Utilising ground breaking VR technology ‘Virtually History’ commemorates the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall

Remarkable Television, makers of Your Home Made Perfect, Pointless and The £100k Drop, have partnered with YouTube to make a special immersive history YouTube Original marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

In a first-of-its kind YouTube Original, three people with a family connection to the Berlin Wall and three YouTubers will be transported back in time through the power of VR, to experience what it was like to live through this unprecedented moment in European history. In the special, three photographs depict a different and important moment in the history of the Berlin Wall will be recreated in stunning VR and offer a very unique and emotional lens on the powerful human stories that lie behind the history of the wall. Historian Emma Dabiri will guide the contributors through this time travel experience revealing fascinating facts along the way.

Virtual recreations of incredible moments from these family’s pasts will allow contributors to walk in their ancestors’ shoes and offer a unique insight into this moment in history. In addition, viewers will also be able to immerse themselves in the VR worlds featured in the show using Google Cardboard.

Luke Hyams, YouTube Head of Originals EMEA:

“‘Virtually History’ is a transformative special that gives viewers a uniquely immersive look at a monumental moment in our history: the fall of the Berlin Wall. The show uses 360 technology to bring key scenes in this story to life in a way that allows a small group of YouTube creators and contributors, who have a family connection to the Berlin Wall, to feel as if they have travelled back in time in a completely unprecedented way that audiences can also experience through Google Cardboard and YouTube VR. Though we’re marking the 30th anniversary of the fall of the wall, there’s still a lot we can learn from this moment in history. We hope this special YouTube Original encourages people to embrace unity and value the freedoms that we enjoy today.”

Patrick Furlong, Head of Factual, Remarkable Television:

“We have painstakingly recreated sections of Berlin from 1961 to 1989 and paired with incredible VR technology we have been able to tell these incredible stories in a totally unique and compelling way and redefine the ‘history’ format for the YouTube generation.”

Virtually History is Executive Produced by Patrick Furlong and Kitty Walshe for Remarkable with Joff Wilson as Director and Hayley Vermeulen as Production Executive.

Victoria Jaye is the Creative Executive for YouTube Originals.