General German Industrial Exhibition
It ran from 15 July 1854 until 15 October. There more than 5,000 visitors a day with more than 90,000 visitors on the first day.
Building
The building, the Glaspalast, followed the architecture of The Crystal Palace three years earlier in London. It was made of glass and cast iron, over two levels inspired. It had two stories and over 234 by 67 m (768 by 220 ft) of floor area, and was 25 m (82 ft) tall.
Cholera
There had been global cases of cholera (the third cholera pandemic before the festival, but the risk of it was downplayed and the exhibition and a concurrent festival still took place. By August the epidemic hit Munich, 3,000 people eventually died of cholera and some contracting it at the exhibition including a woman from Thaining visiting Munich to see the exhibit.
Medals
![Industrieausstellung München 1854 Gedenkmünze König Maximilian II Bayern](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c2/Industrieausstellung_M%C3%BCnchen_1854_Gedenkm%C3%BCnze_K%C3%B6nig_Maximilian_II_Bayern.jpg/60px-Industrieausstellung_M%C3%BCnchen_1854_Gedenkm%C3%BCnze_K%C3%B6nig_Maximilian_II_Bayern.jpg)
The medals showed Maximilian II on the obverse and the Glaspalast on reverse. They were designed by Carl Friedrich Voigt .
Legacy
The Glaspalast had been intended to be used as a botanic garden, but was used for exhibitions which helped establish Munich's reputation, until it burned in 1931. The fountain was moved to the Haidhausen quarter.
References
- ^ Wagner, Meike, PERFORMING IN CRISIS MODE: THE MUNICH NATIONAL THEATER, THE GREAT EXHIBITION AND THE CHOLERA EPIDEMIC OF 1854
- ^ War, bombs, cholera • Oktoberfest.de - The Official Website for the Oktoberfest in Munich, retrieved 5 May 2021
- ^ "1854_Munich" (PDF). Retrieved 6 May 2021.
- ^ "Crystal Palace | Description, History, & Facts | Britannica". Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Bayern Maximilian 1854 Industrie + Gewerbeausstellung" (in German). Retrieved 9 May 2021.
- ^ "Kunstpavillon - Über den Kunstpavillon" (in German). Archived from the original on 22 April 2007. Retrieved 5 May 2021.