Alsfeld stellt aus!Upper Hessian Industry and Trade Exhibition in Alsfeld

This event traces its origins back to the Alsfeld Local Trade Association, which had existed since 1862. At the general meeting of the State Trade Association in Mainz in 1894, the local association requested that the next gathering be combined with a trade exhibition in Alsfeld. Consequently, from August 25 to September 15, 1895, a major Upper Hessian showcase took place. A total of 183 exhibitors from 27 industrial and craft groups presented themselves on the grounds at Lutherstraße.

A specially constructed 30 x 13 meter exhibition hall and a restaurant building were used for the event. In addition, rooms in the neighboring secondary school (Realschule) were made available. Strict “site regulations” were issued. Anyone found without a valid ticket had to “pay the entrance fee and then immediately leave the exhibition,” and also faced potential “legal penalties.”

In retrospect, the “Catalog” designed by the Alsfeld printing house Julius Cellarius is particularly noteworthy. In addition to a “Guide through Alsfeld and Surroundings” as an information source for out-of-town visitors, the numerous imaginative and illustrated advertisements of the exhibiting companies represent a valuable document from the era of the German Empire. (NH)