Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) Pavilion
Lenticular souvenir pin from the West Germany pavilion.
From Expo ‘74 World’s Fair Spokane, p. 94-95:
No husk is Nature, no! nor kernel
She is the All-in-One Eternal.
All your ideals shall not prevent
me from being genuine, and good
and bad - like Nature.
- Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
“The preservation of a wholesome and well-balanced environment is one of the vital conditions for the existence of mankind. What we need is a new sense of responsibility towards the natural foundations of our existence. Environmental protection cannot materialize in national isolation. Therefore the Federal Republic of Germany gladly participated at Expo ‘74 in Spokane.” - Schacco von Estorff, Commissioner General of the Federal Republic of Germany
A new attitude toward the environment evolved in Germany when the pollution reaped by its overwhelming industrial growth during the decades of the fifties, sixties, and seventies cluttered the Germans’ environment at the expense of his enjoyment of the country.
It was the age-old story of unbridled progress to rebuild a nation and its environment shattered by war, which has been told and retold during the history of man. Token tribute by the demanding giant called Progress to recontouring and reshaping the environment was not enough. Massive dedication and unceasing and imaginative efforts were required to recapture what once was.
Cognizant of these demands the Federal Republic of Germany took giant strides towards an environmental program to confront the industrial, social, political and constitutional problems of conservation and anti-pollution. The ultimate goal was to reclaim and preserve the natural environment and to insure the health and future existence of its people. To offer to future generations that which past generations had enjoyed and taken for granted - an unspoiled landscape, clean air and clean water.
Germany’s efforts and adherence to these goals were graphically presented in its exhibit for all Fair visitors to see.
Conservation on the Land - Strip Mining in Germany
By its nature, the production of natural resources influences the surface of the earth and may change the existing structure of the landscape. This applies in particular to strip mining. In this connection, it is of fundamental importance that the mining areas are not used indefinitely but for a limited time and then rehabilitated. An excellent example is the Rhenish lignite field covering a projected area of 1,400 km sq where about 350 km sq of mostly rich agricultural soil and relatively dense settlement is utilized for mining. The incredible procedure and technology of changing this totally devastated land into a pleasant landscape was demonstrated in that part of the German Pavilion.
Clean-Water-Program - The Rhine River
The Rhine River is one of the most picturesque and busiest water ways in Europe. Man’s battle with the river had already begun in the time of the Romans. The waters remained both a blessing and a scourge for the population during the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Baroque era.
The Upper Rhine Plain, first made inhabitable by technical means in the 19th century, is now being exploited to the limits of its capacity. It is the focus of energy production and the chemical industry, a main route for goods and passenger transport by land and water, and a heavily populated area.
Waste water from industry and from the expanding cities along its banks endangers the water with contamination. The cooling systems of energy production plants pour water back into the Rhine at high temperatures and are warming up the whole river. Thousands of ships leave oil traces in the water and cause its oxygen content to fall. The continuous erosion of the riverbed which brings such advantage for shipping, is lowering the water table of the plain.
The “Rhine Section” of the German Pavilion showed necessary measures for the future to save the river:
From Expo ‘74 World’s Fair Spokane, p. 34. “German pavilion concentrated on urban, Rhine river, strip mining and other pollution problems.”
Established tributaries and water-meadows should be protected at all costs. No dumping of refuse, sinking of wells or building on the meadows should be allowed. Dams and dykes must be moved back. Natural woodlands must be cared for, plantlife protected, and sluggish water-courses artificially aerified. The waters of the river itself should not be forgotten. Sewage refineries which combine mechanical and biological operations and graduation works to cool water and encourage biological regenerations are urgently needed.
Fight against noise and air-pollution with a new modern transport system.
The 14 million automobiles registered in the Federal Republic of Germany emit during a single year eight million tons of nitric oxides, 12,000 tons of particulates, 7,000 tons of lead in both organic and inorganic compounds. Since the turn of the century the average traffic noise in the cities has increased eight-fold. Traffic in the cities increases the noise level up to 20 decibels as vehicles accelerate.
Motorization is increasing at a fast rate although the available area for traffic remains almost constant. This motorization has, as a consequence, slowed driving speeds for motor cars.
A new transport system developed in the Federal Republic of Germany (Transurban and Transrapid) and featured in the German Pavilion might be the answer to future traffic problems. It is a fully automatic magnetic people-mover with a linear induction motor which has low or non-existing noise and pollution properties and high transport capacity combined with low space requirements. The attraction for the passenger is a small, comfortable vehicle with seats, available at stations and ready for use on demand and origin-to-destination operation. No changes or intermediate stops are necessary. It combines both the advantages of individual and mass transportation.
The highlight of the German exhibition was the multi-vision show. Here in an open-sided theater, 36 computerized slide projectors presented a stimulating feature communicating man’s environmental problems.
I might have actually begun to feel guilty - something I had sworn at the fair gate I would sooner eat a Polynesian taco than do - except for an incident shortly afterward in the German Pavilion. I was watching a film of routine industrial blight when the narrator happened to say that we were all “litter louts.” I don’t want to be one of those people who hold Germans responsible in perpetuity for the events of the thirties and forties, but, being tired and somewhat concerned about the environmental implications of fatherhood, I decided that the Federal Republic of Germany did not have the moral standing to call me a litter lout.- Calvin Trillin, “Thoughts of a Fair-Trotter.” The New Yorker, August 5, 1974.
Interior of German Pavilion from ViewMaster Reel.
