Moselle wine shines at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris!

Moselle wine shines at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris!

The 1900 World Exhibition in Paris was a grandiose event that not only attracted more than 50 million visitors to the French capital, but also offered a platform to present the achievements and the variety of countries. The exhibition was organized under the motto "Balance of a Century" and included a site of 216 hectares that extended over Champ de Mars, the Esplanade des Invalides, the Bois de Vincennes. The area was thus about ten times as large as that of the first Paris World Exhibition of 1855.

The German Reich performed with a magnificent building in a modern Renaissance style, which was designed by the architect Johannes Radke. Radke, who also designed the German Pavilion of the World Exhibition in Chicago in 1893, was there to show the tradition of German viticulture with great care and creativity. A collection exhibition took place in the basement of the German House, in which over 70 exhibitors, including renowned winegrowers and wine wholesalers from the Moselle region such as Traben-Trarbach, Trier and Koblenz, took part. [Volksfreund] emphasizes that the Moselle wines were particularly emphasized, the focus on the breed, aroma and bouquet and less on the sweet variants.

A look at viticulture

The exhibition was not only a gastronomic revelation, but also a cultural event. The artist Wilhelm Müller-Schönefeld created two impressive paintings with historical wine motifs-one of which shows viticulture and wine trade on the Middle Moselle around 150 AD. In addition, there was a showcase with 200 different Rhine and Moselle Winlasses, which reflected the beauty of the wine tradition. The wine presentation was supplemented by an elegant wine restaurant, which was designed by Bruno Möhring in Art Nouveau and offered three stylish spaces: a large dining room, the Moselle room and the princely room. [Volksfreund] reports of the luxurious details, such as the oak wood panels and the blue silk wallpaper in the princely room, where portraits of famous drinking poets could also be discovered.

technical innovations and cultural exchange

The world exhibition was not only a shop window of the culture of wine and catering, but also a place for technical innovations and cultural exchange. The Lumière brothers presented great projection works, while a ferris wheel with a diameter of 100 meters was one of the main attractions of the show. [WorldSexpositions] emphasizes that the idea of ​​the world exhibitions in the 19th century was anchored when belief in technology and science played a central role. Many imitators inspired the success of the London "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations" from 1851, which led to the emergence of numerous world exhibitions.

In the middle of all the change and the striving for progress, the 1900 world exhibition today offers a fascinating review of what has happened. With the combination of viticulture, art and technological progress, it reflects a time when people from all over the world came together to learn and enjoy. Even if the memories of this magnificent exhibition may fade away, the spirit of exchange and coexistence remains alive.