This was once only... Expo 2000
On sunny days the rush onto the EXPO grounds was enormous. Incidentally the visitors would have had to walk 75 km in order to visit all the pavillons and exhibitions.
Every night the pyrotechnists gave their best to enchant the guests... with their fire-, water- and lightshow "Flambéé" Human Facets with waterfonntains and geysers.
A total of 273 different types of trees were planted on the "United Trees Avenue" They are a symbol of peaceful togetherness of different nations.
By the way - a total of 5.889 trees were planted on the Expo grounds.
A total of 53 nations and organizations built their pavillions at the Expo grounds.
with the participants...
...all the participatins nations have created miracles on the Expo grounds.
We would like to invite you to join us on a tour around the Expo and visit the most beautiful and impressive pavillions again.
Water was a very popular element, to embellish various pavillions.
In the Iceland pavillion film and reality were melting into each other. Inside the blue cubic the visitors had a birdseye view of Iceland from a spiral ramp. All of a sudden a mighty geyser shoots into the air.
This pavillion was fully surrounded by water and could only be reached by two bridges. Inside the visitors had to walk over a glasfloor underneath a display of a typical croatian landscape.
The visitors were atracted by a 15m high waterfall. Especially in hot weather these pavillions were extremely popular to cool down.
Over a period of three years 800 nepaleese families built this beautiful landmark pavillion. 80.000 tires were put on the root of the Himalaya - temple by hand.
Rising above the country's pavillion was an 18m high flower. Depending on the weather it was opend or closed.
The Danish pavillion showed the subject "Human - Nature - Technics" in a perfect way. Visitors could get themselves informed about wind, water and nature.
It was never this quiet in front of the finnish pavillion as it seems on this picture. Visitors were fascinated by the nature of Finland, they came in crowds to admire over 70 finnish birch trees that were situated on genuine finnish soil with moss from Lappland, woodshrawberys and blueberybushes.
Supposed to the most beautiful pavillion was the 40m high "sandwich - build" from Netherlands. Windmills, forest and flowerbeds were piled onto five floors.
The swedish pavillion black on the outside and light on the inside.
In Polands pavillion one could wonder through picturesque old town alleys. On their tow visitors were crossing Europes only untouched jungle, came upon Polands oldest salt - mine and were able to admire the findings of Polands scientists and astronomers in the observatory.
Germany's pavillion showed 16 federal States as well as 47 larger than life statues of german celebrities which were presented in the workshop. The pavillion was built out of Steel, glas and wood.
That was the world exposition
For 153 days lower saxsony's capital Hannover was
the melting - pot for different coultures and nations
The whole world was quest in Germany and every
day there were celebrating a festival of the nations.
This was the fair with most participants for the last
150 years - more than 170 nations and international
participants displayed their ideas and visions of the
future. 49 countrys built their own pavillions, other
presented themselves in halls. The visitors had to make
a choice - it just wasn't possible to see everything in one day.
The Africa hall - 4 million visitors made it the favorite pavillion.
For the first time 40 African states presented themselves
under the theme "The Gift of Africa". Hardly any visitor was
able to withdraw from this presentation full of passionate
activities. More than 2,5 million people were wisiting
Netherlands sandwichlike building / construction, Finlands
guest book showed more than 1,5 million entries and more
than 5 million visitors admired the larger than life plaster
figures in Germany's pavillion.
Heads of states as well as Royals took the opportunity to
visit their own as well as the other nations pavillions.
Amongst them were Queen Beatrix of Netherlands with her
husband Prince Claus, King Albert II of Belgium, Queen
Margarethe from Denmark, Juan Carlos and Sofia from Spain
who were visiting the Expo 2000 in Hannover. Queen Silvia
of Sweden visited three times. It wasn't possible to see
everything in just one day. In total 68 heads of states,
56 goverment officials and 413 ministers and acting ministers
were guests at the Expo 2000 in Hannover
Under the theme "Worlds meet each other" the Expo became
one big stage. Over 60 million had visited the events of the Expo.
From "Faustmarathon" to the every evenings Flambée, from
Rockfestivals in the Beatbox to hot rhythms on the Plaza
stage - the visitors had a great choice.
The Expo didn't only take place on the Expo grounds in
Hannover, out in the whole of the hosts country - including
all five continents - worldwide !
Expo 200 - The numbers
As no closing report can exist without the compulsory
figures - here they are ! Some odd, some imposing but
they all prove that this exposition made the unbelievable.
| 7.500.000 | Passengers used the cablecar which crossed the whole of the Expo area. |
| 5.000.000 | Athletes tested the newest trendsports in the funsport hall. |
| 2.250.000 | Visitors walked through the finnish pavillion. |
| 2.000.000 | Liters of water came every hours down the root of the norwegian pavillion. |
| 1.600.000 | Names were shown in the iceland pavillion. |
| 400.000 | Lego - bricks were necessary to build lions, elephants and apes in the african hall. |
| 40.000 | Post cards were sold in the canadian pavillion. |
| 34.000 | Square meter big were the "Changing gardens". |
| 21.000 | Grasshoppers were consumed in the nourishment exhibition. |
| 8.500 | Cardboardrolls were used to build the japaneese pavillion. |
| 4.000 | People saw the EM game Germany - Romania on the big screen. |
| 2.100 | KM were two estnic students tramping to the Expo 2000. |
| 800 | Nepalease families carved for three full years to build their pavillion. |
| 280 | Bottles of tequila were emptied on average every night in the mexican pavillion. |
| 160 | Hectere big were the Expo grounds - a total of 235 soccer fields. |
| 100 | Different kinds of beer existed on the Expo. |
| 90 | Tons of real desert sand were fly in from the Arabian Emirates. |
| 84 | Birchtrees stood in the finnish pavillion. |
| 21 | Hours lasted the marathon version of "Faust". |
| 13 | Years are gone since the idea for Expo 2000 was born. |
| 10 | Years have passed since Germany was voted to became host nation on June 14. 1990. |
| 1 | Piece of the chinese wall did the long journey to the chinese pavillion. |
Expo 2000 - The after-use
As the world exposition was not a permanent feature, organizers
had to make up their minds about how to use the pavillions and
buildings afterwards, long before the Expo even started. For
most buildings there are contracts as to where and when the
buildings were to be rebuild at there new location.
Most of the buildings will stay on the Expo grounds to
enrich other exhibitions in the future.
The Preussag arena with 13.500 seats will be used for
events and shows. Popconcerts and big events in Hannover
will take place there. Preussag arena will be the location
for the icehockey world cup opening and finals in April /
May 2001. The Christus pavillion will be taken to pieces
after the Expo and rebuild in Volkenroda / Thueringen
The pavillions from Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France,
Great Britain, Sweden and the Republic of China will stay
on the Expo grounds and will be used there.
The Swiss pavillion will be recycled as planned. The WWF
organizations pavillion with the 14m high earthghost can
be admired in the Saarland in the future.
The Himalayastate Nepals is currently negotating with
different interested partners over their pavillion.
Just about all pavillions and buildings will still be
used and hopefully their idea as meeting place for
different nations will go on.
More than enough words have been said hence we will not expand
any more. Thanks all the guests who enjoyed the Expo 2000 with us.