60th anniversary of Brussels' World Expo is a chance to reflect on what it symbolised

The Brussels World’s Fair of 1958 was the first major universal event after World War Two. It represented all the hope and belief in the future that pervaded the 1950s and 1960s, and was a period of respite at a stormy time in Belgian history.

One of the reasons Expo 58 is still considered a turning point was its unwavering belief in the sciences. After the brutality of WWII, this event was to show the world that we could do better, that science would be the solution, with Belgium positioning itself at the centre of these new ideas. And one building communicated this belief like no other: the Atomium. Conceived by civil engineer André Waterkeyn, it represented an iron crystal enlarged to a scale of 165 billion. The structure stood as a symbol of progress, and in the same year, Belgium opened its first nuclear power plant.

In his speech at the fair’s opening ceremony, King Baudouin called the Atomium a symbol of ‘tomorrow’s science’ and said humanity was now ready to enter a new age in history. He warned of the dangers of the Cold War and said that new inventions could help establish world peace.

Belgian neutrality had been violated in both world wars, and after 1945 the country made a shift towards international cooperation. It was a founding member of the Benelux, the United Nations, the Council of Europe, the European Steel and Coal Community and Nato, the first four of which were represented at Expo 58. Belgian politician Paul-Henri Spaak, one of the founding fathers of the EU, would chair all those institutions. Spaak had established a written report about European economic cooperation – which would be the cornerstone of the Treaties of Rome – signed just a year before the Expo took place. So Expo 58 communicated a strong message of cooperation and the role Belgium played in it, with visitors encouraged to feel the international spirit as world citizens. In total, 42 million people visited.

Brave new world

With its nine spheres, the Atomium also symbolised the Belgian nation state with its (then) nine provinces and represented the nation’s strength and unity. In 1958, it was shiny and new, spectacular and unique. But after the Expo, visitor numbers dropped dramatically, and the building was neglected and almost destroyed. In a sense, it suffered the same fate as the nation state it represented.

While two major political crises had arisen in Belgium before 1958, the period after World Expo was similarly characterised by upheaval. In 1960-1961 a series of general strikes took place, mostly in socialist Wallonia, where four people died, offering further painful proof of the widespread differences between the north and the south. The Belgian Congo, which had been proudly presented at Expo 58 as an example of modern colonisation and the advancement of civilisation, became independent in 1960. The fair and other major international developments had been a catalyst for the independence movement. In 1961, the Flemish organised Marches on Brussels to demand equal rights, resulting in the language barrier being legally established in 1963.

So Expo 58 was notable not just in its futuristic beliefs and its symbolism of post-war modernity. It was also remarkable as a brief period of relative peace and unity in turbulent times in Belgium.

Mirella Marini, Belgian Academy of Culture and History