The General Land Centennial Exhibition was a

World's fair A world's fair, also known as a universal exhibition, is a large global exhibition designed to showcase the achievements of nations. These exhibitions vary in character and are held in different parts of the world at a specific site for a perio ...

held in 1891 in

Prague Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...

, then in the

Austria-Hungarian Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...

Empire. Many buildings were erected for this exposition, including the '' Průmyslový palace (Industrial Palace)'' and the ''Křižík's light fountain'' at

Výstaviště Praha Výstaviště in Prague is an exhibition ground which is used for exhibitions, concerts and other cultural events, founded in 1891. It is located in Bubeneč near the metro station on Metro line C Nádraží Holešovice. In the immediate are ...

Summary

Taking place towards the end of the Austria-Hungarian empire this exhibition was a demonstration of what was to soon become

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

's desire for independence. Its date marked 100 years since the first industrial exhibition held in 1791 in Prague's

Clementinum The Clementinum () is a historic complex of buildings in Prague which houses the National Library of the Czech Republic. Until recently the complex hosted the National, University and Technical libraries; the City Library was also nearby on M ...

when Prague was part of the

Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy, also known as Habsburg Empire, or Habsburg Realm (), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities (composite monarchy) that were ruled by the House of Habsburg. From the 18th century it is ...

. The German population in Prague attempted to move the 1891 expo to the following year when it could not be used to mark the century. And then when it was held largely boycotted it. Sometimes known as the ''Prague Jubilee Exhibition'' the main site for the fair is now the Prague Exhibition Grounds close to

Stromovka Park Stromovka (Royal Game Reserve) is a large park in the Bubeneč district of Prague. It sits on the floodplain of the river Vltava. At present, it spreads over an area of 95 hectares. It was established in the thirteenth century as a game reserve fo ...

. The biggest building was the Průmyslový palace designed by Bedřich Münzberger

Opening

The fair was opened on 15 May 1891 by

Archduke Karl Ludwig Archduke Karl Ludwig Josef Maria of Austria (30 July 1833 – 19 May 1896) was the younger brother of both Franz Joseph I of Austria and Maximilian I of Mexico, and the father of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria (1863–1914), whose assassinat ...

and attended by government ministers, the governor Count Franz Thun and Prince George Lobkowicz. Emperor

Franz Josef I Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death in 1916. In the early part of his reig ...

did not attend the opening ceremony, but visited the fair later. Also the Křižík's light fountain was introduced.

Art

Paintings shown included works by

Emanuel Krescenc Liška Emanuel Krescenc Liška (19 April 1852 – 18 January 1903) was a Czech painter and illustrator. Most of his works were on religious themes, but he also created scenes from works of poetry. Biography Liška was born on 19 April 1852 in Mikulovi ...

and ''Hopeless Love'' by

Augustin Němejc Augustin Němejc (15 March 1861, Nepomuk – 16 August 1938, Plzeň) was a Czech painter, known for his portrayals of village life and costumes from the Plzeň Region. Biography Němejc was born in Nepomuk in 1861, son of a butcher and brewer. In ...

which won a second prize.

Legacy

Many buildings from the fair still exist including the

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

Hanau Pavilion at Letná and a 60-meter tall

Petřín Lookout Tower The Petřín Lookout Tower () is a steel-framework tower tall on Petřín Hill in Prague, built in 1891. It resembles the Eiffel Tower and was used as an observation tower as well as a transmission tower. Today the tower is a major tourist attr ...

on top of the Petřín hill. The Křižík's light fountain was reconstructed recently and is still operational.

References

External links

An image of the Hanava Pavilion
* {{s-end 1891 in Austria-Hungary 19th century in Prague 1891 festivals AH