World Esperanto Congress

File:100-a UK-a solena fermo.JPG

Mark Fettes, president of the World Esperanto Association, during the 100th World Esperanto Congress in Lille (France), 2015

The World Esperanto Congress (Template:Langx, UK) is an annual Esperanto convention. It has the longest tradition among international Esperanto conventions, with an almost unbroken run for 119 years. The congresses have been held since August 5, 1905, every year, except during World War I, World War II, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the 1920s, the Universal Esperanto Association has been organizing these congresses.

These congresses take place every year and, over the 30 years from 1985 through 2014, have gathered an average of about 2,000 participants (since World War II it has varied from 800 to 6,000, depending on the venue). The average number of countries represented is about 60. Some specialized organizations also gather a few hundred participants in their annual meetings. The World Congress usually takes place in the last week of July or first week of August, beginning and ending on a Saturday (8 days in total). For many years ILERA has operated an amateur radio station during the conventions.

Until 1980, meetings were held in Europe and the United States, with the exception of Japan in 1965. Since then, other countries have been Brazil, Canada, China, Cuba, South Korea, Australia, Israel, Vietnam and Argentina. In 2024, the congress was held in Africa for the first time, in Arusha, Tanzania.

File:Attendance At Each Universala Kongreso 1905-2015.png

The attendance at each World Esperanto Congress from the 1st in 1905 until the 100th in 2015

File:UK 1908 Dresdeno Weisser Hirsch.jpg

World Esperanto Congress 1908

History

File:World Esperanto Conference host countries.png

Countries that have hosted the World Esperanto Congress, 1905–2018

Number	Year	City	Country	Number of participants
110	2025	Brno	{{#invoke:flag	Czech Republic}}
109	2024	Arusha	Template:TAN	854<ref name="auto1"/>
108	2023	Turin	{{#invoke:flag	Italy}}	1318<ref name="auto1">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
107	2022	Montreal	Template:CAN	859<ref name="auto1"/>
106	2021	Internet<ref name="auto">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || align=right | The Congress was originally planned to happen in Belfast but it was transferred online due to the COVID-19 pandemic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || align=right |1853<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
105	2020	Internet<ref name="auto"/>	The Congress was originally planned to happen in Montreal but it was transferred online due to the COVID-19 pandemic<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || align=right |2006<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
104	2019	Lahti	{{#invoke:flag	Finland}}	917<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
103	2018	Lisbon	{{#invoke:flag	Portugal}}	1567<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
102	2017	Seoul	Template:KOR	1173<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
101	2016	Nitra	{{#invoke:flag	Slovakia}}	1252<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
100	2015	Lille	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	2698<ref>Universala Esperanto-Asocio: "Fina statistiko de Lillo: 2698 aliĝintoj el 80 landoj".</ref>
99	2014	Buenos Aires	Template:ARG	706<ref>Universala Esperanto-Asocio: "Rezolucio de la 99-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto".</ref>
98	2013	Reykjavík	{{#invoke:flag	Iceland}}	1034<ref>Universala Esperanto-Asocio: "La 98-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto Template:Webarchive".</ref>
97	2012	Hanoi	Template:VNM	866<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
96	2011	Copenhagen	{{#invoke:flag	Denmark}}	1458<ref>Vikinga Voĉo, n-ro 6 (La kongresa Kuriero de la 96-a Universala Kongreso de Esperanto.</ref>
95	2010	Havana	Template:CUB	1002<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>
94	2009	Białystok	{{#invoke:flag	Poland}}	1860
93	2008	Rotterdam	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	1845
92	2007	Yokohama	Template:JPN	1901
91	2006	Florence	{{#invoke:flag	Italy}}	2209
90	2005	Vilnius	{{#invoke:flag	Lithuania}}	2235
89	2004	Beijing	Template:CHN	2031
88	2003	Gothenburg	{{#invoke:flag	Sweden}}	1791
87	2002	Fortaleza	Template:BRA	1484
86	2001	Zagreb	{{#invoke:flag	Croatia}}	1691
85	2000	Tel Aviv	Template:ISR	1212
84	1999	Berlin	{{#invoke:flag	Germany}}	2712
83	1998	Montpellier	{{#invoke:flag	France}}	3133
82	1997	Adelaide	Template:AUS	1224
81	1996	Prague	{{#invoke:flag	Czech Republic}}	2972
80	1995	Tampere	{{#invoke:flag	Finland}}	2443
79	1994	Seoul	Template:Flag	1776
78	1993	Valencia	{{#invoke:flag	Spain}}	1863
77	1992	Vienna	{{#invoke:flag	Austria}}	3033
76	1991	Bergen	{{#invoke:flag	Norway}}	2400
75	1990	Havana	Template:CUB	1617
74	1989	Brighton	Template:GBR	2280
73	1988	Rotterdam	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	2321
72	1987	Warsaw	{{#invoke:flag	Poland}}	5946
71	1986	Beijing	Template:CHN	2482
70	1985	Augsburg	Template:FRG	2311
69	1984	Vancouver	Template:CAN	802
68	1983	Budapest	{{#invoke:flag	}}	4834
67	1982	Antwerp	{{#invoke:flag	Belgium}}	1899
66	1981	Brasília	Template:Flag	1749
65	1980	Stockholm	{{#invoke:flag	Sweden}}	1807
64	1979	Lucerne	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	1630
63	1978	Varna	Template:Flag	4414
62	1977	Reykjavík	{{#invoke:flag	Iceland}}	1199
61	1976	Athens	Template:Flag	1266
60	1975	Copenhagen	{{#invoke:flag	Denmark}}	1227
59	1974	Hamburg	Template:FRG	1651
58	1973	Belgrade	Template:YUG	1638
57	1972	Portland	Template:USA	923
56	1971	London	Template:GBR	2071
55	1970	Vienna	{{#invoke:flag	Austria}}	1987
54	1969	Helsinki	{{#invoke:flag	Finland}}	1857
53	1968	Madrid	Template:Flag	1769
52	1967	Rotterdam	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	1265
51	1966	Budapest	{{#invoke:flag	}}	3975
50	1965	Tokyo	Template:Flag	1710
49	1964	The Hague	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	2512
48	1963	Sofia	Template:Flag	3472
47	1962	Copenhagen	{{#invoke:flag	Denmark}}	1550
46	1961	Harrogate	Template:GBR	1646
45	1960	Brussels	{{#invoke:flag	Belgium}}	1930
44	1959	Warsaw	Template:Flag	3256
43	1958	Mainz	Template:FRG	2021
42	1957	Marseille	Template:Flag	1468
41	1956	Copenhagen	{{#invoke:flag	Denmark}}	2200
40	1955	Bologna	{{#invoke:flag	Italy}}	1687
39	1954	Haarlem	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	2353
38	1953	Zagreb	Template:YUG	1760
37	1952	Oslo	{{#invoke:flag	Norway}}	1614
36	1951	Munich	Template:FRG	2040
35	1950	Paris	Template:Flag	2325
34	1949	Bournemouth	Template:GBR	1534
33	1948	Malmö	{{#invoke:flag	Sweden}}	1761
32	1947	Bern	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	1370
World War II {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
31	1939	Bern	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	765
30	1938	London	Template:GBR	1602
29	1937	Warsaw	Template:Flag	1120
28	1936	Vienna	{{#invoke:flag	Austria}}	854
27	1935	Rome	Template:Flag	1442
26	1934	Stockholm	{{#invoke:flag	Sweden}}	2042
25	1933	Cologne	Template:Flag	950
24	1932	Paris	Template:Flag	1650
23	1931	Kraków	Template:Flag	900
22	1930	Oxford	Template:GBR	1211
21	1929	Budapest	Template:Flag	1200
20	1928	Antwerp	{{#invoke:flag	Belgium}}	1494
19	1927	Danzig	Template:Flag	905
18	1926	Edinburgh	Template:GBR	960
17	1925	Geneva	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	953
16	1924	Vienna	{{#invoke:flag	Austria}}	3400
15	1923	Nuremberg	Template:Flag	4963
14	1922	Helsinki	{{#invoke:flag	Finland}}	850
13	1921	Prague	Template:CSK	2561
12	1920	The Hague	{{#invoke:flag	Netherlands}}	408
World War I {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}
11	1915	San Francisco	Template:Flag	163
10	1914	Paris	Template:Flag	cancelled due to World War I
9	1913	Bern	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	1203
8	1912	Kraków	Template:Flag	1000
7	1911	Antwerp	{{#invoke:flag	Belgium}}	1800
6	1910	Washington, D.C.	Template:Flag	357
5	1909	Barcelona	Template:Flag	1287
4	1908	Dresden	Template:Flag	1500
3	1907	Cambridge	Template:GBR	1317
2	1906	Geneva	{{#invoke:flag	Switzerland}}	1200
1	1905	Boulogne-sur-Mer	Template:Flag	688

Statistics

Countries

Countries by number of times as host:

Times hosted	Country	Years hosted
8	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1908, 1923, 1933, 1951, 1958, 1974, 1985, 1999
	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1907, 1926, 1930, 1938, 1949, 1961, 1971, 1989
6	Template:Flag	1905, 1932, 1950, 1957, 1998, 2015
	Template:Flag	1906, 1913, 1925, 1939, 1947, 1979
	Template:Flag	1920, 1954, 1964, 1967, 1988, 2008
5	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1931, 1937, 1959, 1987, 2009
4	Template:Flag	1911, 1928, 1960, 1982
	Template:Flag	1922, 1969, 1995, 2019
	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1924, 1936, 1970, 1992
	Template:Flag	1934, 1948, 1980, 2003
	Template:Flag	1956, 1962, 1975, 2011
	Template:Flag	1935, 1955, 2006, 2023
3	Template:Flag	1909, 1968, 1993
	Template:Flag	1910, 1915, 1972
	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1929, 1966, 1983
2	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	1921, 1996
	Template:Flag	1952, 1991
	Template:Flag	1953, 1973
	Template:Flag	1963, 1978
	Template:Flag	1965, 2007
	Template:Flag	1977, 2013
	Template:Flag	1986, 2004
	Template:Flag	1984, 2022
	Template:Flag	1981, 2002
	Template:Flag	1990, 2010
	Template:Flag	1994, 2017
1	Template:Flag	1912
	Template:Flag	1927
	Template:Flag	1976
	Template:Flag	1997
	Template:Flag	2000
	Template:FlagTemplate:Efn	2001
	Template:Flag	2005
	Template:Flag	2012
	Template:Flag	2014
	Template:Flag	2016
	Template:Flag	2018
	Template:Flag	2024

Continents

Of the 102 congresses that have happened so far,Template:Efn 84 were hosted in Europe, 8 in Asia, 6 in North America, 3 in South America, 1 in Australia/Oceania and 1 in Africa.

Cities

Cities by number of times as host:

Times hosted	City	Years hosted
4	Template:Flagicon Vienna	1924, 1936, 1970, 1992
	Template:Flagicon Copenhagen	1956, 1962, 1975, 2011
3	Template:Flagicon Antwerp	1911, 1928, 1985
	Template:Flagicon Bern	1913, 1939, 1947
	Template:Flagicon Paris	1914, 1932, 1950
	Template:Flagicon Budapest	1929, 1966, 1983
	Template:Flagicon Warsaw	1937, 1959, 1987
	Template:Flagicon Rotterdam	1967, 1988, 2008
2	Template:Flagicon Geneva	1906, 1925
	Template:Flagicon Kraków	1912, 1931
	Template:Flagicon The Hague	1920, 1964
	Template:Flagicon Prague	1921, 1996
	Template:Flagicon Stockholm	1934, 1980
	Template:Flagicon London	1938, 1971
	Template:Flagicon Zagreb	1953, 2001
	Template:Flagicon Helsinki	1969, 1922
	Template:Flagicon Reykjavík	1977, 2013
	Template:Flagicon Beijing	1986, 2004
	Template:Flagicon Havana	1990, 2010
	Template:Flagicon Seoul	1994, 2017

The remaining cities hosted the event only once.

See also

• Language festival (Esperanto)

External links

• Template:Commons category-inline
• Template:Official website
• Photos of the World Congresses in the Bildarchiv Austria