oa ‘In díe stad ga ik de wereldtentoonstelling zien’

‘In that city I’m going to see the world’s fair’. The Amsterdam World Exposition of 1895 as an instrument to enhance city promotion

An objective of the Amsterdam World Exhibition of 1895 was to promote tourism. Two elements were central to this: the status of ‘world city’ on the one hand and the emphasis on historical versus modern aspects of the city on the other. Various stakeholders had an interest in the exhibition, which also reflected urban development. The organizing committee ambitiously attempted to promote a broad and modern tourist image, but practical constraints prevented successful image-building. In the end, the well-known image of the city as picturesque was reaffirmed. Nevertheless, the event made clear that Amsterdam was developing towards a world city.