"Munich 72" is a documentary experience by Bayerischer Rundfunk on the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Munich and the 1972 Munich Massacre. On "VR Chat", users walk go through the events of that time chronologically in five worlds that are build on one another. With this virtually walk-through documentation, Bayerischer Rundfunk wants to make history something that can be experienced individually. 

"Social VR" combines a virtual reality experience with a social network. The coming together in a virtual world takes place via a VR system or a social VR app. Users appear as avatars in a VR world that can either be realistically built or designed as a fantasy world. Users can interact with the environment and communicate with each other. 

"VR Chat" is a "Social VR Application". It allows users to use avatars created by the community itself and to visit virtual worlds. Users can make friends with each other, invite others into a world they are in and talk to each other via a chat function. The virtual worlds can be places that recreate real life, such as the Venice Biennale, but also fantasy worlds such as underground mushrooms, worlds in which you can solve mystery games together or just sit together around the campfire. 

"Munich 72" can be used both with and without VR glasses. However, a VR headset offers an optimal experience. A Windows PC is required. 

A VR chat account is also required. To start the experience, it needs to be downloaded for free via "Steam". 

Moving is done with the W A S D keys.

VR Chat offers both a platform and an active community. An important aspect is accessibility: For VR Chat, only a Windows PC is required, but not VR glasses.  

In contrast to a VR experience that you download as a game, the project managers value the exchange and the opportunity to visit "Munich 72" together as a couple or as a group. There are also technical reasons: The worlds that we built can be easily integrated into VR Chat using the "Unity" game engine. 

The original material in the VR experience comes from various archives, e.g. BR Archive. However, the creators of the project are also very grateful that the relatives of the victims of the Munich Massacre placed their trust in them and gave them access to private material. A detailed list of sources is available here.

It was extremely important to those responsible for the project to include the perspective of the bereaved and survivors throughout the entire development process. They introduced the project to the families, who gave extremely helpful and positive feedback. 

The creators of the project do not claim to recreate reality, but have taken the freedom that a virtual environment offers - for example with free-floating islands or a running track on the Olympic Tower. However, the worlds of the project are inspired by the design and architecture of the 1972 Olympic Games. The integrated original materials such as pictures, newspapers, videos and audios are authentic. 

The direct link in VR Chat is available on the project webpage br.de/muenchen72. 

To enter the world together, the easiest way is to first connect with your friends in VR Chat. If a friend is already in the VR Experience "Munich 72", you can follow them around the world using the "Join" button. 

We offer German and English texts and content in "Munich 72".  

For the development of "Munich 72", the authors of the project researched intensively on the both topics, the Olympic Games and the Olympic Massakre. They researched various archives, including looking at a large number of original files from 1972 in the archives of Bayerischer Rundfunk. In addition, part of the team looked at the files of the police and the public prosecutor's office. Findings from this, such as the course of the hostage-taking, locations, room sizes and various personal items, were incorporated into the design of "Munich 72". 

The 3D design was created with the "Blender" software and converted into a walk-in room using the "Unity" game engine. 

The project is funded by the EBU, European Broadcasting Union. Other partners are the Hochschule für Gestaltung/Museum Ulm, which has provided material from Otl Aicher's archives. The Bavarian State Library has contributed aerial photos of the Oberwiesenfeld to the construction progress. The Jewish Museum Munich has contributed background information on the origins of the various memorial plaques and places and provided helpful feedback on the design of the virtual place of remembrance.