siemens at world’s fairs. a pictorial journey through … at world’s fairs. a pictorial journey...

© Siemens Historical Institute, 2015 Seite 1/8

Munich April 29, 2015

Siemens at world’s fairs.A pictorial journey through time.

The history of the world’s fairs mirrors the development of industrial-technological

civilization. As a global powerhouse in electrical engineering, Siemens has been

participating regularly in these exhibitions of superlatives ever since 1851. To mark

Expo 2015 in Milan, we’ve put together information and pictures on Siemens’ most

important world’s fair exhibits.

A view into the Crystal Palace,

London 1851

London 1851 – On board right from the start

The first world’s fair takes place in London’s Hyde Park from

May through October 1851. At the Crystal Palace, which is built

specifically to house The Great Exhibition, more than 17,000 exhi-

bitors – half of whom are from the British Empire – display technical

inventions, new types of machines, exemplary handcrafted goods

and items from everyday life. The individual exhibits are arranged

by company. Under the umbrella of the Deutscher Zollverein

(German Customs Union), the German telegraph company

known as Telegraphen-Bauanstalt von Siemens & Halske show-

cases a representative cross-section of its products, including

several electric telegraph devices and a signaling system for

railway crossings.

The Berlin-based company’s main local representative is Carl von

Siemens. The 22-year-old businessman, a younger brother of the

company’s founder, speaks with a great number of people at the

fair and makes contact with potential customers from Southern

Europe and the U.S. – but without any tangible success. Neverthe-

less, participation in The Great Exhibition is worthwhile: Siemens

wins a Council Medal for its exhibit of the pointer telegraph. This

award plays a key role in enabling the young company to gain an

international reputation. Siemens is also represented at the next

two world’s fairs, which are held in Paris (1855) and London (1862).

Siemens AG


Prussia’s exhibit, 1867

Paris 1867 – Spotlight on one of the world’s first dynamos

Exhibits at the Exposition universelle de Paris are organized for

the first time by product group and country. A specially constructed

building on the Champ de Mars provides 150,000 square meters of

exhibition space. However, due to the structure’s narrow, rigid floor

plan, many countries set up smaller pavilions of their own on the

former parade grounds. As a result, the 1867 fair is the first to

have its own exhibition park. As part of the Kingdom of Prussia’s

exhibition, Siemens not only displays telegraph devices and the

related cables and testing equipment; it also exhibits one of its

first dynamo-electric machines. The dynamo-electric principle,

which Werner von Siemens has discovered only the previous year,

provides the basis for power engineering. For his dynamo exhibit,

von Siemens is made a member of France’s Légion d’Honneur.

Certificate honoring Werner von

Siemens’ for serving as Vice President

of Group XIV, 1873

Vienna 1873 – Telegraph exhibits out of competition

The 1873 world’s fair is hosted in Vienna to mark the 25th anniver-

sary of the coronation of Emperor Franz Joseph. It is the first time

that an international industrial exposition has been held outside the

two world-leading countries of England and France. Compared to

earlier world’s fairs, German companies are much more active at

this Weltausstellung, which takes place in Vienna’s Prater Park.

As one of the “most outstanding” companies in the “field of telegra-

phy” – as the official exhibition report notes – Siemens showcases

a large number of new inventions. Since Werner von Siemens

serves on the jury for Group 14, the presentation of Siemens &

Halske’s telegraphs is out of competition. The company is also

represented by test and measurement instruments and by rail

signaling and safety systems. In addition, the exposition building

referred to as the Machine Hall features electric lighting powered by

a steam-driven electric dynamo from Siemens.

Siemens AG


One-thousand horsepower internal

pole generator for lighting the

exhibition halls, 1893

Chicago 1892 – Presentation of one of the first alternating-current rail engines

The World’s Columbian Exhibition, which is held in Chicago’s

Jackson Park on the shores of Lake Michigan in 1893, commemo-

rates Christopher Columbus’ discovery of America and provides

visitors with an insight into the latest technical innovations. Over an

area of nearly 300 hectares, 70,000 exhibitors – including Siemens

& Halske – showcase their products. Supported by Chicago-based

Siemens & Halske Electric Company of America, which has been

founded only a few months earlier, the German electrical engineer-

ing company displays dynamo-electric machines and electric mo-

tors, communications and high-voltage cables, and rail signaling

and safety equipment. Siemens’ exhibit of an electric streetcar

powered by alternating current attracts special attention.

Alternating-current generator, 1900

Department for telephone equipment,

1900

Paris 1900 – A major energy supplier to the world’s fair

Not only is the amount of exhibition space growing from one world’s

fair to the next; the number of exhibits, exhibitors and guests from

around the globe is also increasing. With well over 50 million

visitors, the Exposition universelle et internationale de Paris 1900

sets a new attendance record. The slogan for the mega event is

Le bilan d’un siècle. As in Chicago in 1893, Germany has its own

pavilion, which features a historicist design. Numerous German

companies participate in building and equipping the Deutsches

Haus. Siemens & Halske installs the building’s electrical lighting

system free of charge. The centerpiece of the company’s exhibit

is a 2,200-volt alternating-current generator. As tall as a house,

the generator is installed in the large hall dedicated to mechanical

and electrical engineering. This generator, which is coupled with

a Borsig steam engine, is part of a power plant that supplies the

fairgrounds’ lamps and machines with electricity.

Supported by its subsidiaries in Vienna, St. Petersburg and London,

Siemens also exhibits equipment for “putting electricity to use”.

In the Court of Honor, the electrical engineering company displays

a large part of its low- and high-voltage product portfolio, which is

organized into different departments. The participating Siemens

companies are honored for their commitment to the “Exposition

universelle” with numerous awards in a variety of categories.

Siemens AG


Electro-chemical work station in the

chemicals department, 1904

St. Louis – Precision engineering from Siemens for theDeutsche Unterrichts-Ausstellung

As a form of mass communication, the world’s fair loses none of its

popularity at the beginning of the 20th century. With the promotional

effect in view, Siemens also takes part in the Louisiana Purchase

Exposition of 1904. Siemens’ efforts in St. Louis focus primarily

on participation in the Deutsche Unterrichts-Ausstellung, a German

exhibit designed to provide a comprehensive overview of “all types

of instruction.” In keeping with this theme, exhibitors are recruited

from schools, research and educational institutions, science and

industry. In the chemical and medical area, Siemens & Halske

showcases an extensive array of instruments and laboratory

devices as well as X-ray equipment and electric medical devices.

The official exposition report explicitly praises Siemens’ “outstand-

ing” X-ray machine exhibit, an unparalleled attraction. The company

also takes part in a presentation of scientific instruments, which is

held in the Palace of Electricity. Two employees demonstrate

Siemens products on site. Such product demonstrations provide

an ideal opportunity to cultivate relationships with current and

potential customers from North America.

Soviet (left) and German pavilions (right),

1937

Paris 1937 – Grand Prix for electrical installationsin the German pavilion

The Exposition internationale des arts et techniques dans la vie

modern ‒ the last world’s fair to be held in Paris ‒ is an expression

of the growing power of dictatorships in Europe. The positioning of

the Nazi and Soviet pavilions directly opposite one another on the

banks of the Seine, the most prominent site on the exposition

grounds, symbolizes the competition between the two ideological

systems. Siemens Bauunion is commissioned by the Reichsbau-

direktion (German Directorate of Construction) to serve as general

contractor for the German pavilion’s shell construction. Starting in

the fall of 1936, the Siemens subsidiary erects a 52-meter-high

tower and 140-meter-long exhibition hall within only six months.

Berlin architect Albert Speer provides the designs for the monumen-

tal structure.

Siemens AG


Teleprinter, 1937

Siemens also helps equip the German pavilion. For example,

Siemens-Schuckertwerke is responsible for all of the building’s

electrical installations, including its extensive interior and exterior

illumination. The electricity required is provided by Paris’s municipal

utility. For these achievements, the company is awarded a Grand

Prix. Siemens & Halske also receives several other awards for,

among other things, a teleprinter and a variety of film and radio

devices.

Locomotive E 10 110, 1958

Brussels 1958 – First world’s fair after World War II

The next world’s fair is held in Belgium, 13 years after the end of

World War II. Expo 58, in which more than 4,500 exhibitors from

51 nations take part, opens in Brussels on April 17. The fair’s

motto is “Technology in the Service of Humanity. Human Progress

through Technical Progress”. Although the experience of the war

has generally dampened enthusiasm for technology, the exhibitors

remain euphoric about technological progress. The symbol of the

exposition is the so-called Atomium, which highlights the peaceful

use of nuclear power. Siemens is represented by a smaller portion

of its portfolio than at previous world’s fairs. An electric locomotive

equipped by Siemens-Schukertwerke for deployment in regional

transportation is included in a group exhibit of railway technology.

Household appliances, a television set, an electron microscope and

a betatron accelerator as well as electro-medical devices are also

showcased.

In the following years, the time between world’s fairs increases con-

siderably, while the focus is more and more on the questions and

challenges posed by the future.

Siemens AG


Peter von Siemens (third from right) and

German President Heinrich Lübke (third

from left) in front of the German pavilion,

1967

Montreal 1967 – Peter von Siemens is the world’s fair’sGerman General Commissioner

The motto of Montreal’s Expo 67 is “Man and his World ‒ Progress

and the Future”. In 1964, three years before the fair opens,

German Economics Minister Kurt Schmucker appoints Peter von

Siemens, the Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of

Siemens-Schuckertwerke AG, to serve as the exposition’s German

General Commissioner. In this capacity, the great-grandson of the

company’s founder liaises between German exhibitors and the fair’s

management. As commissioner and representative of the German

government, von Siemens is often on-site during the world’s fair.

The company also helps supply infrastructure for the exposition

grounds. For example, the installation and lighting systems in the

German pavilion as well as the floodlighting in the exposition

stadium come from Siemens. All orders are implemented in close

cooperation with Siemens Canada Ltd.

Karl-Heinz Stockhausen at the SITRAL

audio mixing and control console, 1970

Osaka 1970 – Extraordinary acoustic effects thanks to Siemens

For the first world’s fair to be held Asia, Siemens supplies a mam-

moth electro-acoustic system. More than 800 low-, middle- and

high-tone systems are installed on the grounds of the German

pavilion. These systems ‒ most of which are linked to loudspeaker

combinations ‒ transmit voice communications and music both in

the exhibition rooms and throughout the surrounding outdoor area.

The fair’s centerpiece is a towering domed building that is used

for presentations and musical events. Based on the ideas of avant-

garde composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, this spherical auditorium,

which has a diameter of about 30 meters, is equipped with 50 spe-

cially developed loudspeaker combinations. In recognition of its

contribution to the production of the first 3D musical performance,

the Siemens factory in Karlsruhe, Germany, is awarded a certificate

of honor.

Siemens AG


Exterior of the Siemens pavilion, 1992

Seville 1992 – First separate Siemens pavilion

Not only countries but also international organizations and com-

panies traditionally have pavilions at world’s fairs. Siemens has its

own separate pavilion for the first time in its nearly 150-year history

at the Seville world’s fair in 1992. The company also supplies the

fair’s digital ISDN communications system and participates in

Cartuja '93, a project to further develop Andalusia’s economy.

“Evolution of Networks” is the leitmotiv for all of Siemens’ activities

at the EXPO. The company’s exhibits are extremely popular –

more than half-a-million people visit the Siemens pavilion.

Pavilion at EXPO 2000, 2000

Hannover 2000 – World partner, technology partnerand exhibitor

The first world’s fair to be held in Germany takes place in Hannover

from June 1 to October 31, 2000. One hundred and fifty-five coun-

tries and 27 international organizations participate in EXPO 2000.

With the motto “We make knowledge work for you”, Siemens show-

cases its activities as a knowledge-based company whose global

workforce is developing the innovative solutions needed to meet

the challenges of the 21st century. As the exclusive world partner

for information technology, Siemens supplies much of the fair’s IT

infrastructure. The company also makes a major contribution to the

creation of The 21st Century, a theme park for which a multi-media

vision of daily life in Shanghai has been developed in collaboration

with urban planners, architects and filmmakers from the Chinese

megacity. A top fair attraction, the theme park is visited by roughly

5.3 million people.

Siemens AG


China Pavilion, 2010

Shanghai 2010 – Siemens technology for thefirst green world’s fair

The motto of the Shanghai world’s fair is “Better City, Better Life”.

On opening day alone, 100,000 visitors stream onto the more than

five-kilometer-square fairgrounds, which are situated on the banks

of the Huangpu River. The Expo symbol and one of Siemens’ larg-

est projects at the fair is the China Pavilion. Equipped with energy-

saving building technologies and illuminated by thousands of

OSRAM light-emitting diodes, the nearly 70-meter-high structure

towers against the night sky. Siemens installs 150,000 LEDs on

the fairgrounds ‒ light sources that consume considerably less

electricity than conventional incandescent lamps. But building and

lighting systems are only two of the areas in which Siemens

delivers sustainable products and solutions for the metropolis of

20 million people. As a global partner to the Shanghai fair, the

company also participates in more than 40 projects ‒ landing orders

with a total value of around €1 billion..

For further information on Siemens history see

www.siemens.com/history

siemens at world’s fairs. a pictorial journey through … at world’s fairs. a pictorial journey...

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