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Home > Column : History of Frankfurt as a trade fair host city

Column : History of Frankfurt as a trade fair host city

Oldest description about trade fair held in Frankfurt

Oldest description about trade fair held in Frankfurt

Its geographical position at the crossroads of Europe, a position which has offered Frankfurt am Main a priceless advantage since very early in its history and which is one of the foundations of its prosperity. Frankfurt's trade fairs remained a key feature of the city throughout its development. Already in 1150 there was a first mention of a trade fair held in Frankfurt, which shows that Frankfurt has been known as a trade fair city more than 850 years.

Gift from Frederick II

Gift from Frederick II

Through the increase in agricultural productivity, it became possible to produce and sell surpluses on supra-regional markets and the "Autumn Fair" originated in the 11th century as a harvest fair. Emperor of that time, Frederick II, granted a privilege to the Autumn Fair in Frankfurt in 1240. And in 1330, a privilege was granted by Emperor Ludwig IV for the Frankfurt Spring Fair, fair for wine, wool and the products of the winter's diligence. Two fairs in spring and autumn has become a basic structure of consumer goods fairs since that time and up to the present. We host "Ambiente" in early spring and "Tendence" in early autumn now.


Trade fair at Frankfurt (Aroun A.D.1500)

Trade fair at Frankfurt
(Aroun A.D.1500)

In 14th century when Johann Gutenberg invented movable-character printing, trade with printed books started at the Frankfurt trade fairs.
Around 1500, Frankfurt was a center of German and European book printing and book selling. In 16th century, with the discovery of America and the sea route to India, trade routes shifted from the Mediterranean to the trading and commercial cities of North-West Europe.
The city of Frankfurt, which had enjoyed imperial privileges as a trade fair city since 1240, finally became a center of international trade. The development of monetary and credit business is a direct result of trade fairs. The Frankfurt stock exchange was born due to the request from merchants at the fair, laying the foundation for the subsequent development of Frankfurt into the finance capital that it is today. This event in 1585 provide a particularly clear example of just how closely the fortunes of trade, exhibitions and finance were and are intertwined in Frankfurt am Main.
Frankfurt trade fairs enjoyed their first heyday as a center for international trade, a golden age which brought prosperity through the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Affected by the change in social conditions of that time such as the Industrial Revolution in the 19th century and the two World Wars in 20th century, the city of Frankfurt has been developed as the canter of trade fairs.


Frankfurt has been developed as the center of trade fairs in the 19th century and the two World Wars in 20th century

Frankfurt has been developed as the center of trade fairs in the 19th century and the two World Wars in 20th century

In 1907, the Ausstellungs- und Messegesellschaft GmbH, the cornerstone of today's Messe Frankfurt GmbH, was founded with the investments of the City of Frankfurt and the State of Hessen. For more than 800 years, the world has been coming together in Frankfurt. This makes the city on the River Main the oldest international trade fair venue. The world's leading trade fairs for consumer goods, textiles, automotive technology, architecture and technology all have their home in Frankfurt am Main.
Today, Messe Frankfurt has grown into one of the world's largest exhibition sites. In 2009 we generated sales of 427 million Euros - despite the global economic crisis. Around the world, over 61,000 exhibitors and more than three million visitors met at our events.