Magdeburg and Exhibitions – Inseparable Since 1922

The presence of exhibition events in Magdeburg can be traced right back to the beginnings of the city, namely to the small market situated by the ford opposite the city’s Slavic district. They seem to have become more of a tradition during the industrialisation process. As the city began to prosper, its need for a national meeting place increased; a need which led to the construction of the trade fair and exhibition centre on the Rotehorn Island in 1922. Magdeburg gained its reputation as an exhibition city through successful exhibitions such as the MIAMA (Central German Exhibition for Housing, Social Welfare and Employment) in 1922 and the internationally prominent German Theatre Exhibition in 1927. After being destroyed during the Second World War, the exhibition grounds on the Rotehorn Island failed to fully recover. This was the case until 1992, when it recommenced its successful development as an exhibition centre with genuine crowd-pulling exhibitions such as “HAGEMA” and “BAU mit”.

Alongside the growing number of tasks and logistical requirements inherent in managing a modern exhibition centre came the need to relocate the centre to a site close to the Elbauenpark. This location offered good accessibility and a large site area combined with beautiful surroundings, making it the ideal home for a modern and attractive trade fair and exhibition centre for Magdeburg: MESSE MAGDEBURG.

The two new halls on the 12,000m2 large exhibition grounds are both equipped with extremely modern and advanced technology, whilst the outdoor areas are partially covered. The management team behind the MESSE MAGDEBURG is based in two buildings in the Tessenow Garage Complex, a group of former “Panzer Kazerne” (tank barracks) on the site of an old military base, constructed by the famous Neues Bauen (New Building) architect Heinrich Tessenow (1876-1950). The architecture of the exhibition halls, constructed from wood, steel and glass, mirrors Tessenow’s simple architectural style.