍An Immersive Experience Like No Other

‍Breaking Out: Escape Helpers is developed in collaboration with the Presence-XR EU Project, an initiative dedicated to advancing haptic immersive media experiences that connect people with history and culture in a completely new way.A big thank you to our partners and supporters for making this powerful experience possible!

Supported by Leading European Organizations

‍Presence XR is a Horizon Europe Innovation Project co-financed by the European Commission under Grant Agreement ID: 101135025.

Partners include: Actronika SAS, i2CAT, Capgemini, SyncVR, Medical SenseGlove, University of Hamburg, Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH), Raytrix GmbH, JOANNEUM RESEARCH, Vection Technologies, and Presence-XR EU Project.