Leipzig Trade Fair

Last updated

Logo of the Leipzig Trade Fair Logo Leipziger Messe.png
Logo of the Leipzig Trade Fair
Leipzig Trade Fair at night Messe Pano DRI.jpg
Leipzig Trade Fair at night

The Leipzig Trade Fair (German : Leipziger Messe) is a major trade fair, which traces its roots back for nearly a millennium. After the Second World War, Leipzig fell within the territory of East Germany, whereupon the Leipzig Trade Fair became one of the most important trade fairs of Comecon and was traditionally a meeting place for businessmen and politicians from both sides of the Iron Curtain. Since 1996, the fair has taken place on the Leipzig fairgrounds, located about 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) north of the city centre.

Contents

History

Early history

The history of the Leipzig fairs goes back to the Middle Ages. A fair held at Leipzig is first mentioned in 1165. Otto the Rich, Margrave of Meissen presented the Leipzig fairs under protection. No other fair was allowed within a circle of a mile (7.5 km) away (Bannmeile).

In 1268, Margrave Theodoric of Landsberg assured all merchants travelers to Leipzig full protection for person and goods, even if their sovereign was at feud with him. This led to the settlement of numerous merchants in Leipzig. Trade goods now included herring, cloth, wine, and pepper.

15th century to 18th century

Two annual fairs established in Leipzig, at Jubilate (third sunday after Easter) and Michaelis (29th of September). Frederick II of Saxony imparted in 1458 the privilege for a third fair in Leipzig, the New Year's Fair. German emperor Frederick III confirmed this fair in 1466 and 1469 by imperial privileges.

In 1497, Maximilian I (from 1508 Emperor) confirmed all three Leipzig fairs (New Year, Jubilate, Michaelis) again and provided his seigneurial protection, including a ban of establishing more fairs in the neighboring dioceses of Magdeburg, Halberstadt, Meissen, Merseburg and Naumburg.

In 1507 Maximilian I banned any fairs within a 15-mile radius around Leipzig, which further increased the marketplace importance. The privilege also confirmed the staple right and extended the protection for the merchants on their way to the Leipzig fairs. Towns like Halle, Naumburg, Erfurt, and Magdeburg were now disadvantaged as marketplaces.

In 1523, the Augsburg merchant family Welser built a big house with shops at the Markt 8 (today's Barthels Hof), the rival Fuggers had factories as well.

In 1678–87, an exchange was built (Alte Handelsbörse, Naschmarkt, destroyed in 1943, rebuilt).

In the 18th century, Leipzig became the centre for trade with Russian, Polish and English goods. It was called 'the marketplace of all Europe'.

Modern era

The importance of the fair, which drew merchants from across Europe, was the impetus for the construction of one of Europe's most significant Moorish Revival buildings, the 1855 Leipzig synagogue by architect Otto Simonson.

In 1895, the first commercial samples fair was held in Leipzig, dominated by exhibitors presenting samples of their goods. Between 1893 and 1938 a number of fair-houses (Messe-Häuser) were built in the center of Leipzig. They normally contained several interconnected courtyards with shops, storage areas, and living space (Mädler-Passage, Petershof, Handelshof, Specks Hof, Drei Könige etc.) Leipzig became the main German fair for books and consumer goods. The fair's MM symbol was designed by Erich Gruner in 1917.

In 1920 the technical fairground was opened in the southeast of the town, between Reudnitz and the Monument to the Battle of the Nations. It included 19 pavilions in 1940. Today this site is called Alte Messe Leipzig.

In 1937, Leipzig was renamed Reichsmessestadt Leipzig (Imperial Trade Fair City Leipzig) by the Nazis. [1]

Between the wars, the Ring-Messehaus and the Messehaus Bugra were built. During World War II, the area of the technical fair was used for military production and partly destroyed by bombs.

In 1946, the first postwar fair ('Peace fair') took place. When the GDR joined the RGW (Comecon) in 1950, the fair was used to present the production of East Germany's Warsaw Pact neighbours - not only to each other, but also to nations of the capitalist West. The technical fairground was rebuilt and contained more than 20 pavilions.

The fair played an important role in Cold War diplomacy between East Germany and the Western states, as it facilitated delegations from numerous major NATO powers, including the United States and United Kingdom. The Leipzig Trade Fair, during the period 1949 to 1989, served both propagandistic and economic functions in its attempts to organise visits from Western nations. Trade was instrumental to the SED's plans for East German recognition, with increased trade relations between the GDR and Westerners believed to be the key to Western governments re-evaluating East Germany's international status as a mere occupation zone the Soviets were yet to leave. [2] British delegations, often from the UK Labour Party and associated groups, were frequent during the late 1950s and early 1960s and included a variety of prominent politicians, including Anthony Greenwood, Ian Mikardo, and Clement Davies: many of those who attended would go on to campaign for official recognition of the German Democratic Republic until the early 1970s. [3]

The fair also played an important role in international politics during the crisis over the erection of the Berlin Wall. In August 1961, Willy Brandt (then Mayor of Berlin) called for an international boycott of the fair and a host of other East German functions in response to the Wall going up, which illustrates how the Leipzig Trade Fair was of great importance to the Cold War struggles over the legitimacy and recognition of the East German state. [4]

The Leipzig Fair today

In 1996, a new trade fair ground was opened. The Congress Center Leipzig was also opened, built after designs by Gerkan, Marg and Partners. The old trade fair ground is used for shops, events, supermarkets, and figure skating events, although many areas are empty and unused. Today, the most important fairs are the Leipziger Buchmesse, PaintExpo and the Auto Mobil International.

General facts

New Trade Fair building Leipziger Neue Messe.jpg
New Trade Fair building

The new Leipzig Trade Fair was built between 1995 and April 1996. The new fairground consists of six halls: five exhibition halls, which have a size of 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft), and the world's largest levitated glass hall, designed by Ian Ritchie Architects. The fairground has about 14,000 parking spaces and is accessible by tram, train, bus, or car.

Company facts

Leipziger Messe GmbH was founded after the reunification of Germany on 13 June 1996. It is owned equally by Saxony and the city of Leipzig. The firm employs about 400 people, working in the parent company CCL and its subsidiaries. There are two people leading the Leipziger Messe GmbH: the CEO is Mr. Martin Buhl-Wagner and the CTO is Mr. Markus Geisenberger.

The subsidiaries are:

Leipziger Messe GmbH also has about 22 departments abroad, most of which are autonomous.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leipzig</span> City in Saxony, Germany

Leipzig, with a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023, is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony, the second-most populous city in the area of the former East Germany after (East) Berlin, and Germany's eighth-most populous. Leipzig/Halle Airport is situated in Schkeuditz, between Leipzig and Halle (Saale). The name of the city and those of many of its districts are of Slavic origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Colditz</span> Town in Saxony, Germany

Colditz is a small town in the district of Leipzig, in Saxony, Germany. It is best known for Colditz Castle, the site of the Oflag IV-C POW camp for officers in World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Naumburg</span> Town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Naumburg is a town in the district Burgenlandkreis, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, Central Germany. It has a population of around 33,000. The Naumburg Cathedral became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018. This UNESCO designation recognizes the processes that shaped the European continent during the High Middle Ages between 1000 and 1300: Christianization, the so-called "Landesausbau" and the dynamics of cultural exchange and transfer characteristic for this very period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messe Düsseldorf</span> Trade fair based in Düsseldorf, Germany

The Messe Düsseldorf is a trade fair ground and organizer, based in Düsseldorf, Germany. With a workforce of 1,459 employees worldwide (2006) and a total exhibition space of 306,000 m2 in Düsseldorf, the company is one of the largest in the industry. More than 40 annual fairs are staged at the premises in Düsseldorf, including 23 leading events in their respective sectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messe Frankfurt</span> Frankfurt trade fair

Messe Frankfurt is the world's largest trade fair, congress and event organizer with its own exhibition grounds. The organization has 2,500 employees at some 30 locations, generating annual sales of around €661 million. Its services include renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services.

The Hanover Fairground is an exhibition area in the Mittelfeld district of Hanover, Germany. Featuring 392,453 m² of covered indoor space, 58,000 m² of open-air space, 24 halls and pavilions, and a convention center with 35 function rooms, it is the largest exhibition ground in the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Städtisches Kaufhaus</span> Trade court building in Leipzig, Germany

The Städtisches Kaufhaus in Leipzig, designed by the municipal architects Rayher, Korber and Müller in the style of Baroque Revival architecture, was constructed from 1894 to 1901.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Taucha</span> Town in Saxony, Germany

Taucha is a town in the district of Nordsachsen, in Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Parthe, 10 km northeast of Leipzig.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Games Convention</span> Former annual video game event

The Games Convention (GC), sometimes called the Leipzig Games Convention, was an annual video game event held in Leipzig, Germany, first held in 2002. Besides video games, the event also covers Infotainment, Hardware, and Edutainment. Its concept was created by the Leipziger Messe in cooperation with Bundesverband für Interaktive Unterhaltungssoftware amongst others. The 2010 Gamescon was held August 18 to August 22.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leipzig Book Fair</span> Second largest book fair in Germany

The Leipzig Book Fair is the second largest book fair in Germany after the Frankfurt Book Fair. The fair takes place annually over four days at the Leipzig Trade Fairground in the northern part of Leipzig, Saxony. It is the first large trade meeting of the year and as such it plays an important role in the market and is often where new publications are first presented.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neue Messe München</span>

Neue Messe München is an exhibition center in the Messestadt Riem area in the eastern district of Munich Trudering-Riem built from 1994 to 1998. It is operated by Messe München.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Messe Freiburg</span> Event area in Freiburg im Breisgau

Messe Freiburg is an event area and exhibition grounds in Freiburg im Breisgau.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard-Wagner-Platz (Leipzig)</span> Square in Leipzig, Germany

Richard-Wagner-Platz is a square in Leipzig in the northwest of Leipzig city centre within Leipzig's "ring road" on the northwest corner. The square is named after the composer Richard Wagner, whose house of birth was nearby.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oper am Brühl</span> Opera house in Leipzig

The Oper am Brühl was the first opera house in Leipzig. It existed from 1693 to 1720 and was the second municipal music theatre in Germany, after the Oper am Gänsemarkt in Hamburg. It was initiated by Nicolaus Adam Strungk who saw a potential audience during the three annual trade fairs in Leipzig. An opera house was built, and opened on 8 May 1693. The house flourished when Georg Philipp Telemann directed the opera from 1703 to 1705. Among his operas for the house is Germanicus, premiered in 1704. A collection of 100 excerpts from the operas, Musicalische Rüstkammer, has been explored for background. The building was found in a dangerous state in 1719, was closed in 1720 and demolished in 1729.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Opernhaus vorm Salztor</span> German opera house

The Opernhaus vorm Salztor was an opera house in Naumburg, then Saxe-Zeitz, that opened in 1701. The house was built during the regency of Moritz Wilhelm, Duke of Saxe-Zeitz, on his behalf. In 1716, it burned down and was not rebuilt. In the 15 years of its existence, at least 14 different operas and one play were performed there. One of them survived, Johann David Heinichen's Der glückliche Liebeswechsel oder Paris und Helena, and was revived in 2012 in a concert performance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alte Handelsbörse</span> Former Leipzig stock exchange building

The Alte Handelsbörse or Alte Börse in Leipzig, Saxony, Germany, is the city's oldest assembly building of merchants, and also the oldest Baroque building. Built as the Börse in 1678, it is now used as an event venue and is known in English as the Old Stock Exchange.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alte Messe Leipzig</span> Old fair site in Leipzig (Germany)

Alte Messe Leipzig is the circa 50 hectares site in the southeastern part of Leipzig's district Mitte, where from 1920 until 1991 the technical exhibitions of the Leipzig Trade Fair took place, as well as the buildings that stand on it – but not the trade fair itself, which found a new home at a new site in the northern part of Leipzig. Since 1996 there has been no trade fair activity on the old site.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Petersstrasse</span> Street in Leipzig, Germany

Petersstrasse is one of the oldest streets in Leipzig's district of Mitte. For centuries it was a main and commercial street for the Leipzig trade fair with exhibition houses, inns and shops. In the second half of the 19th century, many of the old buildings on the street fell victim to the modernization of the city center. Today it is a heavily frequented pedestrian zone in a prime location with shopping centers, department stores, shops, restaurants and cinemas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barthels Hof</span> Trade court building in Leipzig, Germany

Barthels Hof is a former trade court building complex in Leipzig in Germany, located in the borough Mitte. It is the last “through courtyard” that was preserved almost in its original condition. That means, the carts drove in, the goods were unloaded, and the carts drove out - without turning around. The horses were stabled in the suburbs. Later, from 1893 on, only samples of the goods were shown in the trade fairs and made to order. The Barthels Hof stretches from the market square to Kleine Fleischergasse and is now one of the city's most important sights. Today, it is used for a restaurant and some small shops.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alte Waage (Leipzig)</span> Public Weigh House in Leipzig, Germany

The Alte Waage, in English: Old Weigh House, is a building that stands on the north side of the Markt of the German city of Leipzig, on the corner with Katharinenstrasse. Originally, it was built in 1555 under the direction of the mayor and builder Hieronymus Lotter (1497–1580) and the executive master builder Paul Speck. It is an example of the Saxon Renaissance.

References

  1. "Stadtkreis Leipzig".
  2. Crew, David F. (1 September 2003). Consuming Germany in the Cold War. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN   9781845206215.
  3. Stefan., Berger (2010). Friendly enemies : Britain and the GDR, 1949-1990. Laporte, Norman. New York: Berghahn Books. ISBN   9781845456979. OCLC   437298820.
  4. Prittie, Terence (1974). Willy Brandt; portrait of a statesman. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN   0297767534. OCLC   990407.

51°23′48″N12°24′10″E / 51.39667°N 12.40278°E / 51.39667; 12.40278