"Green Week " – Trade fair that did not know of the Berlin Wall

"Green Week", the manifestation that currently celebrates its 74th birthday with the guests from 56 countries, is one of the oldest trade fairs in Berlin and one of the most famous exhibitions in Germany. “Green Week” has grown from a small local trade fair into the central event in the sectors of food production, agriculture and horticulture.

This expo has gathered over 74,600 exhibitors from 117 countries and about 30m visitors since its premiere in 1926.

From street sale to 7,000 square meters of exhibition space

The idea of "Green Week" originates from the end of the 19th century when farmers were distinguished by their long waterproof coats and green details on their garment. One week a year was reserved for the conference organized by the German Association of Farmers ("Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft"), which was held in Berlin. The conference was also the occasion for people to gather in the streets around the conference site and organize a sale of small handicrafts, food and tools for cattle production. As time was passing by, the street sale became much more organized until one of the farmers - Hans Jurgen von Hake – suggested to the Tourist Organization of Berlin that the conference in 1926 should be supplemented by the exhibition of agricultural products in Kaiserdamm Street. That was, actually, the beginning of “Green Week”, which got its name from the journalists.

Jurgen’s initiative was accepted with exhilaration because all the previous events, such as exhibitions of horses, small animals and cereals, were dispersed all around Berlin. Thanks to the new organization, they were finally gathered at 7,000 square meters in the halls that were usually used for radio and automobile shows. About 50,000 people visited the premiere "Green Week". The biggest requisite at the first expo was the tractor with 100 horse powers and metal wheels. This monsterous machine four meters high, with the wheels that were taller than a man, signified the beginning of development of agricultural machines.

(Giant tractor, 1926)

At the time of the premiere “Green Week”, one fifth of people in the capital city of Germany dealt with agriculture and horticulture. There were 45,000 horses, 25,000 pigs, 21,000 milking cows, over 0.5m heads of poultry and about 200,000 landowners in Berlin at the time.

Scientific and technical achievements

In the years that followed “Green Week” made progress and became the place for presentation of numerous scientific and technical achievements. For example, the machine that served to demonstrate the assumption that dogs always follow the man’s trace and not their instinct was presented in 1928. Then, at the 5th “Green Week” in 1930, the visitors were able to see the machine that was capable of keeping 5,000 eggs fresh for almost a year!

(Machine for fresh eggs, 1930)

Stalk as a trade mark

In 1934, the trade fair was taken over by the Nazis and their national agricultural organization Reichsnahrstand. Until then, the exhibition space grew to 72,000 square meters and the expo started to offer the great variety of products, various spectacles and presentations to the visitors. In 1936, two stylized stalks of wheat on green background, the work of Wilhelm Holter, became the symbol of "Green Week".

The trade fair was not organized in 1938 because of the epidemic, while the next “Green Week”, the last before the break that lasted for several years, was focused on healthy food and the energy value of food.

Berlin united before the fall of the Wall

The years that followed were marked by war, famine and destruction. However, landowners and agricultural manufacturers from Berlin showed incredible strength and enthusiasm when they reintroduced "Green Week" at the end of summer 1948. On that occasion, about 59 exhibitors presented their products in the most difficult circumstances since three areas in Western Berlin had electricity only between 9 and 11 AM and between 11 PM and 1 AM. All roads and waterways were blocked by the Soviet Union.

(Fruit and vegetables, 1948)

On the opening day of “Green Week”, 250 British and 357 American airplanes were supplying the western part of Berlin with numerous products for 24 hours. There was plenty of fruit and vegetables at the fair, which represented luxury goods at that time, and what seemed to be ham and sausage at the majority of booths was actually made of cardboard.

"Green Week" was born again in 1949 when local company "Berliner Ausstellungen" took on the responsibility to organize the exhibition. The trade fair got the international dimension in 1951 when a Dutch exhibitor presented an attractive pyramid made of vegetables. One of the thrilled visitors was German Councilor Konrad Adenauer.

(Pyramid made of vegetables, Dutch booth, 1951)

Number of foreign exhibitors was constantly growing in the following period. Prior to 1961, “Green Week” had become the favorite gathering place of farmers in German Democratic Republic. In spite of very difficult situation at the border with the east block, between 30% and 50% of the visitors were from that eastern side. In 1954, the incomes from sale of accreditations amounted to incredible 500,000 DEM, while the exhibition space occupied 30,000 square meters in nine halls.

International dimension of “Green Week”

The first “Green Week” after the fall of the Berlin Wall was organized on August 13, 1961, and it represented an exceptional challenge for the organizers because they were to present its size outside the wall. The President of the Federation at that time, Heinrich Lubke, took on the responsibility for organization of "Green Week" in 1962.

Only half of total of 669 exhibitors were from Germany, while the rest came from all around the world.

At that time, 50 exhibitors from the countries of Western Europe, as well as from the United States of America, Canada, Israel and Morrocco, were regular participants. Over 438,000 visitors drank 100,000 bottles of wine, ate 300,000 apples and 65,000 portions of yogurt at the booth of Germany, which was the news that caused great reactions all over the world. The national booth of France almost ran out of products, and more than 54,000 oysters were opened and eaten by the end of the fair.

(Sausage tree, Turkish booth, 1976)

“Green Week” after the uniting of Germany

"International Green Week" experienced new refreshment in 1990 thanks to the uniting of Germany. The trade fair has become not only the central event in the domain of agriculture, food production and horticulture, but also the place where numerous seminars, workshops, conferences and symposiums were organized. One of the most significant is the International Forum of Agricultural Policy, which is organized by the Association of German Farmers (DBV).

(Green Week 2009)

"Green Week" and the number of its visitors grew larger every year.

The first trade fair after the expansion of European Union to the East, which made that community the largest unique market in the western world and Berlin the gathering place of politicians and experts from all domains of economy, was organized in 2005.

Even today, in spite of the global economic crisis, the number of exhibitors at “Green Week” remained the same, which once again confirmed its perseverance and the position it has been building over the last few decades.

T.S.