The concept of the sample fair (in German: Mustermesse) was invented in 1895 in Leipzig, Germany. At the Leipzig Trade Fair the traditional goods fair was replaced with sample shows. The sample fairs are the usual type of trade fair today, which is facing another paradigm shift due to the digital transformation, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic [1] .
Since the beginning of European trade fair history in France in the 7th century, trade fairs have been held as goods fairs. This meant that the merchant took his "goods to be traded" to the respective trade fair location in order to present and sell them there. The Champagne fairs held in the Middle Ages, which were of European importance at the time, also functioned according to this concept.
When regional trade fair networks were formed in the area of what is now Germany in the 12th century, particularly on the two important European trade routes, the Via Regia and the Via Imperii, this concept was adopted. The history of the sample fair is closely linked to the history of the trade fair in the city of Leipzig, which lay at the crossroads of these trade routes. Following its elevation to Imperial Trade Fair City in 1497 (expanded in 1507) through numerous privileges granted by Emperor Maximilian I, it developed into the leading trading centre in Germany. An influential merchant class also developed at this point. [2]
At the beginning of the 19th century, it occasionally happened that traders only took samples of their products with them, because the Industrial Revolution that began in the 18th century gave rise to new sales and distribution channels. The goods could suddenly be produced in large quantities, more quickly, in the same style and quality - mail order developed, goods were transported ever faster and the new profession of sales representative emerged. In addition, the founding of the German Reich in 1871 meant that important trade tariffs for cities were no longer applicable. These factors plunged trade fair cities across Europe into a deep crisis. The important Leipzig Trade Fair in particular had to fear for its continued existence, because even the new and revolutionary inventions such as steam engines or rail transport could not be sold in the largely medieval trading courtyards in Leipzig's city center. The imperial trade fair privilege also lost its validity. However, it was possible to profit from this development, because in 1895 the completely new sample fair concept was developed. Merchants now had the opportunity to take a variety of products to the Leipzig Trade Fair, and of each product they only took one corresponding sample, which was then exhibited in the newly built sample fair buildings, a new type of buildings in the architecture of Leipzig [3] . The samples presented could now be examined and tried out in detail by interested parties and were then - as is common today - ordered and delivered. The sample fair, with its wide range of consumer and capital goods, spread worldwide in the 20th century and is still the usual type of trade fair today. As a result of the conversion of the goods fair into the world's first sample fair, Leipzig rose to become a world trading center until the Second World War and after the Battle of Leipzig it became a wealthy bourgeois city again. [4]
“The trade fair enables the greatest business with the least resources, in the shortest time and in the smallest space."
With the conversion to the sample fair concept, Leipzig's city centre underwent a profound transformation from 1894 onwards. Most of the trading and transit courtyards from the Baroque or Renaissance periods were ruthlessly demolished on a large scale. The Städtisches Kaufhaus was the first sample fair building in the world to open in Leipzig's city centre in 1901. It was followed by others such as Specks Hof, the Reichshof or the Mädlerpassage complex. These buildings with particularly large exhibition areas (e.g. 10,000 m2 (107,639.1 sq ft) in Specks Hof) are the first models for today's modern exhibition halls. They also introduced the so-called "compulsory tour", in which trade fair visitors had to follow a predetermined exhibition tour and cross the building on all levels. [6] In addition, a completely new area was created on the south-eastern outskirts of the city, the Technische Messe, which together with the city centre formed the main exhibition centre. Due to the enormous success of the Leipzig Trade Fair, especially in the second half of the 1920s, the sample fair developed into a world trade fair concept in the 20th century. After 1945 and the elimination of Leipzig as a direct competitor, other German trade fair locations such as Hanover, Düsseldorf and Cologne were able to develop into increasingly important trading centers. Large exhibition centers were created, such as the exhibition center in Hanover, which is the largest in the world with 496,000 m2 (5,338,899.6 sq ft) of covered area [7] . Large trade fair centers also emerged in the Americas and later increasingly in Asia, such as the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) or the National Exhibition and Convention Center in Shanghai.
In the 20th century, the concept of the sample fair became established worldwide, but was ultimately held more and more as a more specialized form of trade fair. The concept of the sample fair is now being called into question by digital transformation and the Covid-19 pandemic.
With the spring fair in March 1991, the history of the classic universal sample fairs also came to an end in Leipzig. Since 1996, specialist sample fairs have also been held at the new Leipzig exhibition grounds [8] .
Leipzig is the most populous city in the German state of Saxony. The city has a population of 628,718 inhabitants as of 2023. It is the eighth-largest city in Germany and is part of the Central German Metropolitan Region. The name of the city means "linden tree place" and is, like the names of most of Leipzig's districts and geographical features, of Slavic origin.
The Leipzig Trade Fair 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Messe München GmbH is the operator of the Neue Messe München exhibition center, the ICM Internationales Congress Center München and the MOC Veranstaltungscenter München. The exhibition space of the 16 halls together is 180,000 m2 and another 425,000 m2 of outdoor area, making Messe München by far the holder of the largest outdoor area of all exhibition companies in Germany. Messe München organizes some 40 trade fairs for capital and consumer goods and key high-tech industries in Munich and abroad.
Maximilian Speck von Sternburg was a wool merchant and art collector from Germany.
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.
The history of the architecture of Leipzig extends from the Middle Ages to the 21st century. Numerous typical buildings and valuable cultural monuments from different eras are still preserved or have been rebuilt. Leipzig, Germany, begins its architectural history with several buildings in the Romanesque style. An example of Gothic architecture in Leipzig is the late Gothic hall vault of the Thomaskirche (1482/1496). In the early modern period, the Old Town Hall was expanded in the Renaissance style. The city experienced the peak of urban design and artistic development from around 1870 to 1914 with historicism, Reformarchitektur and Art Nouveau. Numerous trade fair palaces, commercial buildings, representative buildings such as the Imperial Court Building and the new town hall and the arcade galleries known for the city were built. After the First World War, Leipzig became known for its neoclassicism. During the air raids on Leipzig in World War II, large parts of the city center, which was rich in historic buildings, were destroyed. This was followed in the post-war period by (socialist) neoclassicism and modernism.
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.
Leipzig-Mitte is one of ten boroughs (Stadtbezirke) of Leipzig, located in the center of the city. It includes numerous architectural monuments. Most of them are located in the subdivision "Zentrum", which is sited inside the Inner City Ring Road and the Promenadenring:
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.
The Markt is a square of about 1 ha in Leipzig's district of Mitte, Germany. It is considered the center of the city. The Old Town Hall stands on it, which demonstrates its particular historical importance. The square was named Platz des Friedens from 1950 to 1954. Its paving is a listed heritage monument.
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.
The Mädler Arcade Gallery is the last completely preserved historic shopping arcade covered by an end-to-end glass roof in the city center of Leipzig. It is a facility of upmarket retail, restaurants, offices and cultural establishments.
Grimmaische Strasse is a street in Leipzig, borough Leipzig-Mitte, and connects the marketplace with Augustusplatz. It was named in 1839 after the Grimmaischer Tor, the gateway to Grimma, which was first mentioned in 1421. Before that it was called Grimmaische Gasse and was the main street of the Grimma quarter. Today it is a heavily frequented pedestrian zone in a prime location with department stores, shops, restaurants, hotels, a museum and the university as residents.
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.
Specks Hof is a commercial building with the oldest preserved shopping arcade in Leipzig, Germany. The complex near St. Nicholas Church is an example of Leipzig's trade fair and trading buildings, which were built at the beginning of the 20th century.
(Incorporates information translated from the German Wikipedia)