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Dresden shines: The return to the trade fair heyday after 70 years!
Dresden celebrates the rebirth of the fair with 130 events every year, historical heritage and impressive exhibition rooms.
Dresden shines: The return to the trade fair heyday after 70 years!
In recent years, Messe Dresden has established itself as a real magnet for visitors and offers around 130 different events every year. Depending on the concert season, visitor numbers reach between 600,000 and 800,000. One of the highlights is the popular “Dresden Easter” exhibition, which alone attracts between 50,000 and 60,000 people. These impressive figures reflect the lively hustle and bustle and the varied program in the Saxon metropolis.
From a historical perspective, the trade fair has undergone an exciting development. The original exhibition palace, which was once built on Stübelplatz, had to close its doors during the war and was destroyed. The first plans for the building came from Alfred Moritz Hauschild in 1885. At that time, the idea for the construction on the occasion of the VI. General German Gymnastics Festival. At that time, work was already underway on a wooden festival hall. After the bombing of Dresden in 1945, the last remains of the exhibition palace were blown up in 1949 because restoration was considered unrealistic. The fair's brilliant history was marked by destruction and new beginnings.
New trade fair and modern architecture
Today's Dresden Trade Fair is located on the former shaft yard site in the Ostragehege, near the city center. On May 24, 1970, a new double hall was opened, covering a total area of 10,300 square meters. It offers space for exhibitors from ten countries in 18 specialist areas. The halls are column-free and are characterized by their modern architectural design, which is based on a design by Günter Fischer and Werner Barthel.
The new trade fair has made a name for itself not only through its spacious exhibition space, but also through important events. One of the largest exhibitors is VEB Kombinat Progress, Landmaschinen Neustadt. The trade fair has a good knack for interesting topics and regularly attracts national and international exhibitors.
A piece of history: “Schlachthof 5”
The former slaughterhouse site, which served as a prisoner of war camp during the Second World War, deserves special mention. One of the most famous inmates was the American writer Kurt Vonnegut Jr., who processed the horrors of the war in his book “Slaughterhouse 5 or The Children's Crusade”. In this anti-war novel he addressed the psychological destruction of an individual. To commemorate this dark time, a memorial wall was erected at the Dresden Trade Fair to raise awareness of the history and Vonnegut's experiences.
The Dresden Trade Fair not only has an important place in the heart of the city, but also in history. With its varied events and impressive architecture, it attracts numerous visitors and is an indispensable part of cultural life in Dresden.