3D Reconstruction of the historic Philippinum Building

INOSOFT presented its latest virtual reality project as part of a workshop report in the Landgrafensaal of the Marburg State Archives. Under the title “Digital Time Travel,” our CEO, Thomas Winzer, presented the true-to-scale 3D reconstruction of the former school building of the Philippinum Gymnasium in Untergasse.

The demolition of the building, which was in use from 1868 to 1973, is a painful memory for many Marburg residents and is often referred to as “Marburg's biggest architectural folly” because it had to make way for today's Schlossbergcenter in 1973.

The idea of making this historic building accessible again virtually came from Dr. Bernhard Rosenkötter (Philippinum). INOSOFT is implementing the vision technically, using construction plans from the state archives and numerous historical photos from alumni.

The project is already well advanced and aims to provide the current school community and alumni with a virtual tour to mark the 500th anniversary of the Philippinum in 2027.

Highlights of the virtual journey through time:

• Auditorium with film feature: Among other things, the tour leads through the stairwell to the auditorium. There, visitors can watch an original short film from the 1960s featuring a legendary graduation prank.
• Immersive and mobile use: The tour will be available in both an immersive virtual reality version (with VR glasses) and a “beginner's version” for smartphones and tablets.
• Interactive future: Plans include the reconstruction of additional rooms (schoolmaster's office, classrooms), interactive information boards, and the use of the multi-user principle, which allows up to 100 people to access the virtual space at the same time.

We are looking forward to complementing the digital school museum with this project and making an important contribution to preserving Marburg's city history.

October 23, 2025