Perhaps you hear echoes of music and laughter. This place was once the Stadthalle in Frankfurt Oder. Today it stands as a silent ruin on Buschmühlenweg. The Stadthalle was once a vibrant dance temple. Now it is just a lost place in Frankfurt Oder.
Frankfurt Oder has many buildings that were once important. Now they stand empty. The old Stadthalle is one of these lost places. It sits on Buschmühlenweg.
The Messehallen am Frankfurter Westkreuz are Ostbrandenburgs largest event location. They offer diverse shows for children and adults. You can find comedy, concerts, musicals, and themed fairs there. The Messehallen have 6800 square meters of covered exhibition space. They also have over 17000 square meters of usable space. This modern location can hold up to 4000 people.
The Messehallen are run by Messe und Veranstaltungs GmbH. This company also manages the Kleist Forum and Konzerthalle Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach. Since 2001, the city of Frankfurt Oder owns the company. Each year, the company hosts about 500 events. Around 50 employees work at these three venues. This makes Messe und Veranstaltungs GmbH the largest cultural provider in Ostbrandenburg.
The Festhalle in Frankfurt am Main has a vibrant history of 110 years. Construction began on June 11, 1907. The contract for Frankfurter Ausstellungs und Festhallengesellschaft mbH was signed later that year. Kaiser Wilhelm II officially opened the Festhalle on May 19, 1909.
The International Airship Exhibition ILA took place in 1909. An estimated 1.5 million visitors came to Frankfurt. They saw the latest inventions and airships of Count Zeppelin. Test flights took place over the city.
Before World War I, various events were held. These included the Sport, Games and Shooting Exhibition in 1910. In 1912, Circus Sarrasani played to a sold-out Stadthalle for four weeks.
During World War I, the military used the Festhalle as a uniform store. After the war, trade fair operations restarted on October 1, 1919. The first trade fair was welcomed by exhibitors and visitors. The Festhalle was not big enough to hold everyone.
In the 1920s, numerous trade fairs and events took place. These included culinary art exhibitions and car shows. There were also dancing championships and indoor sports festivals. The Kulturkartell, a socialist organization, held mass events and concerts.
In 1927, Frankfurt organized the Summer of Music. It included the international exhibition Music in the Lives of the People. German Foreign Minister Gustav Stresemann opened the exhibition.
The global economic crisis brought Frankfurt trade fair operations to a standstill. Instead, the Festhalle was used for large-scale events. These included the German Photographic Exhibition.
The Nazi regime used the Festhalle for mass propaganda rallies. During Kristallnacht in 1938, Jewish citizens were rounded up. They were then transported to prisons and concentration camps.
During World War II, the Festhalle stored materials and ammunition. Expansion plans were stopped. The Festhalle burned down on December 19, 1940. Air attacks severely damaged the building.
After the war, American forces occupied the exhibition grounds. The trade fair company resumed work in 1946. The first trade fair after the war was the DM fair in 1948.
Rebuilt with a simplified design, the Festhalle reopened for the 1950 Frankfurt Spring Fair. It hosted exhibitions like the Frankfurt Book Fair. It also hosted the International Motor Show. The Festhalle was a popular convention center.
The Festhalle also featured events like Holiday on Ice. Elvis Presley was in the audience in 1958. It also hosted a six-day race and the first TV broadcasts.
In the 1960s, the Festhalle became popular in the rock and pop scene. International stars like the Rolling Stones performed there.
The Festhalle was given listed building status in 1972. It was converted into a multifunctional hall in 1986. The hall has hosted leading names in pop and rock. It has also hosted opera stars and magicians.
In 2009, the Festhalle celebrated its 100th anniversary. The façade was renovated based on historical designs from 1909.
Today, the Stadthalle in Frankfurt Oder is just a ruin. It is a reminder of its past glory. The Stadthalle may be a lost place now. Yet, it holds memories of dance and celebration.