The stories behind selected buildings tell of how people were allocated forced housing, the conditions under which the Jewish occupants lived, and what happened to the apartments and their contents after they were deported. **Key points of research** Discrimination against Jewish tenants began before 1939. Berlin housing associations stopped accommodating Jewish tenants as early as 1936. From 1939 on, almost half the Jewish population was forced to move into allocated housing. Jews who had previously lived on the outskirts of Berlin were concentrated in inner-city lodgings. The “Law on Tenancy with Jews” of April 30, 1939, provided the legal basis for forcing Jews to move into allocated housing. At least 791 buildings in Berlin contained apartments where Jews were forcibly housed. Although most of these buildings were in Jewish ownership, they did not have exclusively Jewish residents. The non-Jewish residents lived close enough to witness the plight and persecution of their Jewish neighbors. Various players – from property managers to tax officers – were involved in ousting Jewish tenants from their homes and forcibly concentrating them in other buildings. This process was part of the “Germania” project directed by General Building Inspector Albert Speer. Complete strangers were often forced to share accommodation. The duration of occupancies varied greatly, making life for Jewish tenants extremely unsettled and uncertain.

The project for Aktives Museum Berlin was an innovative web development endeavor led by Zoff Berlin. This project aimed to create an engaging and informative digital experience that effectively communicated the historical narrative through advanced web technologies and interactive storytelling.

Guided by Atomic Design principles, the project focused on creating a modular and reusable component library, ensuring a consistent and scalable user interface. The backend was built using Kirby3, a flexible and user-friendly content management system, which facilitated easy content updates and management. TailwindCSS was employed for styling, providing a utility-first, responsive design system that streamlined the CSS development process. Laravel Mix was used for compiling and optimizing assets, enhancing the performance and efficiency of the development workflow.

The frontend architecture was powered by ES6, bringing modern JavaScript features and improved code maintainability. AlpineJS was utilized to add interactivity with minimal overhead, offering a lightweight and reactive framework for handling UI interactions. Webpack was employed for module bundling and asset optimization, ensuring a seamless and efficient build process.

A standout feature of the Zwangsräume project was its innovative use of map-based storytelling. MapTiler, MapsLibre, MapsLibreGL, and MapBoxGL were integrated to create dynamic and interactive maps that enhanced the storytelling experience. GeoJSON was used to manage and display geographical data, while three.js was employed for advanced 3D visualizations. This combination of mapping technologies allowed for an immersive and engaging user experience, bringing historical events to life through interactive maps and visual storytelling.

The project also emphasized modern web standards, leveraging HTML5 for structuring web content and ensuring cross-browser compatibility. OpenGraph meta tags were integrated to improve social media sharing and SEO, enhancing the website's visibility and reach.

The use of Docker ensured a consistent development environment, streamlining the deployment process and minimizing the risk of configuration-related issues. This approach allowed for a robust and scalable infrastructure, supporting the project's complex requirements.

The final deliverable was a fully functional, responsive, and visually appealing website that effectively communicated the historical narrative through interactive maps and advanced storytelling techniques. The collaboration between developers, designers, and historians, coupled with the use of modern web technologies, resulted in a user-centric platform that meets the needs of its audience and showcases the historical significance of the Zwangsräume project.