Leipzig Book Fair

It is the first large trade meeting of the year and as such it plays an important role in the market and is often where new publications are first presented.

By the 16th century, Leipzig was home to the first daily newspaper, Einkommende Zeitungen, as well as the Reclam Universal Library.

[1] Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, the fair was an important event for European book sellers, and was hosted twice yearly, occurring around Easter (Ostermesse) and St. Micheals (Michaelismesse).

It provided access to Western publications for East Germans, who were not legally allowed to purchase the material, but could read it at the Fair.

The new orientation is necessary to compete with Frankfurt Book Fair, which sees a much larger volume of industry trading.