Outreach Synergy Call Winning Project Deep-Dive: The Ruppendorf Time Machine
Published on 24 Mar 2026
Image credit: Mario Hehne
Q&A Deep-Dive: The Ruppendorf Time Machine
Welcome to our Q&A on “The Ruppendorf Time Machine” one of two projects that won the 3DBigDataSpace Outreach Synergy Call. Sub-contracted within 3DBigDataSpace and coordinated by the Time Machine Organisation, the project transforms decades of local historical research into an interactive digital experience, allowing visitors to explore the moated castle of Ruppendorf through 3D visualisations, time-based reconstructions, and immersive storytelling spanning more than 500 years of village history.
What was the initial impulse or problem that led to this project, and why was it important to address it now (culturally, scientifically, or socially)?
Moated Castle Ruppendorf (c. 1100) is the only surviving moated castles in the Eastern Ore Mountains. What remains is a 12-metre tower with a Romanesque domed vault and an approximately 18-metre wall fragment – robust evidential anchors for a source-based journey through the castle's building and usage history. As a former border fortification between the Margraves of Meissen and the Burgraves of Dohna, it is a key site of regional governance and settlement development.
What was the initial impulse or problem that led to this project, and why was it important to address it now (culturally, scientifically, or socially)?
Moated Castle Ruppendorf (c. 1100) is the only surviving moated castles in the Eastern Ore Mountains. What remains is a 12-metre tower with a Romanesque domed vault and an approximately 18-metre wall fragment – robust evidential anchors for a source-based journey through the castle's building and usage history. As a former border fortification between the Margraves of Meissen and the Burgraves of Dohna, it is a key site of regional governance and settlement development.
For over 60 years, the volunteer working group Ortschronik Ruppendorf (local chronicle group) has been documenting the history of the village and the castle. This unique body of knowledge, however, is at risk of being lost: the chroniclers belong to an ageing generation, and the collected material – deeds, maps, photographs, oral accounts, drawings – has until now existed almost exclusively in analogue form.
At the same time, Ruppendorf was awarded "Best Village in Saxony" in 2025 and joined the European Time Machine network. This created a unique window of opportunity: to combine the growing public interest in the site with the tools of the 3DBigDataSpace platform of the Time Machine Organisation before the living knowledge of the chroniclers is irretrievably lost.
What is the central object, site, or heritage narrative of the project, and what key story or insight does the project aim to convey to its audience?
At the centre stands the moated castle itself – approximately 900 years of village, border, and governance history condensed in a single structure. The project aims to show how the castle changed over the centuries: across seven time slices from the first documented mention in 1349, through the earliest cartographic depiction (1580), its heyday around 1500, conversion phases around 1700, the historical views by J. F. W. Wegener (1838/39), and the photo series of the chronicle group (1910–present), to the current drone model from 2024.
At the centre stands the moated castle itself – approximately 900 years of village, border, and governance history condensed in a single structure. The project aims to show how the castle changed over the centuries: across seven time slices from the first documented mention in 1349, through the earliest cartographic depiction (1580), its heyday around 1500, conversion phases around 1700, the historical views by J. F. W. Wegener (1838/39), and the photo series of the chronicle group (1910–present), to the current drone model from 2024.
A special role is played by the hidden interior of the tower (level 2, normally inaccessible at approximately 6 metres above ground), which is made accessible to all for the first time through 360° panoramas and 3D reconstructions. A forgotten dialect poem by Erich Wunderwald from 1959 about the moated castle serves as an emotional entry point into the time journey – printed on the information panel at the ruins and available as audio on the landing page.
A central concern is scientific transparency: in the reconstruction models, the masonry that still stands today as a ruin is visually distinguished from the reconstructed parts. The user immediately recognises: "This part is still standing – this part is interpretation." Each reconstructed element carries an evidence grade (high: direct source available, medium: derived from comparable findings, low: plausible assumption) with links to the original sources.
How does the project technically and conceptually realise this goal (e.g. digital tools, interaction modes, narrative structure), and what makes this approach distinctive?
The application uses two tools from the 3DBigDataSpace platform – the PCSS Viewer (web-based 3D viewer, developed by the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center) and the 4D Browser (spatio-temporal navigation, developed by Jonas Bruschke at Friedrich Schiller University Jena) – and is structured into three modules:
The application uses two tools from the 3DBigDataSpace platform – the PCSS Viewer (web-based 3D viewer, developed by the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Center) and the 4D Browser (spatio-temporal navigation, developed by Jonas Bruschke at Friedrich Schiller University Jena) – and is structured into three modules:
- Module 1 – Explorer Mode (children and families): A gamified treasure hunt with 5 hidden discovery points in the 3D model of the ruins. Only the current hotspot is visible; once the child finds it and taps it (image, text, short explanation), the next one is unlocked (0/5 → 5/5 "All found!"). The five discovery points lead playfully to the most fascinating features of the castle: the thickest section of wall (2 metres), a 1970 survey drawing revealing a previously unknown tunnel, a historical coat of arms, the deed of first mention from 1349, and the oldest photograph of the castle.
- Module 2 – Time Machine Mode (adults and researchers): An interactive time journey across seven time slices from 1349 to 2024. A time slider switches between epochs; at each time slice, the corresponding 3D model is loaded (reconstructions from 1500 and 1700, drone model from 2024) together with the associated historical media (deeds, maps, photographs, drawings). Each object displays its evidence grade and, where possible, links to the original sources. The 4D Browser handles the temporal navigation, the PCSS Viewer the 3D detail view.
- Module 3 – Hidden Interior (all audiences): The tower interior, inaccessible for decades, is made digitally accessible for the first time. A toggle button allows the user to switch between a 360° spherical panorama of the current state (level 2) and a 3D reconstruction from around 1500 (level 2 plus the now-missing level 3). The contrast between decay and heyday becomes immediately visible.
All 3D models are proprietary assets: a photogrammetric drone model (Apus Systems, UAV survey 2024) and source-based Blender reconstructions by the chronicle group (Juliane Träger, Frank Winkler). The creation of the models is carried out as in-kind contribution outside the project; the project funds the preparation, optimisation, and integration of the existing assets into the 3DBigDataSpace platform.
Access is browser-based via a QR code on a weatherproof information panel directly at the ruins – no app download, no login, straight in the smartphone browser. Multilingual support (DE/EN/PL/CZ) and accessibility (WCAG 2.1 AA) are built in from the start.
What makes this approach distinctive: it is not merely a digitisation effort, but a source-based time journey with scientific transparency. Every reconstruction discloses its evidence grade, and the 3D models visually distinguish between what still stands today and what is interpreted reconstruction. That is the difference between a polished 3D animation and a scientifically grounded Digital Museum.
Who is the project primarily designed for, and how do users encounter and experience it (on-site, online, mobile, educational, exploratory)?
The project addresses multiple target groups: children and families (Explorer Mode as treasure hunt), interested adults and tourists (Time Machine Mode), researchers and local historians (source-linked detail views with evidence grades), and school classes (planned workshops with Ruppendorf Primary School in May/June 2026). Distribution via the Geopark Sachsens Mitte (Central Saxony Geopark) for tourism purposes is also planned.
The project addresses multiple target groups: children and families (Explorer Mode as treasure hunt), interested adults and tourists (Time Machine Mode), researchers and local historians (source-linked detail views with evidence grades), and school classes (planned workshops with Ruppendorf Primary School in May/June 2026). Distribution via the Geopark Sachsens Mitte (Central Saxony Geopark) for tourism purposes is also planned.
The typical entry point is on-site: the visitor stands at the castle ruins, reads the dialect poem on the information panel, scans the QR code, and reaches the landing page of the Digital Museum Ruppendorf. There, a tap starts the poem as audio – spoken in the Ore Mountains dialect while the visitor looks at the walls. Then they choose their mode: "Start treasure hunt", "Start time journey", or "Hidden interior".
The application also works independently of the location on desktop – for classroom teaching, research, or curious people worldwide. The target is at least 850 users by 30 June 2026, measured via GDPR-compliant analytics (Matomo).
What added value does the project create for research, education, public engagement, or heritage preservation, and what should remain after the project's completion?
The project digitally preserves over 60 years of volunteer chronicle work and makes it accessible through the tools of the 3DBigDataSpace platform for education, tourism, and research. It creates a transferable model for how small municipalities can convey their cultural heritage in a contemporary way with modest resources – source-based, scientifically transparent, and without commercial exploitation (Creative Commons BY-NC).
Concrete added value arises from the connection between the physical site and the digital experience: the QR information panel at the ruins functions as a standalone information medium even without a smartphone (poem, historical before/after comparison, teaser text), while the digital application provides the depth that a panel alone cannot offer.
The live events – the demo at the village festival (16 May 2026) and the school workshops – anchor the project in the village community. The "Our Village Has a Future" competition (26 June 2026) provides another presentation stage. A TMO webinar and a Transfer Day in Saxony (Q3 2026) will carry the experiences into the European professional community.
After the project's completion, the application is to remain permanently accessible via the Digital Museum Ruppendorf (operated by the local council of Ruppendorf). The 3D models and metadata will be archived long-term and published openly via academic repositories (Qucosa/SLUB, Deutsche Fotothek, Zenodo). The parallel ECHOES project provides a deeper data infrastructure (graph database, 40+ interconnected tables for historical relationship analysis) that extends far beyond the TMO subcontract.
Ultimately, the project aims to prove one thing: digital cultural heritage is not a matter of village size. An 700-inhabitant village in the Eastern Ore Mountains can set standards with the right tools and a dedicated community.
Meet the Team
Behind the project is a dedicated collaboration between technologists and local historians. Led by Mario Hehne of Apus Systems, together with technical lead Fabian Naumann, the team combines community knowledge, historical documentation, and digital tools to open hidden spaces of the castle and make centuries of Ruppendorf’s heritage accessible through a simple QR-code entry point.
Mario Hehne
Mario Hehne holds a degree in geography and geology and has been self-employed with his own engineering consultancy since 2006. Having grown up in Ruppendorf, he has a deep connection to his home village. Since 2019, he has been leading the village as Chair of the Local Advisory Council and has been active in the local chronicle group for many years. Through his studies and professional experience, he has developed a strong affinity for digital tools – with the goal of making Ruppendorf fit for the future without losing sight of its rich cultural heritage.
Credit: private
Mario Hehne
Mario Hehne holds a degree in geography and geology and has been self-employed with his own engineering consultancy since 2006. Having grown up in Ruppendorf, he has a deep connection to his home village. Since 2019, he has been leading the village as Chair of the Local Advisory Council and has been active in the local chronicle group for many years. Through his studies and professional experience, he has developed a strong affinity for digital tools – with the goal of making Ruppendorf fit for the future without losing sight of its rich cultural heritage.
Credit: private
When our village won the Saxony prize 'Our Village Has a Future' in 2025, it was a confirmation of what our community has been building for decades. Winning the Outreach Synergy Call is the next step: now we can not only preserve our history, but share it with people who may never have heard of Ruppendorf. The fact that the work of our chroniclers spanning over 60 years is now becoming visible through a European platform is a historic moment for our village – in every sense of the word.
Fabian Naumann
Fabian Naumann holds a degree in cartography with strong expertise in geoinformatics and digitisation. As technical lead of the project, he is responsible for integrating the 3D models into the 3DBigDataSpace platform, developing the web application, and connecting historical sources with modern digital tools. Although he is not from Ruppendorf himself, the collaboration with the chronicle group and the depth of the source collection built over more than 60 years drew him to this project.
Credit: private
Fabian Naumann holds a degree in cartography with strong expertise in geoinformatics and digitisation. As technical lead of the project, he is responsible for integrating the 3D models into the 3DBigDataSpace platform, developing the web application, and connecting historical sources with modern digital tools. Although he is not from Ruppendorf himself, the collaboration with the chronicle group and the depth of the source collection built over more than 60 years drew him to this project.
Credit: private
Cultural heritage does not live in the archive – it lives where people stand, marvel, and understand. The 3DBigDataSpace gives us the tools to make exactly that possible. The fact that a European platform enables an 700-inhabitant village in the Eastern Ore Mountains to make 900 years of history accessible via a QR code shows that digital cultural heritage is not a matter of village size.