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Swiss Fairs over the course of time

Published on the occasion of the 100th Swiss Mustermesse (known today as Muba)

Numerous fascinating illustrations from one hundred years of fair history

Essays/Contributions by Patrick Kury, Esther Baur, Regula Argast, Max Bruinsma, Lukas Gloor, Isabel Koellreuter, Oliver Kühschelm, Patrick Marcolli, Franziska Schürch, Beat Stüdli, Raphael Suter and others

The first Swiss Mustermesse in 1917 and the Messegesellschaft set up just prior to that both laid the foundation stone for a Swiss success story. Inaugurated in the dramatic years of the First World War, over the course of one hundred years the fair has developed into a nationally and later internationally operating enterprise.

The MCH Group AG, one of the world’s largest fair companies, organizes numerous fairs and events of its own which take place in Zurich, Lausanne and abroad. Among the most important are Baselworld, the clock and jewellery fair, and Art Basel, which has affiliates in Miami and Hong Kong. Year after year, the fairs bring hundreds of thousands of visitors and exhibitors together, to socialize, observe the market, do business and network.

The history of the rhythm of these markets and fairs is told by 13 authors in texts and images. We read about the courage required in the early years, the rise to the status of a national institution and the successes in the international fair business. The publication also examines the relationship between fair and city population, introduces a number of the fairs in details and takes a look behind the scenes.

About the editors:
Historian Patrick Kury teaches Recent General and Swiss History at the universities of Lucerne and Berne and is the author of numerous publications.
Esther Bauer is state archivist of Canton Basel-Stadt and a specialist in visual history.