The Frankfurt Book Fair: A matter for the chancellor
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel announces she will attend the opening ceremony on 13 October
Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel has announced that she will attend the opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair (13 October). A visit to the world's largest book and media fair – shortly after the federal election on 27 September -- is thus at the very top of the agenda of the CDU leader. "The opening ceremony of the Frankfurt Book Fair is in the spotlight of the international media -- not least because the event's political significance is also clearly valued", said Juergen Boos, Director of the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Director of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels [German Publishers and Booksellers Association], Gottfried Honnefelder, emphasised: "The presence of the federal chancellor illustrates the importance our political leadership attaches to cultural dialogue with China."
The opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair traditionally takes place on the day before the fair in a ceremonial setting. High-ranking political and literary speakers from the respective Guest of Honour country (2009: China) and from Germany set the stage for the following days of the fair. Federal Chancellor Helmut Schmidt was in attendance in 1982 when religion was the topic of focus of the fair. Helmut Kohl appeared three times in total – first along with the media theorist Neil Postman (1984 – focus on Orwell), then with the French Minister of Culture Jack Lang (1989 – Guest of Honour France), and lastly with the President of Ireland, Mary Robinson (1996 – Guest of Honour Ireland). Gerhard Schröder participated in 2004, when the Arabic world was Guest of Honour, and, in 2008, Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier made an appearance along with the Turkish President Abdullah Gül. High-ranking literary speakers in previous years have included Salman Rushdie (surprise guest, 1996), Mario Vargas Llosa (1976 – Guest of Honour Latin America), Nagib Machfus (2004 – Guest of Honour Arab world) and Orhan Pamuk (2008 – Guest of Honour Turkey).
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the biggest book fair in the world - with more than 7,000 exhibitors from over 100 countries. It also organises the participation of German publishers at more than 25 international book fairs and is associated with the Cape Town Book Fair in South Africa and the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair. It maintains the most visited website worldwide for the publishing industry at Fehler! Hyperlink-Referenz ungültig.. The Frankfurt Book Fair is a subsidiary of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association.
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