Historical visual novel shows history as an open process
On October 9, 1989, more than 70,000 people marched in the streets of Leipzig to protest against the GDR regime. People of all classes. And students. They were opposed by a determined state power with an enormous deployment of security forces. Those who marched on the streets that day had no way of knowing whether it would end peacefully. The possibility of a "Chinese solution", a violent suppression of the protest as in June 1989 in Beijing on Tiananmen Square was hanging in the air. This is precisely where "Autumn 89" begins. Through the medium of a historical visual novel, players experience October 9, 1989 from different perspectives and can actively influence the course of the day. This is to show that history is an open process. Or in other words, that history is the result of decisions and concrete actions, but also of lucky or unlucky constellations and coincidences.
Together with the DHM, we developed the historical visual novel, which can now be played free of charge at the DHM. Players slip into the roles of seven possible characters to experience October 9 in Leipzig from different perspectives. In doing so, they have the opportunity to make concrete decisions and influence the course of events in Leipzig. The seven figures are linked to exhibition objects that, as relics of their time, tell the story in their own way. Depending on the playful actions, historical artifacts become visible and audible in the space.