Abstract

This thesis presents the digital 3D reconstruction of the demolished “Salvatorkirche” and former synagogue in Landshut, Germany, with the aim of preserving cultural heritage. In addition to the building’s historical and cultural significance for the city, particular attention was paid to its architectural development and its role in the history of the late medieval Jewish community in Landshut. Several historical states of the building between approximately 1350 and 1810 were recreated as textured 3D models to provide a foundation for a future implementation in augmented reality. Furthermore, an initial version of a web application was developed to make the models publicly accessible. Based on historical sources and in collaboration with experts from different fields, an interactive design approach was applied. The 3D models were created using Blender, and the web application was implemented in the Unity game engine in combination with WebGL.

Motivation/Background

The preservation and revival of memorial places and cultural heritage is of great importance and can be useful for educational purposes in order to convey history. Especially the former Salvatorkirche in Landshut is of high significance in this context. Because the building was originally a Jewish synagogue, which was later converted into a Christian church during the expulsion of the Jews, this place has many important stories to tell. As long as information about such interesting locations and buildings can still be found, the opportunity to educate and preserve these historical reminders cannot be missed. Since the former location appears entirely different today and is filled with a small green area and a parking lot, a reconstruction was definitely worthwhile. In this way, a part of the former culture, architecture and history of the city could be preserved.

Historical Map (about 1808)Current Aerial View (2025)

Additional relevant historical details on the history of the Jews in Landshut were also researched, which should be included in later applications in order to preserve these as well.

3D-Models

The 3D reconstructions were modeled and textured with Blender Version 4.2.8 LTS. Different time periods were covered and many historical sources and expert opinions were included.

Adjacent buildings were modeled as blocked objects to provide orientation:

Blender Scene

The dimensions of the church could not be determined exactly due to contradictory sources. Modeling was mainly based on the Sandtner model and a demolition plan of the church from 1806:

Plan from 1806 (Stadtarchiv Landshut)Sandtnermodell Landshut (Bayerisches Nationalmuseum)

Synagogue

It is not entirely clear when the synagogue was built, but it was probably around 1350. However, it was converted into a church in 1451/1452, with stones from the Jewish cemetery being used as building material after the expulsion of the local Jews. A single version of the synagogue was modeled, as it was not possible to trace back structural differences over time.

3D-Model: SynagogueSynagogue Apse

Church (Salvatorkirche)

The Salvatorkirche existed in Landshut from 1452 to 1810. There were more available sources for the church, which is why more different versions could be modeled. This included the modeling of three fundamentally different tower variants and other details, which can be found in the thesis.

3D-Model: Salvatorkirche1452 to 17031703 to 17711771 to 1810

Procedural Materials

In addition to some very simple materials, other materials were constructed procedurally with Blender Nodes to achieve an appropriate level of detail. The choice of materials is of course also based on historical findings. This creates a clearer overall impression for the viewer.

Rendered Blender SceneProcedural Material: MetalProcedural Materials: Brick and Glass

Browser Application

The browser application was realized with WebGL and Unity Version 6000.0.28f1. This thesis provides a demo version, which will be further developed in the course of future work. The various temporal states of the model can be selected, with appropriate information texts being provided. An expert mode enables additional details. In the application, the current model can be rotated, moved, scaled and reset to its original position using intuitive mouse control.

Web Application

Conclusion

Although there were limitations due to the scarcity of available sources and the limited time frame, valuable results were achieved. Three-dimensional, textured models of the former Salvatorkirche and previous synagogue on Dreifaltigkeitsplatz in Landshut were designed, which provide a strong foundation for the planned expansion into augmented reality. Unlike most reconstructions, this project not only portrays a single historical state, but illustrates architectural change over different time periods. Furthermore, a preliminary browser application was developed to make the models accessible to the public. Therefore, the thesis contributes significantly to the preservation of the cultural heritage, architecture, and history of Landshut and the local Jews. The thesis demonstrates how, even without a wealth of data, lost buildings can be approximately reconstructed through careful research and interdisciplinary cooperation. The developed approach could also serve as inspiration for similar reconstructions of other destroyed historical sites. Future developments will focus on integrating the models into an on-site AR environment, enabling users to explore the buildings within their original urban context.

Thesis (PDF)

Slides (PDF)

[ Slides Kickoff/Final (optional)]