During one of the recent meetings, the Foundation reached out to forty representatives
of international governments and presented this project to them. So far, governments are eager to be part of this development. Everyone seems to see the potential, even though there are still some issues and areas that need improvement. Two governments have already signed up and confirmed that they will provide funds to the Foundation and the memorial for their students to participate in these tours. The fees will be very comparable to an actual on-site visit. The memorial aims to avoid putting the guides in a position where they have
to choose between providing this tour or a regular one. Guides will receive special training for using this platform and conducting the tours.
Q: In my opinion, we hardly saw the guide today. Is this how it's going to be? If not, how do you
see that?
The guide should be guiding in selfie mode more than what has been shown today. When passing the gate in Birkenau, the idea is to show where the guide is coming from and then switch to the front view, displaying the wagon so that participants can better understand
the navigation process and their location.
Q: We know about the SAMR teaching model [Substitute, Augmentation, Modification,
and Redefinition]. Where are the substitutes and redefinitions on this scale? Do you feel that the guiding is different or rather similar to the guiding on-site?
The online tour was never intended to replace the traditional on-site visit. Some points
of interest have been selected to provide knowledge that complements the physical on-site tour. The order and presentation have been altered, but the core content remains the same. For example, during the physical tour, participants can view a real model of a gas chamber
in Block 4. In the online tour, the decision was made to showcase the process online
in Birkenau, next to Crematorium III. Participants are not missing information; it is simply presented differently.
Q: Can you tell us why some parts are pre-recorded and some are not? What was the decision
process?
Some places are pre-recorded to preserve the buildings. Entering and walking inside
the buildings damages them over time. With the live tour, visitors have the chance to access pre-recorded movies of buildings that are not open to the public. Another reason is
to showcase buildings that are not within walking distance from the main points of interest. For example, in Birkenau, the sauna is presented in a pre-recorded video because it is very far from the entrance of the former camp, and it wouldn't make sense for the guide to walk all the way there during this condensed guided tour version. A lot of considerations were made to ensure that the service remains as live as possible while prioritizing authenticity, facts, and evidence.
Q: I cannot understand the need for a live guide if there is almost no interaction with them
and there are so many technological problems. A pre-recorded tour would allow access
to everyone at any time of the day, everywhere in the world. What are the advantages of having a live guide and not a pre-recorded tour?
Plenty of pre-recorded visits and videos about Holocaust memorials and museums already exist today, but only around 300 individuals in the world possess the unique knowledge
and skills developed over years of practice that enable them to guide in this place.