Game recreates lost Jewish quarter in Hanau, Germany

In Hanau, Germany, developers are building a computer game called “Echoes of Hanau” that allows players to explore a historically Jewish quarter destroyed during a 1945 bombing.

The game focuses on the Nordstraße, formerly known as the Judengasse, and takes place around the year 1900. Players assume the role of Karl, who investigates a mystery within the reconstructed neighborhood, interacting with digital residents and gathering clues.

The project began with extensive research into the history of the area, involving students from local schools and historian Iris Lach. Developers used old maps, photographs, and paintings by Hanau-born artist Moritz Daniel Oppenheim, who depicted scenes from life in the ghetto, to accurately recreate the setting. Designer Philipp Lach also drew on archival research he had previously done to create a 3D model of the houses for a physical monument.

The Judengasse’s history stretches back to 1603, when the count of Hanau-Münzenberg allowed Jewish people to settle there. The community grew to 540 members by 1822, comprising four percent of Hanau’s population, but the Second World War and the Holocaust led to the deaths of 230 Hanau Jews and the destruction of the synagogue. A new Jewish community formed in 2005, largely composed of immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

The game’s creators and community leaders hope it will provide a new way for people to learn about Jewish life and Hanau’s history, and plan to distribute it for free on Steam and as a browser game.