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Crowds on Petersstraße at the Leipzig Fair in 1935
18 August 1916
The statutes of the Leipzig
Samples Fair Bureau are signed.
Based in the Old Weigh House,
the bureau starts work on 8
February 1917.
1917
The logo of the samples fair – the
double-M representing the
German term ‘Mustermesse’
(‘samples fair’) – is conceived by
graphic designer Erich Gruner and
debuts at the autumn fair.
1920 bis 1928
In March 1920 the engineering
fair is opened on the grounds
used for the IBA. It has 17 pavilions
with total exhibition space of
130,000 square metres.
1922
The Leipzig Fair and Exhibition
Joint Stock Company is founded.
From 1933
Following the Nazi seizure of
power, Leipzig becomes the only
German city allowed to host foreign
trade fairs.
5-13 March 1936
The spring fair is dubbed the Third
Reich Fair of Greater Germany
and breaks records with 8,163
exhibitors and 238,000 visitors.
31 August-4 September 1941
The autumn fair held in the exhibition
pavilion on the inner ring road
is the last Leipzig Fair to be staged
Leipzig Fair badge from
1962
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during World War II. For the first
time in history, the Leipzig Fair is
not held for a number of years.
4 December 1943
80% of the exhibition grounds are
destroyed by the Allies during an
air raid.
18-23 October 1945
Fair activities resume with a show
of Leipzig products at the engineering
exhibition centre.
8-12 May 1946
The first post-war Leipzig Fair (and
the first ‘peace fair’ ever) is held
with 2,771 exhibitors from all the
occupation zones and abroad.
From 1949
Leipzig is the only trade fair centre
in the newly founded German
Democratic Republic (East
Germany). The annual universal
fairs are the biggest events of their
kind in the Eastern bloc.
1951-1954
To save costs, just one Leipzig
Fair is held annually in autumn.
27 January 1965
The headquarters of the Leipzig
Fair on the market square are
opened.
1971
A separate radio frequency is first
used for programmes devoted to
the Leipzig Fair.
1989/90
The Leipzig Fair loses its
monopoly status following the
Peaceful Revolution and the collapse
of the Eastern bloc. The old
concept of the universal fair is
abandoned in favour of smaller
trade shows.
March 1991
The last universal spring fair is
held.
April 1991
Following an internal conference
at the Leipzig Fair, the decision is
taken to build a new exhibition
centre.
10 October 1991
Leipzig City Council votes to build
a new Leipzig Fair complex in
north Leipzig. On 18 December
The Soviet pavilion at the
Engineering Fair in 1950
1991, the new articles of association
are adopted by the Leipzig
Fair. The partners are the Free
State of Saxony and Leipzig City
Council.
April 1992
The blueprint by Gerkan, Marg
and Partners is chosen for the
Leipzig Fair’s new home.
15 August 1993
Work starts on the Leipzig Fair’s
new exhibition complex.
25 November 1994
Topping-out ceremony
10-13 March 1996
Cadeaux 96 is the last trade show
to be held at the exhibition
grounds near the Monument to
the Battle of the Nations where
360 fairs had been held since
1920.
12 April 1996
The Leipzig Fair’s new exhibition
centre is officially opened by
Roman Herzog, the German
president.
20 July 1997
500th anniversary of the two
annual markets being raised to the
rank of imperial fairs in 1497.
2000
At the start of the year, the Leipzig
Fair founds MaxicoM GmbH, the
Euro–Asia Business Center.
2002
Debut of GC – Games Convention.
2004
The Leipzig Fair’s mascot makes
a comeback. The figure with a
globe for a head first appeared at
the autumn fair in 1964 and featured
regularly until 1990.
April 2004
Wolfgang Marzin is appointed
CEO of the Leipzig Fair.
2005
The Leipzig Fair records the best
results in its history with some 1.9
million visitors and 11,400
exhibitors in 2005.
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