International Aviation Exhibition Frankfurt 1909

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Poster for the ILA 1909 by Alfred Oppenheim
Parseval airship at the ILA

The International Aviation Exhibition Frankfurt 1909 was the world's largest and most important aviation exhibition from July 10th to October 17th 1909 over a period of 100 days in Frankfurt am Main . At the same time, she was the pioneer of the later ILA . Although the name of the exhibition airship seems to stand in the foreground, all of which were at the ILA aircraft shown.

history

Georg von Tschudi was the director of the exhibition

The idea of ​​an international exhibition covering all areas of aviation arose in the autumn of 1908 in the circle of Munich balloonists and aviation enthusiasts. Overall, however, the idea met with little response in the Munich area, so that Paul Gans-Fabrice from Munich tried to implement the plans in more centrally located Frankfurt. The German Airship Day 1908, held in Frankfurt in December of that year, encouraged interest in an international exhibition. A guarantee fund for financing brought in a sum of 1.25 million marks plus 200,000 marks in prize donations within a very short time. Among the initiators of the ILA Frankfurt 1909 in addition to the members of the include Frankfurt association for air shipping and the Frankfurt citizens, especially the then Lord Mayor Franz Adickes , the geophysicist and meteorologist Franz Left and the former head of the airship's Company of the Army, Major Georg von Tschudi as Exhibition director. The presidency of the exhibition was in the hands of the Frankfurt chemist, patron and aviation pioneer Privy Councilor Paul von Gans .

The international ILA provided important impulses for the development of motorized aviation. In the course of the exhibition, the beginning of the triumphant advance of the aircraft over the airship slowly crystallized. At the same time, the ILA was a trigger for the aviation enthusiasm that manifested itself in the masses.

Structure of the exhibition

The organizational structure

Numerous committees and committees were formed to ensure the orderly organizational process:

  • Honorary Presidium
  • Board
  • International Honorary Committee
  • Big committee
  • Working Committees
    • Construction and Decoration Committee
    • Festival committee
    • Finance Committee
    • Regulatory and Transport Committee
    • Press and Propaganda Committee
    • Sports Committee
    • Economic Committee
    • Scientific and technical committee
  • Scientific Commission

The thematic structure

The ILA was thematically divided into 12 groups:

  1. Balloons and balloon manufacture,
  2. Motor balloons,
  3. Military aviation,
  4. Signal service for balloons,
  5. Gas production and compression,
  6. Science of aviation,
  7. Fine mechanical and physical apparatus,
  8. Equipments,
  9. Flying machines and kites,
  10. Motors,
  11. Works of art related to aviation,
  12. Toys.

The ILA site

The ILA site extended over the area of ​​the Frankfurter Ausstellungs- und Festhallengesellschaft mbH , founded on November 22, 1907 , which is located in the west of Frankfurt in the districts of Bockenheim and Westend-Süd .

Festival hall

Façade of the festival hall

The foundation stone of the festival hall was laid on June 11, 1907, before the foundation of the Frankfurter Ausstellungs- und Festhallengesellschaft mbH, which operated it. On May 19, 1909, the building designed by Friedrich von Thiersch was officially opened by Kaiser Wilhelm II . When it was built, it was the largest domed structure in Europe. The interior of the 40 meter high dome provided enough space to set up the Preussen balloon , with which the Berlin meteorologists Arthur Berson and Reinhard Süring reached a record height of 10,800 m on a scientific flight in 1901 .

theatre

In addition to theatrical performances, the scientific lectures also took place in the ILA Theater. On July 17, 1909, the theater building was opened with a lecture by Count Zeppelin Jr., a nephew of Count Zeppelin .

Aviation historical events

The ILA began with high standards, which were already made clear in the opening speech by exhibition president Paul von Gans:

You have gathered here to consecrate a work which, in the nature of its training, has no model. For the first time, a tethered balloon that meets all modern requirements is available to the general public, so that everyone has the opportunity to see the world from above for a small fee. Trips in dirigible airships of various kinds will unfortunately only be made available to the wealthy. Despite the astonishment at the successes, our visitors should always bear in mind when assessing all events and performances that the conquest of the air is far from complete. We are only in the early stages of a major, promising development.

The following events at the ILA largely marked the promising development through significant aviation historical events:

July 1909

August 1909

September 1909

October 1909

  • 3rd - 12th October: Frankfurt flight week with extension until October 17th.
  • October 17th: Exhibition ends with big fireworks.

Other events and events

Lectures

An essential part of the accompanying program were lectures on a wide variety of topics and problems in aviation. Count Zeppelin Jr., a nephew of Count Zeppelin, opened the lecture series in the ILA Theater.

  • July 17, 1909: Graf Zeppelin jr .: The development of aviation .
  • July 19, 1909: Meili, Zurich: balloons, flying machines, airships and jurisprudence .
  • August 14, 1909: Theodor Scheimpflug , Vienna: The technical and economic opportunities of an extensive colonial survey from a bird's eye view based on the current state of surveying and flight technology .
  • August 25, 1909: Richard Assmann , Lindenberg Meteorological Observatory : The upper inversion of temperature .
  • September 9, 1909: Hugo Hergesell , Strasbourg: The polar expedition Zeppelin-Hergesell for the scientific exploration of the arctic regions .
  • September 17, 1909: Neureuther, Munich: The military importance of aviation .

Participating aviation associations

Aéro-Club de France, Augsburg Association for Aviation , German Air Fleet Association, Berlin Association for Aviation, Breisgau Association for Aviation, German Aviation Association, Hamburg Association for Aviation, Cologne Club for Aviation, Frankfurt Association for Aviation, Hanover Association for Aviation, Lübeck Aviation Society, Middle Rhine Aviation Society, Lower Saxony Aviation Society, East German Aviation Society, Pomeranian Aviation Society, Poznan Aviation Society, Saxon Aviation Society, Silesian Aviation Society, Societa Aeronautica Italianifa, Society for Kolmar), Vogtland Association for Aviation, Vienna Aero Club , Württemberg Association for Aviation.

Involved balloons

For the duration of the ILA, the participation of 52 balloons with countless ascents, target trips and balloon fox hunts can be proven:

Abercron, Albatros, Alpha, Bamler II, Barmen, Bochum, Mayor Mönckeberg, Busley, Clouth III, Coblenz, Cöln, Continental, Crefeld, Dresden, Elberfeld, Erfurt, Essen-Ruhr, Excelsior, Gersthofen, Graf Zeppelin, Hamburg, Hansea, Harburg, Hessen, ILA, Inca, Justitia, Louis Peter, Mainz-Wiesbaden, Moenus, Novarra, Osnabrück, Overstolz, Peters, Plauen, Pomerania, Prince Adolf, Princess Viktoria, Quo Vadis, Riedinger, Silesia, Schröder, Swabia, sailors, Stuttgart, Taunus, Tillie, Tillie II, Union, Wesel, Württemberg, Ziegler

Historical department

Guide through the historical department of the International Aviation Exhibition Frankfurt am Main 1909

The guide's foreword through the department explains the objective:

The historical section of the International Aviation Exhibition aims to illustrate the development of aviation in words and pictures up to the end of the 19th century.

Models, art and literature were shown. In addition , a separate catalog for the historical department was published three years late due to lack of funds:

Louis Liebmann, Gustav Wahl : Catalog of the historical department of the first international aviation exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt am Main 1909 . Frankfurt: Deserts, 1912.

In addition to the numerous showcase objects, there was a literature show with the aim of showing the entire domestic and foreign literature of the still very young aviation, a good part of which was put together by the Frankfurt bookstore Auffahrt, which has just the right name for this exhibition . One of the most spectacular objects was undoubtedly the Preussen balloon , which was set up in the center of the large festival hall and whose balloon envelope was inflated by excess pressure. Visitors could even enter the inside of the balloon via a lock. The Lindenberg Aeronautical Observatory exhibited the original recordings as well as the measuring devices used for the record high-altitude trip on July 31, 1901.

ILA Post and Telegraph System

The ILA offered an unusually good and modern infrastructure for an exhibition in 1909. There was a specially built exhibition post office with six telephones . The acceptance counter was open daily from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., telephone and telegram acceptance from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Ample use has been made of these services:

  • 1012 registered mail accepted
  • 896 registered mail
  • 7998 telegram acceptance
  • 2014 Telegram issues
  • 20008 long-distance calls arranged
  • 6363 machine calls

Contemporary witness report from September 1910

"Flying machine" above the grounds of the ILA 1909, above an airship
An airship with two "aviators" on board over the grounds of the ILA in 1909; behind a freight train
An airship as a visitor attraction at the ILA 1909

In September 1910 , the journalist Ebner wrote a popular scientific text about the exhibition that was typical of the time and is abbreviated here with two small letters “Ila” for the Christian magazine Deutscher Hausschatz. Ebner begins the description with a disappointment: When entering the exhibition area a folk festival with Africans disturbed those interested in science. He quickly had to “ignore” this “African village with '100 real savages'”. On the other hand, Ebner found the “airship carousel and aerial suspension railway” at the entrance to be acceptable. His main personal attraction was the “Prussia” research balloon from 1900, which was converted into an open-air exhibit. With a diameter of 25 meters, it was accessible and the author of the report is overwhelmed by the light inside. The yellow rubber cover, which “required 8,400 cubic meters of gas to fill”, turned everything deep yellow.

The exhibition distinguishes between two types of aircraft: "heavier than air and lighter than air, or flying machine and balloon", although Ebner does not give the flying machines much future - despite the success of the Wright brothers and Blériot's "Canal Flight". On his tour he came across several aircraft designers who were openly looking for sponsors with small models of their machines. Ebner found this ingratiating and “turned to the 'Lighter Than Air' department with more gratifying feelings. We Germans are up there. Zeppelin, Parseval are world-renowned names ”. In flowery words he established the connection between man, machine and nature: “We stand there in amazement in front of the small, mysterious power generators, the engines that drive the huge ships through the air and take up the fight with the blowing winds and storms. We can also take a leisurely look at the propellers, which turn into shimmering disks on the airships at breakneck speed. [...] These are images of the future! "

Ebner was aware of the military dimension of the airships: “For the time being, the steering balloon only plays a role in military circles. The possibility of its use in war is in the foreground of interest, and it is strange to see that the airship, this eminent means of connecting peoples to peaceful traffic, owes its steadily increasing perfection to warlike intentions. The 'Zeppelins' and 'Parsevals' are war airships, and it is the Army Administration that acquires them, thereby enabling the inventors to continue working. The cannons exhibited by the Krupp company in Essen for bombarding airships, heavy steel monsters that look strange enough in this 'light' environment, remind us of this strange relationship. ”Four years later, when the First World War began, airships and similar ones were playing Defense cannons play an important role; an equally important one, however, mainly because of their maneuverability, aircraft.

The article closes with a disappointment: for the “main attractions”, a flight with the airship “Parseval” or the two “aviators Baron de Caters and August Euler ” did not take place, although they were announced as daily events. Perhaps because of the addition: “Only in good weather”.

Results and aftermath

Publications

ILA exhibition newspaper
ILA weekly newspaper

In addition to the exhibition, several official ILA publications were published by the official ILA publishing house Kumpf & Reis, Frankfurt, which, as contemporary sources, reported on all important exhibition events and results:

  • The ILA exhibition newspaper (daily newspaper) appeared in 95 issues from July 10, 1909 to October 12, 1909. The daily newspaper summarized the latest events and announcements.
  • The ILA-Wochenrundschau appeared in 17 issues from June 12, 1909 to October 16, 1909. The ILA-Wochenrundschau summarized the technically relevant results and innovations on a weekly basis and addressed a more technically-savvy specialist audience.
  • The memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 by Bernhard Lepsius and the then chairman of the scientific commission Richard Wachsmuth , published in 1910, summarized the technically important results of the ILA.
  • The catalog of the historical department of the first international aviation exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt am Main , published by Louis Liebmann and Gustav Wahl in 1909 , was not published until 1912 due to lack of funds.

Popular success

Around 1.5 million visitors came during the 100-day exhibition and around 18,000 season tickets were sold. The restaurateurs were also very successful, for example 370,000 liters of beer and 100,000 liters of cider were served.

Nevertheless, at the end of the show, the organizers recorded a considerable financial deficit overall . In the closing speech, exhibition president von Gans consistently drew a positive conclusion: May all of you who have supported us in a variety of ways find their reward in the awareness that they have worked on a company of high cultural importance. New paths have opened up in our days for mankind. Our exhibition has, it can be confidently asserted, brought us closer to achieving higher goals.

Foundation of an aviation museum

Under the impression of the historical department , calls for a museum on the history of aviation / aviation were loud. On September 17, 1909, the Presidium of the ILA, the Frankfurt Aviation Association, the Physikalische Verein and the Senckenberg Natural Research Society issued a call for the establishment of an aviation museum based in Frankfurt a. M.

Association of German Aircraft Manufacturers

On March 17, 1911, the Association of German Aircraft Industrialists (later the Association of German Aircraft Industrialists GmbH , today the Federal Association of the German Aerospace Industry ) was founded under the leadership of August Euler . The founding members included Albatros Flugzeugwerke , Aviatik GmbH, Dornier Flugzeug GmbH , Flugmaschine Wright-Gesellschaft mbH, Euler Flugmaschinen-Werke, Grade Fliegerwerke , Harlan-Flugzeugwerke and Rumpler Flugzeug-Werke AG .

Souvenirs

Souvenir jar with a view of Frankfurt and a zeppelin, 1909

Due to the popularity and, above all, the duration of the exhibition, the ILA produced a large number of topic-related postcards , medals and other souvenirs that reflected the general enthusiasm for aviation. From a philatelic point of view, the aerophilatelic flight and airmail receipts are of great interest.

Subsequent ILA exhibitions

The great success of the ILA was the decisive factor for renewed exhibition activity. Almost three years later, from April 3 to 14, 1912, the General Air Vehicle Exhibition (ALA) took place in Berlin, in the exhibition halls at the zoo . Interrupted by the First World War, the next show took place again as an International Aviation Exhibition from October 7th to 28th, and at the same time for the last time in Berlin. After the Second World War , the ILA took place at Hannover-Langenhagen Airport until 1990 . Since 1992 the exhibition has been back in Berlin, now on the southern area of Berlin-Schönefeld Airport .

Zeppelin memorial stone

Zeppelinstein Frankfurt am Main

Around 20 years after the ILA, on November 10, 1929, a zeppelin stone made of shell limestone was erected on the landing site of LZ 5 - Z II in the Bockenheim district near the intersection at Am Dammgraben / Müllerstrasse. It commemorates the first zeppelin landing on the Frankfurt ILA on July 31, 1909 at 3:30 p.m.

Special stamp

The German Post AG recalled on June 4, 2009 with a special stamp to the first International Aviation Exhibition of 1909 and shows the poster of Alfred Oppenheim .

literature

  • Louis Liebmann, Gustav Wahl: Guide through the historical department of the International Aviation Exhibition Frankfurt am Main 1909 . Frankfurt: Deserts, 1909.
  • Bernhard Lepsius, Richard Wachsmuth: Memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 . Berlin: Springer, 1910.
  • Louis Liebmann, Gustav Wahl: Catalog of the historical department of the first international aviation exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt am Main 1909 . Frankfurt: Deserts, 1912.
  • Max Geisenheyner, Peter Supf : Frankfurt am Main: the engine of aviation. A reminder of the 1909 International Aviation Exhibition . Frankfurt: Verlag Waldemar Kramer, 1959.
  • Ralf-Peter Hagedorn: Pioneering aviation in Germany 1909 . Limburg: Hagedorn Verlag, 1989.
  • Wolfgang Beier: Made in Kölle - Clouth and airship travel. Cologne aviation and industrial history of the Rheinische Gummiwarenfabrik Franz Clouth . Cologne: MJB, 2009.
  • Hans Steinhagen : The ILA 100 years ago: the birth of the high altitude weather service in Lindenberg (PDF; 12.1 MB). In: Mitteilungen DMG 2, 2009, pp. 10–12

Web links

Commons : International Aerospace Exhibition Berlin  - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Bernhard Lepsius, Richard Wachsmuth: Memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 . Vol. II: Results of the exhibition. Berlin: Springer, 1910. p. 3.
  2. ^ Bernhard Lepsius, Richard Wachsmuth: Memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 . Vol. II: Results of the exhibition. Berlin: Springer, 1910. p. 4ff.
  3. ^ Bernhard Lepsius, Richard Wachsmuth: Memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 . Vol. II: Results of the exhibition. Berlin: Springer, 1910. pp. 25f.
  4. ↑ Chronicle 100 Years of the Festhalle ( Memento from April 23, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  5. ↑ a b 100 years of ILA: Giants over Frankfurt. Hessischer Rundfunk, July 10, 2009, archived from the original on December 25, 2015 ; accessed on January 29, 2017 .
  6. ↑ Max Geisenheyner, Peter Supf: Frankfurt am Main: Engine of Aviation. A memory of the International Aviation Exhibition in 1909. Frankfurt: Verlag Waldemar Kramer, 1959. p. 29
  7. ^ Ralf-Peter Hagedorn: Pioneer Aviation in Germany 1909 . Limburg: Hagedorn Verlag, 1989.
  8. ↑ Deutscher Hausschatz, Volume 36, Issue 2, 1910, pp. 17ff, ZDB 214175-9
  9. ↑ Werner Wachsmuth : A life with the century. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg / New York / Tokyo 1985, p. 15 f.
  10. ^ Bernhard Lepsius, Richard Wachsmuth: Memorandum of the First International Aviation Exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt a / M. 1909 . Berlin: Springer, 1910.
  11. ^ Louis Liebmann, Gustav Wahl: Catalog of the historical department of the first international aviation exhibition (ILA) in Frankfurt am Main 1909. Frankfurt: Wüsten, 1912.
  12. ↑ Chronicle of 100 years ILA Berlin ( Memento from July 15, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  13. ↑ http://www.kunst-im-oefflichen-raum-frankfurt.de/de/page127.html?id=141