Technische Messe Leipzig [Technical fair Leipzig]

This print is by the East German artist Johannes Brauer (1905-1992). It shows the technical fair in Leipzig, and was likely made in the early 1960s.

The Leipzig Messe (Leipzig trade fair) dates back to the 12th-century. The importance of the fair grew in the 18th and 19th centuries, as Leipzig became an increasingly significant trading centre between eastern and western Europe.

This print was made during the years of the DDR (Deutsche Demokratische Republik), when the fair had come to play an important role in Cold War diplomacy. Western European politicians frequently visited the fair in the 1950s and 1960s and it was a showcase for East German manufacture. Even after the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961, West German industries continued to participate in the fair. This made it an important point of exchange and trade between East and West.