Mörbisch opens immersive classroom for children and teenagers

The Alte Kino Mörbisch event centre in the Eisenstadt Umgebung district has opened “Staunino”, an immersive classroom where children and teenagers can experience how democracy works by making decisions within a story, ORF reported.

The first programme, “Demokratino”, is designed for students aged nine to 12. Author Thomas Brezina wrote the script and is responsible for the artistic direction.

In the programme, children travel to a fantasy country threatened by Diktatos, a self-appointed ruler who wants to seize power. Together with the apprentice magician Max, they must make decisions and prevent Demokratino from becoming a dictatorship.

“The children should experience what happens when someone suddenly comes along and says: I decide everything for you,” Brezina said.

Burgenland Governor Hans Peter Doskozil said visitors would not simply sit in front of a screen. They stand in the middle of the story, vote, disagree and work together to find solutions, he said.

The cinema opened in 1955 and was extensively renovated after it closed in 1974. It is now an event centre operated by Kulturbetriebe Burgenland since 2025. From autumn 2026, it will also host the immersive classroom alongside films and cabaret.

School classes can visit “Demokratino” free of charge from October 22 until the end of 2026. The project was developed by the Burgenland provincial government together with Kulturbetriebe Burgenland, with support from the Education Ministry and under Brezina’s content supervision.