engleski

The Fairground as a Geopolitical Playground: The Zagreb International Trade Fair and Cold War Circumstances

Zagreb is a city with centuries-old tradition of annual fairs where first modern international trade fair was organized as early as 1864. History of Zagreb International Trade Fair begins back in 1909, when its predecessor, trade show named Zagreb Convention was founded and its first exhibition was held next year. Over the years the Fair changed its locations several times, due to physical limitations of the place available and lack of space needed. With last relocation to its current location on the right bank of the Sava River Zagreb Fair gained far greater importance, propelling also further development of the city and giving decisive impulse to immediate construction of emerging New Zagreb. The construction of the first stage of new Trade Fair started in summer 1956 according to spatial concept by architect Marijan Haberle. In only 115 days till the vernissage a number of 13 pavilions were built, there of 7 made for foreign countries by selected national architects raising attractive new structures (e.g.: Hrubý/Czechoslovakia, Contigiani and Sambito/Italy or Abramov/USSR) . A number of foreign countries, like USA, Great Britain and Liechtenstein or Israel and Pakistan, for the last time stayed at the old fairground area in the city centre, contributing to successful participation of altogether 25 countries from three continents. For the following event 1957 the new Fair was completed i.e. substantially enlarged to the extension plan by Božidar Rašica, to comprise total of 21 exhibition pavilions: nine for domestic exhibitors, designed by renowned Croatian architects, and ten other for the foreign (with USA, Austrian, BRD and DDR in addition to already existing ones) and with also one more for collective foreign shows as well as one for domestic representatives of foreign industries. In upcoming decade or so several new pavilions were built, the others changed owners or users. However, (new) Zagreb Trade Fair, generously arranged, embellished in time with fine landscaping and a number of open-air sculptural accents, was not only a prestigious international commercial event. Its premises become unrivaled arena for most direct head-to-head competition of radically opposed Western and Eastern worlds, involving (following establishment of Non-Aligned Movement 1961) also 3rd World countries in famous AYA - Africa-Asia-Yugoslavia exhibition hall.

Zagreb Fair, Fairground, Ephemeral architecture, Cold War

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