Our History

Everything began with the Dogana in the Middle Ages. It was at first the largest theater auditorium in Europe, then a riding school and the model for the construction of the Spanish Riding School in Vienna. But its function as the centerpiece of Congress Innsbruck was established more than 100 years before the congress building was opened when, in 1869 in the Dogana, the first meeting in Tyrol, the General Meeting of the Catholic Associations of Austria, was held. In the course of the Second World War, the Dogana was destroyed down to its surrounding walls by heavy bombing. In 1966, it was decided to rebuild the Dogana and construct a congress and event centre.

It was opened in 1973 as the first of its kind in Tyrol. The historic foundation walls of the Dogana were integrated into the new building. The building was extended by 45% with the reconstruction in 1995. In the 21st century Congress Innsbruck has acquired a new main entrance and various rooms & foyer areas have also received a makeover. The "Orangerie" in the inner courtyard was added around the year 2000. Ongoing investment, with due account taken of its historic significance, contributes to the building’s continuous modernization. In 2023, the Congress Innsbruck celebrated its 50th anniversary.

Hall B, a listed building on the Innsbruck trade fair site, was dismantled in 1892 in Prague and re-erected in Innsbruck. Both this hall and the north outdoor area were ice skating rinks in the early years. The Tyrolean State Exhibition was held there in 1893 from 15 June to 4 October. Topics included horses, cattle and small livestock, fruit growing and horticulture, South Tyrolean wine exhibition, dairy, fish and beekeeping, hunting and forestry, tourism, mining, construction and engineering, commercial hygiene as well as treasures of Old Tyrolean art and the art industry.

There were daily concerts by the exhibition orchestra, a circus, an oriental labyrinth, an international cycling competition and the presentation of customs and customs. The “Innsbrucker Messe Gesellschaft” was founded in 1923 and the trade fair industry enjoyed a constant upward trend in the post-war years. In January 2012, after major new construction and renovation, the Innsbruck trade fair opened its doors as one of the most modern exhibition centers in the Alpine region. In 2023, the Innsbruck Trade Fair celebrated its 100th anniversary.