The Journey Back: A VR Experience

Hear directly from Holocaust Survivors as they guide you through the places that shaped their experiences—from their childhood homes to the ghettos and concentration camps where they endured unimaginable hardship. Their powerful firsthand accounts offer a deeply personal and unforgettable perspective on this chapter of history.
What You'll Experience:

Explore historic sites—as they looked then and now.

Hear survivors tell their stories in their own words.

Gain new perspectives on the resilience of the human spirit.
Event Details:

Location: Muscatine Community College | Loper Hall
152 Colorado St., Muscatine, IA

Dates: Monday, April 2, 2025 - Friday, May 2, 2025
Closed on Sunday, April 27, 2025

This event is free to the public with on-site parking. All buildings at MCC are handicap accessible.

A Promise Kept
Walk with Fritzie Fritzshall as she returns to her hometown and Auschwitz, sharing the promise she made to the 599 women who helped save her life.

Watch the Trailer

Experience her story:

• Monday, April 21
• Saturday, April 26
• Friday, May 2

Don’t Forget Me
Follow Survivor George Brent through Auschwitz, Mauthausen, and Ebensee as he recounts his will to survive in the face of Nazi tyranny.

Watch the Trailer

Experience his story:

• Tuesday, April 22
• Saturday, April 26
• Wednesday, April 30

Letters from Drancy
Join Marion Deichmann on her daring childhood escape across Northern Europe with her mother, her encounters with the French Resistance, and her survival of D-Day in Normandy.

Watch the Trailer

Experience her story:

• Wednesday, April 23
• Saturday, April 26
• Thursday, May 1

Walk to Westerbork
Retrace Rodi Glass’s journey from her hometown in Amsterdam to the Westerbork transit camp and Vittel internment camp.

Watch the Trailer

Experience her story:

• Thursday, April 24
• Saturday, April 26
• Tuesday, April 29

Escape to Shanghai
Follow Doris Fogel’s incredible journey from Germany to Shanghai, China—one of the few places that welcomed Jewish refugees during the Holocaust.

Watch the Trailer

Experience her story:

• Friday, April 25
• Saturday, April 26
• Monday, April 28

This virtual reality experience contains historical content related to the Holocaust, including firsthand survivor testimonies and visits to former concentration camps. Some participants may find the material and content of these films emotionally intense.

Viewer discretion is advised, and we encourage participants to take breaks if needed. Educators and guardians should assess suitability for younger viewers (must be 12+).

For questions, please contact Trevor Meyers, MCC Student Engagement Coordinator, at [email protected] or 563-288-6052.

"The Journey Back: A Virtual Reality Experience" is a paid partnership with The Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center. Mobile virtual reality trunks are generously sponsored by:

• The Kimberly Duchossois Family Global Immersive Technology Initiative
• The Diana C. Hunter Trust
• Spagat Family Virtual Reality Trunk Program

Info: Reserve a 30-minute timeslot to experience "A Promise Kept," featuring Fritzie Fritzshall. Journey with her as she revisits her hometown and the infamous Auschwitz killing center, honoring the promise she made to the 599 women who helped save her life.

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Don't Forget Me" with George Brent. Journey back to Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Ebensee concentration camps, revealing one son’s will to survive the face of Nazi tyranny.

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Letters From Drancy" with Marion Deichmann. She recounts her daring childhood journey across the borders of Northern Europe, her escape from the Nazis with the help of the French Resistance in Paris, and her survival of D-Day in Normandy.

Info: Book a 30-minute timeslot to experience "Walk to Westerbork" with Rodi Glass. Follow her as she returns to her hometown of Amsterdam and retraces her imprisonment at Westerbork transit camp and Vittel internment camp.

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Escape to Shanghai" with Doris Fogel. Follow her epic journey from Germany to Shanghai, China – one of the only places whose doors were open to European Jews during the Holocaust.

Info: Reserve this one-hour timeslot to experience two films back-to-back, including "A Promise Kept" and "Don’t Forget Me."

Info: Reserve this one-hour timeslot to experience two films back-to-back, including "Letters from Drancy" and "Walk to Westerbork."

Info: Reserve this one-hour timeslot to experience two films back-to-back, including "Escape to Shanghai" and "A Promise Kept."

Info: Reserve this one-hour timeslot to experience two films back-to-back, including "Don't Forget Me" and "Letters from Drancy."

Info: Reserve this one-hour timeslot to experience two films back-to-back, including "Walk to Westerbork" and "Escape to Shanghai."

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Escape to Shanghai" with Doris Fogel. Follow her epic journey from Germany to Shanghai, China – one of the only places whose doors were open to European Jews during the Holocaust.

Info: Reserve a 30-minute timeslot to experience "Walk to Westerbork" with Rodi Glass. Follow her as she returns to her hometown of Amsterdam and retraces her imprisonment at Westerbork transit camp and Vittel internment camp.

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Don't Forget Me" with George Brent. Journey back to Auschwitz, Mauthausen and Ebensee concentration camps, revealing one son’s will to survive the face of Nazi tyranny.

Info: Reserve one of our available 30-minute timeslots to experience "Letters From Drancy" with Marion Deichmann. She recounts her daring childhood journey across the borders of Northern Europe, her escape from the Nazis with the help of the French Resistance in Paris, and her survival of D-Day in Normandy.

Info: Reserve a 30-minute timeslot to experience "A Promise Kept," featuring Fritzie Fritzshall. Journey with her as she revisits her hometown and the infamous Auschwitz killing center, honoring the promise she made to the 599 women who helped save her life.

Host or Publisher Eastern Iowa Community Colleges