111 years ago today, in 1914, the Sarajevo Assassination took place. At the time, 17-year-old Gavrilo Princip, a member of the Young Bosnia organization, assassinated the Austro-Hungarian Crown Prince Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sofia.
This event led to the start of World War I, a conflict that changed the course of history and shaped the modern world as we know it today. This is how the story most often begins that the curators of the First Museum of Virtual Reality (Sarajevo VRX Immersive Museum) tell to numerous interested guests from all over the world, who can virtually return to the time of the assassination at this place.
“Franz Ferdinand, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, was the target of the assassin Gavrilo Princip, a member of Young Bosnia. In the background of the assassination lay complex political relations, national movements and discontent that boiled over in the Balkans at the beginning of the 20th century. And usually tourists want us to give someone their view of things, but we actually want to bring them back and offer them to build their own perspective through experience,” explains Jovana Music, director of the Sarajevo VRX Immersive Museum.
The assassination of Franz Ferdinand triggered a chain of events that led to the outbreak of the First World War. Austria-Hungary, with the support of Germany, declared war on Serbia, which led to the intervention of other major powers and the escalation of the conflict on a global level. Millions of lives were lost, and the political and social consequences of the war were far-reaching, including the collapse of several major empires and the creation of new states. That story is a link for many tourists, who come to Sarajevo for a “piece” of world history.
“The virtual museum is a digital platform that allows visitors to explore and experience museum collections through virtual reality. Our museum uses advanced technologies to create an interactive and realistic experience. It is accessible for children and young people, so they can understand this event more easily. Virtual tours they allow museums to display exhibits that may not be exhibited in a physical setting due to lack of space or the sensitivity of the materials. In this way, the digital display can be more extensive and diverse than anything we can see in reality,” concludes Music, Fena news agency writes.
On the anniversary of the Sarajevo Assassination, admission to the Sarajevo Museum will be free.
