stories that shaped Warsaw
Contribution
Wasza Warszawa
To mark 100 years of Poland’s independence, we created a mobile application that presents the history of the Polish capital since 1918. Wasza Warszawa invites users to discover the city’s past through personal stories, archival photos, videos, recordings, walking routes, games, and quizzes.
The content was prepared by Dom Spotkań z Historią (The History Meeting House), a municipal cultural institution of Warsaw. The app won the Mobile Trends Awards 2018 (in the education & tourism category), the most prestigious distinction for mobile apps in Poland.
Interactive map
between the past and the present
The interactive map allows residents and tourists to stroll through Warsaw’s streets as they look today and explore how they appeared in the past. With just one click, app users can switch between the contemporary view and the historical layer, which takes users back in time to Warsaw in 1918.
The map includes famous buildings as well as other places important for everyday life, culture, entertainment, and sport, showing their exact location in both past and present layouts. This unique perspective helps users understand how the Polish capital has changed over more than 100 years.
Calendar
key moments over the years
The calendar gathers the most important events connected with the selected period or person. Each timeline is a different journey through history during which users not only scroll through dates but also discover meaningful facts.
Each entry reveals details about what happened, where it occurred, and who was involved. Many events are accompanied by photos and linked directly to locations on the map or featured individuals. This context-rich background offers a deeper understanding of how personal stories were intertwined with the city’s and country’s history.
People & places
walking routes full of memories
While walking through Warsaw, the app users are accompanied by the most significant figures of their eras, including writers, poets, actors and actresses, scientists, politicians, social activists, and military leaders, among others.
Users can also select one of the thematic routes, discovering the unknown history behind contemporary buildings or learning about venues that no longer exist.
Profiles of individuals and descriptions of places are enriched with anecdotes, archival photos, videos, audio recordings, and related routes, making their stories even more fascinating.
Gamification
learning history through play
Wasza Warszawa turns historical discovery into an engaging experience. Users can take part in interactive city games that guide them through Warsaw’s streets as they solve tasks and uncover facts in real locations, using their phones.
The app also features a variety of quizzes which encourage users to test their knowledge about the city’s past and share their results with friends. Numerous intriguing questions motivate users to learn more and help them remember new facts.