Ostmesse

It was established to aid in the recovery of East Prussia after its separation from Weimar Germany following World War I. Lord Mayor Hans Lohmeyer came up with the idea for a trade fair in Königsberg to inspire optimism and improve the economy; similar post-war fairs were held in Breslau (Wrocław), Frankfurt, and Poznań.

[2] The following year the Ostmesse moved to a new site designed by Hanns Hopp along Wallring and Hansaring, just north of Steindamm and Tragheim.

[3] Plans to expand westward in the vicinity of the Nordbahnhof station were halted by the outbreak of World War II.

[2] Besides the featured goods and technical exhibitions, later fairs included construction, cattle, fishing, hunting, and other special shows.

Foreign participation increased as the fair grew and included Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Poland, Sweden, Turkey, and especially the Soviet Union.