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Moselle wine shines at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris!
Experience the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris: insights into Germany's wine trade and impressive architecture.
Moselle wine shines at the 1900 World Exhibition in Paris!
The 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris was a magnificent event that not only attracted more than 50 million visitors to the French capital, but also provided a platform to showcase the achievements and diversity of the countries. The exhibition was organized under the motto “Review of a Century” and covered an area of 216 hectares, extending across the Champ de Mars, the Esplanade des Invalides, the banks of the Seine and the Bois de Vincennes. This made the area around ten times larger than that of the first Paris World Exhibition in 1855. [Wikipedia] reports that the Paris infrastructure was also modernized with the opening of the first metro line, new train stations and the impressive Pont Alexandre III.
The German Empire appeared with a magnificent building in the modern Renaissance style, designed by the architect Johannes Radke. Radke, who had also designed the German pavilion at the 1893 World's Fair in Chicago, was committed to showcasing the tradition of German viticulture with great care and creativity. A collective exhibition took place in the basement of the German House, in which over 70 exhibitors, including renowned winemakers and wine wholesalers from the Moselle region such as Traben-Trarbach, Trier and Koblenz, took part. [Volksfreund] emphasizes that the Mosel wines were particularly highlighted, with the focus being on the breed, aroma and bouquet and less on the sweet variants.
A look at the art of viticulture
The exhibition was not only a gastronomic revelation, but also a cultural event. The painter Wilhelm Müller-Schönefeld created two impressive paintings with historical wine motifs - one of which shows viticulture and wine trade on the middle Moselle as early as 150 AD. There was also a showcase with 200 different Rhine and Moselle wine glasses, which reflected the beauty of the wine tradition. The wine presentation was complemented by an elegant wine restaurant, which was designed by Bruno Möhring in Art Nouveau style and offered three stylish rooms: a large dining room, the Moselstubchen and the Prince's Room. [Volksfreund] reports on the luxurious details, such as the oak wall panels and the blue silk wallpaper in the prince's room, where portraits of famous drinking song poets could also be discovered.
Technical innovations and cultural exchange
The World Exhibition was not only a showcase of wine and gastronomy culture, but also a place for technical innovations and cultural exchange. The Lumière brothers presented magnificent projection works, while a Ferris wheel with a diameter of 100 meters was one of the main attractions of the show. [Worldexpositions] highlights that the idea of world exhibitions was anchored in the 19th century, when belief in technology and science played a central role. The success of the London “Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations” in 1851 inspired many imitators, which led to the creation of numerous world exhibitions.
Amid all the change and pursuit of progress, the 1900 World's Fair now offers a fascinating look back at what happened. Combining viticulture, art and technological advances, 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, the spirit of exchange and togetherness remains alive.