Living history
It is more about an immersion of players in a certain era, to catch, in the sense of Walter Benjamin the "spiritual message expressed in every monument's and every site's own 'trace' and 'aura'", even in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction.
He also asked to have any visitors re-dressed in costumes and described rituals to signify "in-game" and "out-game" status to enhance the immersion experience.
Such events do not necessarily include a mock battle but aim at portraying the life, and more importantly the lifestyle, of people of the period.
Occasionally, storytelling or acting sketches take place to involve or explain the everyday life or military activity to the viewing public.
Among others, a paper with the programmatic title Under the crocheted Swastika, Germanic Living History and rightwing affects[2] started the dispute in 2009.
[6][7] That sort of "second-hand" living history[8] is also part of western German folklore and attempts a high level of authenticity.
[citation needed] Living history portrayal often involves demonstrating everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning, medical care, or particular skills and handicrafts.
[citation needed] As David Thelen has written, many Americans use the past in their daily lives, while simultaneously viewing the place where they often encounter history – the school – with varying levels of distrust and disconnectedness.
[10] Living history can be a tool used to bridge the gap between school and daily life to educate people on historical topics.
Many factors contribute to creating a setting in which visitors to living history sites can become active participants in their historical education.
For instance, the motto of Colonial Williamsburg, "That the Future May Learn from the Past", proclaims the site's commitment to public edification, as does the portion of the website created for the sole purpose of aiding teachers in instruction on the village.
[16] Certain educators, such as James Percoco in his Springfield, Virginia, high school class, have chosen to integrate public history into their curricula.
