STYRT

From 1939 to 1945, Europe was in flames. In an attempt to annihilate or slow down the Nazi war industry, the Allies resorted to massive bombing of a multitude of industrial enterprises and military targets throughout the German Reich. Initially, the actions took place during the day, but increasing casualty figures shifted the operations to nighttime.

On perilous missions, primarily English, Canadian, American, Australian, New Zealander, and South African young men were sent on missions from English airbases. More than 463 planes were shot down, and over 1,171 Allied crew members lost their lives. In the Sønderborg area alone, 13 planes crashed, and 88 Allied crew members were killed or captured.

To ensure that history is not forgotten and to document the will and sacrifice demonstrated by thousands of Allied forces to crush the Nazi regime, an outreach effort should be launched. “STYRT” is the working title of the project, and changes to the name may occur.

VISION

With STYRT, we aim to tell the often unknown story of the crashed aircraft and the fate of the crew members who were shot down over Als during World War II. But also the story of air warfare, for better or worse, up to the present day.

STYRT will be a regional dissemination center that, through compelling stories, will address the obvious dilemmas faced by the various nationalities involved. STYRT emphasizes being unifying and inclusive for the many nationalities while simultaneously showcasing the horrors of war for visitors, then and now.

GOALS

STYRT is a regional dissemination center with a phased development plan towards becoming a national center.

STYRT communicates the main themes:

  • The 13 crashed aircraft and their crews during World War II
  • The untold story of the crews and their fate
  • The significance of air warfare for warfare – with key highlights from then until today
  • Tells authentic stories right where they happened

Tells the stories through analog and digital platforms, so guests can experience the horrors of war with all their senses.

Provides opportunities for learning and reflection on war and its significance for democracy.

Inspires revisits due to the center’s dynamic development with continually new stories.

IDEA

A group of initiative-driven individuals from Sønderborg have been working for years towards realizing the idea of a “memorial center,” a place on Als with the working title AFMCA (Air Force Memorial Center Als). A center where one can gain an overview of the air war over Denmark, the immense efforts, and the sacrifices made by the Allies in the fight against dictatorship. An experiential center where one can delve into details about aircraft and crews and gain insight into the fates associated with that time.

Als is well-chosen, as the majority of the crashes occurred here. Every year on the anniversaries of the crashes, wreaths are laid, and speeches are held for the victims. These memorial days in Sønderborg Municipality are coordinated through a contact committee.

With a dissemination center, one can create a platform for knowledge about the air war during World War II. The center can serve as a focal point for reaching out to the many crash sites scattered across Denmark, perhaps even involving schools and other stakeholders actively in the maintenance of gravesites and other activities.

THE PLATFORMS

We envision a local platform with Sønderborg Municipality’s memorials as the focal point, a national platform where all crash sites are engaged, and we emphasize an overarching narrative that places the air war in a broader perspective, encompassing both the period during World War II and bringing knowledge up to today, where drones and missile systems set the agenda.

THE NARRATIVE

The narrative is simple – it encompasses the crews, the aircraft, and the mission. Stories from then and up to today with relevant and exciting highlights from the history of air warfare.

TARGET AUDIENCES

STYRT has several primary target audiences:

  • The three generations
  • Tourists in the local area
  • School classes and students
  • Holiday guests at the new resort on Nordals
  • Descendants who still commemorate fallen family members

STYRT caters to the three generations of both genders. There should be clear diversity in communication so that both genders are engaged on an equal footing.

Focus is placed on tourists who spend their holidays regionally. There is a significant regional need for indoor activities lasting 1-2 hours, a need that STYRT fulfills.

STYRT reaches out with engaging and curious communication to schools on field trips, regional school classes, and students with a particular interest in history. Visits by children and young people should act as a springboard for visits with parents and grandparents.

STYRT also attracts relatives of the fallen, as well as individuals and groups – local historical societies – with a particular interest in air warfare.

A COMMUNICATIVE INTERACTIONT

A visit to STYRT and out to the 13 crash sites should be experienced in context. At the dissemination center, there are dramatic visualizations and interactive participation in the air war, adorned with the crew members’ personal accounts. The story is tied to play and learning.

One gets the experience of a selection of the same stories that the visitor can experience at the 13 crash sites when encountering QR codes and an APP at the memorials. This is exactly where it happened, and on their own device, visitors meet representatives from the crews, who tell their story on location.

A historically arranged route is established on Als, where one can visit one or more of the 13 historical crash sites. From there, one can move out to the crash sites, each representing a historical place for a plane and its crew.

COMMUNICATION

STYRT brings the visitor close to the story with varying sensory impressions. One steps into a narrative where each room and every digital and interactive activity immerses the visitor in the dramatic story. The dramatic scenarios connect the stories.

The use of light, sound, smell, and effects makes the visit an experience where the sensation of ‘goosebumps’ and panic accompanies the visitor as they move through the center.

Here, there is both analog and digital interactivity, which makes the visitor break a sweat. One gets the feeling of being in the middle of the story thanks to the engaging scenography. The story is told in a way that conveys events from multiple sides and different perspectives. The dissemination addresses the many dilemmas faced by both German soldiers and the allies. The communication is unifying and gathering with the purpose of learning from history.

The dissemination must be a success for everyone, so there are experiences for all guests regardless of time, age, temperament, and gender.

Examples of Communication

The possibilities and perspectives for communication are diverse, but here we have tried to provide a few
examples of the communication efforts that should be included in STYRT.

The 88 Silhouettes

You slowly walk past the 88 steel silhouettes, full-sized representations of the crew members from the local
crashes. On a screen above the silhouettes, the names of the 88 locally crashed crew members loop.

The Digital Map Table Of The Crash Sites

At the large digital map table, you choose where to click for more information. All Danish crash sites are
included in the multiple layers of communication on the map of Denmark. You select a location, and a
picture of the bomber plane appears, along with a brief description of the time, payload, crew members,
and their fate. Multiple people can choose simultaneously.

Cinema

You begin your visit with an inspiring introduction film about air warfare from back then until now. You get
into the right mood and are introduced to the visit at the exhibition center. The cinema shows several
different film clips about air warfare, both from documentary films and fiction films.

Wind tunnel

You continue in the wind tunnel, where you float in a violent wind through the air until your parachute
open.

Briefingroom

You are participating in the briefing for your next mission. You are part of the crew on Lancaster LAN JB412,
and you will be going on a bombing raid against a ball bearing factory in Germany. Before leaving the
briefing room, you write a farewell letter to your family.

The bomb tower – the warfare simulator

You take your position in the tail turret and prepare your Browning machine gun. You are being attacked by
enemy fighters, you participate in a fierce air battle, and feel fear and cold sweat. You are hit by a direct hit.
Fire, heat, noise, and vibrations hammer through your tower. Finally, you throw yourself out through the
sluice and parachute down over Als.

Flight simulator

You take your seat in the pilot’s chair. You take off from London and fly over the North Sea and into Als. You
follow the navigation points along the way and see Als from the air. If you are not shot down, you continue
to Berlin, where you select your target and drop bombs over an imaginary target.

The Merlin Engine

You come across the large Merlin engine. You press the start button and the engine digitally starts with a
loud roar. You rev it up and down on the throttle lever.

Drone Obstacle Course

At the indoor drone obstacle course, you rent a drone. You are given a map showing the route you must
follow using the drone’s camera.

Playground

You observe the children at the playground. The playground is designed as an airport with a tower,
machinery, and other aviation equipment for the children to play on.

The Talking Memorial Stone

After a refreshment in the café, you follow the route into the terrain where the 13 crash sites are marked
on the map. You visit the first one and activate the talking memorial stone via your phone. Here, you learn
the story of the plane, the crew, and their fate.

COMPANY STRUCTURE

A professional management is established for the experience center. Representatives from the Air Force
Memorial Center Als board members make up part of the board for the experience center.

An Advisory Board is attached to support the continued development of the center. The Advisory Board
consists of representatives with ties to the local business community, tourism, historically knowledgeable professionals, educational institutions, and the political system in Sønderborg Municipality.

STYRT enters into a formal collaboration with Museum Sønderjylland, experience institutions, and tourism
for joint marketing.

A manager is hired to oversee the operation and coordination of the center, including a small shop. Other workforce is taken care of by volunteers.

The café is either leased out or operated by the center with paid staff supplemented by the efforts of
volunteers.

It is desirable to construct an information center specifically built for this purpose, located somewhere on Als and preferably near Sønderborg Airport, and work on the architecture needs to be done.

STYRT

The brochure has been prepared by HM Projekt by John Hansen and Hans Ole Matthiesen, in collaboration with the board behind AFMCA and selected individuals with experience in dissemination.

The project and workshop is supported by Sønderborg Municipality and LINAK A/S.