Discover Würzburg's Medieval Treasures Via App

08/23/2023

Get to know historical places, experience the history of science up close and even walk in the footsteps of a murder: a new app from the University of Würzburg makes it possible.

The team from the Chair of German Philology on a tour of Würzburg with the new app - here in front of a station at the Residenz. (Image: Sebastian Hofmann / Uni Würzburg)

The Chair of German Philology at Julius-Maximilians-Universität (JMU), headed by Professor Regina Toepfer, has developed a new app that allows users to discover Würzburg from a new perspective: the Würzburg Literature App (WueLApp for short, in German language). Similar to a scavenger hunt, the application guides users on foot through various stations in the city centre, where they have to solve tasks and learn about the history of the university and the city. There is a special focus on medieval and early modern literary sites.

"WueLApp gives people a sense of the place that medieval culture still occupies in public spaces," explains Toepfer. "They also learn more about important people, texts and places in the city in a fun way." The application was originally developed for new students of German medieval studies - but it is also exciting for the general public.

Walking in the Footsteps of the Middle Ages

Thanks to GPS tracking, users can see exactly where they are on a map and at which station the next puzzle awaits them. There are audio descriptions, historical images and text material and tricky tasks for each location. For example, users have to photograph certain places, decipher inscriptions and identify medieval statues - there is even a meme contest.

"Our app is ideal for small groups," says Toepfer. "Users earn points by completing tasks - whoever collects the most wins." So far, the chair team has developed two routes that lead through the city centre via a total of 10 stations and take around 1.5 hours each. "One of the two tours is even about a murder that had a significant impact on the University of Würzburg," Toepfer reveals.

How Anyone Can Use the App Themselves

"WueLApp" works via the "Actionbound" app, which can be downloaded free of charge from any app store. Users can start the tours through Würzburg by scanning a QR code. The codes are available on the chair's homepage.

The app was implemented by participants in a project seminar over a period of two semesters. Dr Stefan Tomasek was in charge of the project and two student assistants also worked on it: Susanne Bremer and Franziska Schulte. Financial support was provided by WueDive, a project of the University of Würzburg for the further development of digital teaching. A follow-up project for pupils is already planned for 2024/25 - the team is also looking into an app extension specifically for tourism.

About the Chair of German Philology

The Chair of German Philology represents older German literature within Würzburg's German Studies department. It is involved in the German Studies degree programmes and the Master's degree programme "Medieval and Early Modern Studies". A particular focus is on translation cultures and medieval mediation.