MUSCATINE, Iowa – Muscatine Community College (MCC) will host “The Journey Back: A Virtual Reality Experience,” an interactive exhibit using 360-degree technology to share Holocaust survivor stories.
The exhibit, developed by the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, will be open to the public from Monday, April 21, through Friday, May 2, at MCC’s Loper Hall.
Participants will use virtual reality headsets to follow survivors as they revisit key locations from their past. The free exhibit is open to ages 12 and older.
MCC Student Engagement Coordinator Trevor Meyers led efforts to bring “The Journey Back” to campus after experiencing it at the Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center.
“Listening to a Holocaust survivor’s story is powerful, but stepping into their world through virtual reality is something entirely different,” Mr. Meyers said. “This experience allows you to connect with history in a deeply personal way – one that stays with you. The moment I experienced it myself, I knew our students and the Muscatine community needed that opportunity also.”
Participants can choose from five immersive survivor stories, each lasting 13-23 minutes:
- A Promise Kept – Fritzie Fritzshall returns to her hometown and Auschwitz, sharing the promise she made to the 599 women who helped save her life.
- Don’t Forget Me – George Brent retraces his journey through Auschwitz, Mauthausen, and Ebensee, revealing his will to survive.
- Letters from Drancy – Marion Deichmann recounts her childhood escape across Northern Europe and survival of D-Day in Normandy.
- Walk to Westerbork – Rodi Glass revisits her imprisonment at Westerbork transit camp and Vittel internment camp.
- Escape to Shanghai – Doris Fogel’s journey from Germany to Shanghai, China – one of the few places that welcomed Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.
Advance registration is required, though walk-ins will be accommodated as space allows. Participants should arrive five to 10 minutes early to check in and set up their VR headset.
Due to the historical content, the exhibit is recommended for ages 12 and up, with parents and educators encouraged to determine suitability for younger attendees. The VR experience is stable and seated, with no movement required. Free parking is available on campus, and all MCC buildings are handicap accessible.
For more information or to register, visit this event link.
