From Page to Play: The Olchis Come to Life in Hamburg

(eap) A new interactive experience based on the popular German children’s book characters “Die Olchis”, created by Erhard Dietl, has recently opened in Hamburg-Altona. The Olchis Experience invites families to immerse themselves in the world of the beloved little green characters and playfully explore their hometown of “Schmuddelfing”. A variety of interactive play stations and creative areas combine hands-on activities with digital experiences. The highlight is a ride on the back of the dragon “Feuerstuhl”: Inside a 360-degree projection room, motion effects and spatial audio create an immersive experience. A shop offering Olchis merchandise, books and exclusive exhibition items, along with food and beverage options, completes the attraction.

Kids can also take a flight on the “Feuerstuhl” dragon at the Olchis experience. © Photo: Oetinger Studios GmbH

“The Olchis have been delighting children for decades. With the Olchis Experience, we are taking things a step further: Families can now find themselves right in the middle of Schmuddelfing together. We bring stories to life in whatever formats allow them to have the greatest impact. In this case, it is an entire world that visitors can step into,” explains Julia Bielenberg, Publisher at the Oetinger publishing house, a specialist in children’s and youth books.

The experience is designed for families with children aged three to twelve, with a strong emphasis on shared activities: Exploring together, solving challenges and immersing in the Olchis’ stories through play. The expected visit duration is approximately 60 to 90 minutes. The Stuttgart-based companies jn jangled nerves (scenography and production), Yozo (media production) and FRIDIE (programming of the interactive stations) were involved in bringing the experience to life. The attraction is operated by Oetinger Studios GmbH, a company established specifically for this purpose by Medienhaus Oetinger.

© Photo: Oetinger Studios GmbH

With the new experience, the publishing group is expanding into a new business area, demonstrating how established literary properties and their characters can be leveraged beyond traditional publishing to create location-based entertainment experiences. Hamburg marks just the beginning: According to the company, the concept was designed from the outset to be modular and scalable, allowing the experience to tour other cities and countries in the future. Additional immersive experiences based on other characters from Oetinger’s portfolio are already in development.

“With Oetinger Studios GmbH, we have established a new business area that we are actively developing. The Olchis Experience is further proof that Medienhaus Oetinger does more than publish stories – we bring them to life. Hamburg is just the beginning,” explains Thilo Schmid, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing at Medienhaus Oetinger. ■