Expositionen

Expositionen is the plural form of Exposition, a term used in German with several related meanings. In literary and rhetorical contexts, Exposition denotes the part of a text that provides background information, such as setting, character motivations, or historical context, enabling readers to understand the plot or argument. This exposition can appear at the outset of a work or be distributed throughout the narrative.

In museum, trade-show, and public-display contexts, Exposition also means an exhibition: a public showing of objects, ideas, or information. In everyday German, exhibitions are usually called Ausstellungen, but Expositionen appears in more formal, historical, or international usage, especially in reference to specific named events or to the French term Exposition universelle.

Historically, the phrase Exposition universelle (world's fair) was used in German texts to refer to major international expositions in the 19th and early 20th centuries, such as the Paris Exposition Universelle of 1889, which featured the Eiffel Tower. In German-language scholarship, these events are more commonly described as Weltausstellungen, while Expositionen remains a valid, though somewhat specialized, term.

See also: Exposition (expository writing), Ausstellungen, Weltausstellungen, Exposition universelle.