Internet Marketing Services GmbH (IMS) from Bückeburg has developed an innovative museum app for the Minden Cathedral Building Association, which was presented to the press on September 18, 2025. Ursula Koch from the Mindener Tageblatt (MT) newspaper reported in detail on the presentation of the “Domschatz Minden” app, which combines the proven AR Explorer platform with the AI agent JAIMS to create an impressive digital museum experience.
Surprising discovery through AR technology
During the presentation of the app, an unexpected discovery was made: the AR function revealed that both Mary's crown and the crown of the baby Jesus on the Golden Madonna were crooked. This was noticed when the 3D scan created before the loan to Hildesheim was superimposed on the current image. “This must have happened when the sculpture returned from Hildesheim,” said Andreas Kresse, deputy chairman of the cathedral building association, with surprise – no one had noticed the small error before.
Core functions of the app
The free app, which can be downloaded via a QR code in the entrance area of the cathedral treasury, offers two main functions:
- AI-based information delivery: The integrated JAIMS assistant provides explanations tailored to specific target groups for all exhibits—from child-friendly to theologically sound.
- Augmented Reality (AR): Digital reconstructions are superimposed on selected exhibits.
Digital reconstruction of destroyed works of art
The restoration of lost cultural treasures is particularly impressive: the Madonna, which was severely damaged during the war, was reconstructed as a 3D animation based on historical black-and-white photographs. A window frame from the 11th century is supplemented with contemporary stained glass using AR, showing what it might have looked like originally.
Technical innovation and investment
The project is based on a research project with RWTH Aachen University on indoor navigation. The cathedral building association invested around €25,000 in the app's development, with two-thirds of the funding coming from sponsors. The development time from commissioning to completion was around nine months.
The app impressively demonstrates how modern technology not only makes historical cultural assets accessible to various target groups, but also helps to maintain collections and digitally bring lost works of art back to life.
Read the full article in the Mindener Tageblatt newspaper: Domschatz-App macht Zerstörtes wieder sichtbar
