The German House at the World’s Fair
In 1904, St. Louis hosted the World’s Fair in Forest Park, which featured displays from around the world. One of these displays was the German House. Between the World’s Fair and the Olympics, which were also in St. Louis that summer, the city was the center of national and international attention for the time. The World’s Fair and the Olympics were both about international and multicultural togetherness, and this spirit of togetherness was exemplified in displays such as the German House. The house showed off the German country and its culture, allowing people of other nations and ethnicities to better experience and understand said culture.
The German House was in the back left section of the Fair’s main pavilion, next to the leftmost gazebo. The House’s location in the main pavilion was symbolically important because it placed the House as one of the Fair’s most important objects. As the map of the fair shows, the main pavilion featured ornate buildings from all over the world. As can be seen in the picture of the German House, it was a massive, elegant structure. The landscaping and architecture on its exterior were intricately designed and incredibly detailed. The German and U.S. flags flew in front of the house, exemplifying togetherness between the nations.
The German House was designed by Emperor Wilhelm II. He designed the house in the baroque style because he wanted to establish a connection to the baroque grandeur, the Prussian monarchy, and the Hohenzollern dynasty. Additionally, he designed the house in a way that would represent a hierarchical monarchy. The main room of the house’s interior was approximately 20 feet tall.
The turn of the 20th century was a period of globalization. This was exemplified not only in the German House, but in all the structures at the Fair, as well as the events held.
