Eintracht-Stadion
Eintracht-Stadion (German pronunciation: [ˈaɪ̯ntʁaxtˌʃtaːdi̯ɔn]) is a multi-purpose stadium in Braunschweig, Germany. It is currently used for football and American football matches and is the home stadium of Eintracht Braunschweig and the New Yorker Lions. The stadium is able to hold 24,406 people and was built in 1923.
 | |
 | |
| |
| Full name | Eintracht-Stadion |
|---|---|
| Former names | Städtisches Stadion an der Hamburger Straße (1982–2008) |
| Location | Braunschweig, Germany |
| Coordinates | 52°17′24″N 10°31′18″E |
| Owner | Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH |
| Capacity | 24,406[1] 23,325 (football matches)[2] |
| Surface | Grass |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1922 to 1923 |
| Opened | 17 June 1923 |
| Renovated | 1963–1964, 1995, 2009–2010,[3] 2011–2013[4] |
| Construction cost | 15 Million EUR (2009) |
| Tenants | |
| Eintracht Braunschweig (1923–present) New Yorker Lions | |
History
Up to the early 1920s, Eintracht Braunschweig played its home games at Sportplatz an der Helmstedter Straße, which held 3,000 people.[2] The need for a bigger stadium lead to the construction of the Eintracht-Stadion, located at the Hamburger Straße in the northern part of the city, one of Braunschweig's main arterial roads, in 1923. The new stadium was opened on 17 June 1923 with a friendly against 1. FC Nürnberg.[2] In 1955, the Eintracht-Stadion hosted the final of the DFB-Pokal, the German Football Association Cup, between Karlsruher SC and FC Schalke 04. Karlsruhe won the match 3–2.
Originally, the stadium held up to 24,000 people, but with the introduction of Germany's new nationwide Bundesliga in 1963, the capacity was increased to accommodate 38,000 spectators.[2]
In 1981, financial difficulties forced the club to sell the stadium to the city of Braunschweig. Subsequently, the stadium's official name was changed into Städtisches Stadion an der Hamburger Straße ("Municipal Stadium Hamburger Straße"). The stadium was renovated again in 1995, reducing the capacity to 25,000.
In 2008, a group of local companies bought the naming rights to the stadium from the city and changed the name back into the original Eintracht-Stadion.[5]
From 2009 until 2010 the northern stand was roofed and expanded. From 2011 until 2013, the stadium was under reconstruction again, this time the main stand was modernized. The stadium's official capacity was reduced from 25,540 to 24,406.[1]
Athletics
The Eintracht-Stadion, which is one of the few remaining stadia with a running track in German professional football, is also used as a venue for athletics.
The stadium hosted the German Athletics Championships in 2000, 2004, and 2010. In 2012, the European Athletic Association awarded Braunschweig the 2014 European Team Championships.[6]
Concert venue
Since 1998, Eintracht-Stadion has also been used as an outdoor concert venue. The first open-air concert at the ground was performed by Eros Ramazzotti on 3 June 1998.[7]
Gallery
South stand
Eintracht-Stadion from the outside in 2006.
Eintracht-Stadion, before the construction of the new north stand in 2010.
Main stand before the 2012–13 reconstruction.
Eintracht Braunschweig supporters on the south stand in 2007.
References
- Schiebold, Christian (24 August 2013), "Beim Fußball passen 23 325 Fans ins Stadion", Braunschweiger Zeitung, p. 27
- Stadion: Geschichte (in German), accessed: 18 January 2013
- Beim Ausbau des Eintracht-Stadions wird geklotzt und nicht gekleckert Archived 5 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Braunschweiger Zeitung (in German), accessed: 24 August 2013
- Umbau in Braunschweig gestartet (in German), stadionwelt.de, accessed: 24 August 2013
- Stadion an Hamburger Straße darf wieder Eintracht-Stadion heißen (in German), accessed: 18 January 2013
- European Athletics Team Championships: Braunschweig to host 2014, Cheboksary 2015 Archived 6 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine, accessed: 30 March 2013
- Historie Archived 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine (in German), accessed: 30 March 2013
