Memory box - historical artefacts from Koelnmesse
Found item: Trade fair seal
On 17 August 1360, Emperor Charles IV granted the city of Cologne the trade fair seal. This gave the city permission to hold trade fairs twice a year for eight days before and after St John's Day (24 June) and St Martin's Day (11 November). The official right to hold trade fairs strengthened Cologne's position as a trading centre and gave the city economic and political power. Even though Koelnmesse did not open its first trade fair until almost 544 years later, this seal marks an important turning point in the history of the trade fair world.
Found item: Autumn statue
Koelnmesse's "Autumn Statue" already adorned the north façade of the Messehof in the 1920s; today it is located at the south entrance to the exhibition halls. The statue, made of artificial stone, was created between 1922 and 1923 on behalf of the trade fair company and temporarily returned to its creator in 1927 due to the remodelling of the exhibition grounds. As a tribute to the history of Koelnmesse, it returned to the exhibition grounds in 2014 and still watches over Koelnmesse and the trade fair events there today.
Found item: Beer mugs
These beer mugs were once used to celebrate the topping-out ceremony for Exhibition Hall 14 in 1975. Colleagues inherited these mugs from their parents and made them available for our anniversary.
Found item: Office calendar
This is what office organisation used to look like: Employees could enter their office attendance and mark their holidays on these absence calendar. Anyone who left the company or died ended up in the "Won't be back" field.
Found item: Carnival medals
The Cologne Carnival as a celebration of joie de vivre and tradition has always had a special place in the life of Koelnmesse. The carnival medals were used at the carnival meetings, that took place as part of the international furniture fair imm. They show Koelnmesse's local and personal connection to its city.
Found item: Entrance ticket to the Autumn Trade Fair 1936
Admission ticket for the 1936 Cologne Autumn Trade Fair, which opened its doors to visitors from 20 to 22 September. The special thing about this ticket is that it was also a travel ticket for the "Deutsche Reichsbahn" railway at that time. Similar to today, visitors werde able to travel to and from the fair by public transport at no extra cost in 1936 thanks to the trade fair ticket.
Found item: Trade fair catalogue for the First International Lingerie and Corsetry Salon Cologne
The 1st International Lingerie and Corsetry Salon in Cologne from 20 to 22 October 1965 showcased high-quality lingerie and corsetry products. Whether fashionable undergarments, slip skirts or nightdresses - the trade showed great interest in buying. A total of 243 companies from 13 different countries exhibited.
Found item: Trade fair catalogue for the Second German Camping Exhibition
This catalogue is from the 2nd German Camping Exhibition, which took place from 30 April to 8 May 1955 in the Cologne exhibition halls. It is regarded as the forerunner of today's SPOGA, which was founded in 1960, and even then provided a comprehensive overview of the camping industry and all the economic and cultural issues arising from it.
Found item: Menu card
Chicken soup, Rhine salmon, ox loin and ice cream - this is what the menu card from 11 May 1924 looked like. Chancellor Wilhelm Marx, Reich President Friedrich Ebert and Lord Mayor Konrad Adenauer, among others, held this menu in their hands at the banquet of the first Cologne trade fair. Each course was accompanied by appropriate music.
Found item: PRESSA poster
The PRESSA, also known as the "International Press Exhibition", opened in Cologne on 12 May 1928 and is regarded as the most important special exhibition of the 1920s. It arose from the growing cultural and economic importance of the newspaper industry and communication technology. The entire area between today's Deutz Bridge and the Zoo Bridge was included in the exhibition. It lasted a total of five months and attracted around five million visitors to Cologne.