The General Land Centennial Exhibition was a
World's fair
A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition or an expo, is a large international exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specif ...
held in 1891 in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
, then in the
Austria-Hungarian Empire.
Many buildings were erected for this exposition, including the ''
Průmyslový palace (Industrial Palace)'' and the ''Křižík's light fountain'' at
Výstaviště Praha
Výstaviště in Prague is an exhibition ground which is used for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events, founded in 1891. It is located in Bubeneč near the metro station on Metro line C Nádraží Holešovice. In the immediate area ...
.
Summary
Taking place towards the end of the Austria-Hungarian empire this exhibition was a demonstration of what was to soon become
Czechoslovakia
, rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי,
, common_name = Czechoslovakia
, life_span = 1918–19391945–1992
, p1 = Austria-Hungary
, image_p1 ...
's desire for independence. Its date marked 100 years since the first industrial exhibition held in 1791 in Prague's
Clementinum
The Clementinum (''Klementinum'' in Czech) is a historic complex of buildings in Prague. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries; the City Library was also nearby on Mariánské Náměstí. In 2009, th ...
when Prague was part of the
Habsburg monarchy. The German population in Prague attempted to move the 1891 expo to the following year when it could not be used to mark the century. And then when it was held largely boycotted it.
Sometimes known as the ''Prague Jubilee Exhibition'' the main site for the fair is now the Prague Exhibition Grounds close to
Stromovka Park.
The biggest building was the Průmyslový palace designed by
Bedřich Münzberger
Opening
The fair was opened on 15 May 1891 by
Archduke Karl Ludwig and attended by government ministers, the governor
Count Franz Thun and
Prince George Lobkowicz. Emperor
Franz Josef I
Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...
did not attend the opening ceremony, but visited the fair later. Also the Křižík's light fountain was introduced.
Art
Paintings shown included works by
Emanuel Krescenc Liška and ''Hopeless Love'' by
Augustin Němejc which won a second prize.
Legacy
Many buildings from the fair still exist including the
Art Nouveau Hanau Pavilion at Letná and a 60-meter tall
Petřín Lookout Tower
The Petřín Lookout Tower (Czech: ''Petřínská rozhledna'') is a steel-framework tower tall on Petřín Hill in Prague, built in 1891. It resembles the Eiffel Tower and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. Today ...
on top of the Petřín hill. The Křižík's light fountain was reconstructed recently and is still operational.
References
External links
An image of the Hanava PavilionAnother image of the Hanava Pavilion
{{s-end
1891 in Austria-Hungary
19th century in Prague
1891 festivals
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