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A History of World Expositions - Part VII Hanover 2000

The idea of holding a world exposition in the capital city of Lower Saxony was first proposed "at the bottom" - by the board of directors of Deutsche Messe. It reached the state government level supported by the city of Hanover and despite a lack of support by other major German trade fair cities (Frankfurt am Main, Cologne, Munich and Düsseldorf) it finally broke through at the federal level in Bonn in early 1988. Information about the submission of an application to the International Exhibitions Bureau (BIE) was made public at the opening of the CeBIT Trade Fair in March 1988. The original plan was to hold the expo in 1998 (the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Federal Republic of Germany). But in 1989, the BIE decided that world expositions would be held on a five-year cycle, with the beginning of this new system set for the year 2000. Toronto, Canada and Venice, Italy had also applied to hold a world exposition in this most magical of years marking the end of the old and beginning of the new millennia. A decision was reached on June 14, 1990 at the 107th BIE General Assembly. On the eve of the vote, Venice withdrew its bid. The vote produced the narrowest of results, with the pre-vote favorite Toronto losing out 21 to 20. Because the vote was secret, it is quite possible that it was the vote of the German Democratic Republic, which had de facto ceased to exist (and would do so de jure three and a half months later with the reunification of Germany), that gave the victory to Hanover. The organizers of Expo 2000 invited 185 countries to participate. This invitation was accepted by 173 of them (a record in the history of world expositions), with 49 exhibiting in their own pavilions. The withdrawal of the United States was however a major blow. Additionally, seventeen international organizations were present in the exhibition grounds (the European Union, Euroregio, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, the International Olympic Committee, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the United Nations, the YMCA, the Goethe-Institut, ZERI, OECD, and the World Bank).

The organizers split global issues and problems into four halls in the Theme Park, something new in the history of world expositions. The themes were: Planet Vision, 21st Century, Humanity, Environment, Basic Needs, Nutrition, Future of Health, Knowledge, Future of Work and Mobility. Planet Vision hosted an exhibition of a paradise with a fantastic scene (a giraffe, unicorn and other animals surrounded by dense vegetation) hung upside down from the ceiling and reflected in mirrors beneath the surface of a pool of water. The theme 21st Century posed questions of the type: "Can we survive in huge urban agglomerations?" and, "Will we manufacture intelligent textiles?" During the elevator ride in the Energy sector the double Plexiglas walls filled with water, which couldn't help but create a feeling that the water was rising from somewhere. The theme Basic Needs took to task the flood of consumerism. The theme Humanity considered the limits of genetics in human societies. The first world's fair to be held in Germany adopted the motto "Humankind, Nature, Technology. Making a New World." This theme was based on the conclusions of the Agenda 21 Conference, the United Nations conference on the environment and development held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. The exposition ran from June 1 to October 31, 2000 in the Kronsberg district. The grounds covered a total of 160 hectares (the original trade fair grounds were expanded by 63 hectares). The architectural studios of Albert Speer & Partner developed the plans for the exhibition grounds. The initial forecast for the number of visitors was 40 million and so the final number of 18 million visitors (20.6 million individual visits) was a great disappointment. The exposition was financed by the federal and state governments and by the city of Hanover. The planned DM400-million deficit ballooned to 2.4 billion. But thanks to the exposition, the city was able to offer 466,000 jobs in 2000, whereas there would only have been 360,000 without it.

Cultural events and entertainment were held under the motto "A Meeting of Worlds." Artists from around the world offered up a kaleidoscope of musical, dance, theater, chorale and folklore performances. One of the high points was a 21-hour long performance of Faust by the director Peter Stein. Every evening after dark, the half-hour Flambée show would explode over the Expo Lake. The presentation of projects from around the world was another first in the history of world expositions. Of the more than 3,000 proposals submitted, a total of 487 international and 280 German projects were selected. The Global Dialogue project was about searching for strategies for the future. More than sixty institutions proposed themes that were then discussed in three-day seminars by selected groups of young people between the ages of 19 and 28. The themes were publicized in the media and anyone could express an opinion on them via the Internet. One thing Expo 2000 lacked was a signature feature; the giant mailbox by Deutsche Post, which was intended to fill this role, was not quite up to the task - it was however certainly worth a look. The exposition grounds lacked a sense of invention, which was to a certain degree due to the fact that its core was a trade fair site. The Expo's mascot was the colorful figure of Twipsy, a sort of happy-go-lucky superhero. The logo for the exposition was revolutionary in conception: in its electronic form it constantly changed color and shape; in print it was always slightly different and yet it was easily identifiable. Among the national pavilions, Finland captured interest with its birch forest and a bridge across it that linked the pavilion's two buildings. The Netherlands Pavilion was airy and open to its surroundings. Visitors took an elevator up to a platform on the roof where a windmill provided all the electricity for the pavilion. The fifth floor with its cinema (showing today's varied world through Dutch eyes) was visually supported by massive tree trunks rising up from a lower floor where an actual forest had been planted. Nepal harmoniously integrated Hindu and Buddhist religious structures: the stupa and pagoda, respectively. The Japanese architect Shigeru Ban designed a pavilion made from a very original material - paper. An vaulted ceiling made from pipes (bent cardboard) and covered in a mixture of textiles and plastic, allowed the sun's rays through in such a way that the interior was lit with a soft light. After the close of Expo 2000, this elegant pavilion was completely recycled. The leitmotif of the French Pavilion was movement in all possible forms and methods of capturing it. An artificial stream babbled along under a transparent walkway in the Canadian Pavilion. The wooden construction of the Hungarian Pavilion expressed clasped hands. The interior arrangement was however somewhat claustrophobic. Spain caught visitors' eyes with the cork-covered exterior walls of its pavilion. The curve of the transparent, unsupported faćade of the German Pavilion visually blended into the Expo Plaza.

Those countries that did not build their own pavilions found space in the trade fair halls. Brazil stood out with its many original ideas. One example will suffice: visitors created a picture on a wooden wall using pegs that could be shifted from either side of the wall. The most popular of the commercial pavilions was Bertelsmann's Planet M with its interesting films and exhibits on the world of the media. Every hour, the Duales System Pavilion allowed visitors to experience a tornado created by a giant ventilation system.

Jaroslav Halada

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