Stadion der Weltjugend
Encyclopedia
Stadion der Weltjugend was a multi-use stadium
in the Mitte
district of Berlin
, Germany
. It was opened on May 20, 1950 under the name of Walter-Ulbricht
-Stadion for the first Deutschlandtreffen (German Festival) of the Free German Youth
.
With a maximum capacity of 70,000 spectators, several further football pitches, tennis courts and athletic fields it then was the largest stadium in East Berlin. In 1951 it was a site of the 3rd World Festival of Youth and Students
. In 1973 it was rebuilt with regard to the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students
installing a stadium seating which reduced the capacity to 50,000. The rebuilt stadium was then also renamed to 'Stadion der Weltjugend' ('Stadium of the World Youth').
Until 1961 the Walter Ulbricht-Stadion was the ground of the SC Dynamo Berlin
football club. In 1951 and from 1975 to 1989 it was also the site of the FDGB-Pokal (East German cup) final. The East Germany national football team
played here 14 times.
In 1992 the stadium was demolished to build a new arena for the 2000 Summer Olympics
. As Berlin failed in the bidding process the area remained abandoned. In 2006 construction of the new headquarters of the Bundesnachrichtendienst
intelligence agency began.
Stadium
A modern stadium is a place or venue for outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.)Pausanias noted that for about half a century the only event...
in the Mitte
Mitte
Mitte is the first and most central borough of Berlin. It was created in Berlin's 2001 administrative reform by the merger of the former districts of Mitte proper, Tiergarten and Wedding; the resulting borough retained the name Mitte. It is one of the two boroughs which comprises former West and...
district of Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. It was opened on May 20, 1950 under the name of Walter-Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht
Walter Ulbricht was a German communist politician. As First Secretary of the Socialist Unity Party from 1950 to 1971 , he played a leading role in the creation of the Weimar-era Communist Party of Germany and later in the early development and...
-Stadion for the first Deutschlandtreffen (German Festival) of the Free German Youth
Free German Youth
The Free German Youth, also known as the FDJ , was the official socialist youth movement of the German Democratic Republic and the Socialist Unity Party of Germany....
.
With a maximum capacity of 70,000 spectators, several further football pitches, tennis courts and athletic fields it then was the largest stadium in East Berlin. In 1951 it was a site of the 3rd World Festival of Youth and Students
3rd World Festival of Youth and Students
The Third World Festival of Youth and Students was held in 1951, in East Berlin, East Germany.The third WFYS was held in a period of growing international tension between the Soviet Union and the western powers; it took place against the background of the Korean War and the spread of communism in...
. In 1973 it was rebuilt with regard to the 10th World Festival of Youth and Students
World Festival of Youth and Students
The World Festival of Youth and Students is an international event, organized by the World Federation of Democratic Youth , a left-wing youth organization, jointly with the International Union of Students since 1947....
installing a stadium seating which reduced the capacity to 50,000. The rebuilt stadium was then also renamed to 'Stadion der Weltjugend' ('Stadium of the World Youth').
Until 1961 the Walter Ulbricht-Stadion was the ground of the SC Dynamo Berlin
SC Dynamo Berlin
The Sports Club Dynamo Berlin was an East German sports club that existed from 1954 to 1991. It was a training center for the Sports Club Dynamo .-Sporting spectrum:...
football club. In 1951 and from 1975 to 1989 it was also the site of the FDGB-Pokal (East German cup) final. The East Germany national football team
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
played here 14 times.
In 1992 the stadium was demolished to build a new arena for the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics bids
Five cities made presentations to the IOC Session in Monte Carlo to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. These were awarded to Sydney, Australia on September 23, 1993...
. As Berlin failed in the bidding process the area remained abandoned. In 2006 construction of the new headquarters of the Bundesnachrichtendienst
Bundesnachrichtendienst
The Bundesnachrichtendienst [ˌbʊndəsˈnaːχʁɪçtnˌdiːnst] is the foreign intelligence agency of Germany, directly subordinated to the Chancellor's Office. Its headquarters are in Pullach near Munich, and Berlin . The BND has 300 locations in Germany and foreign countries...
intelligence agency began.
See also
- Friedrich Ludwig Jahn SportparkFriedrich Ludwig Jahn SportparkThe Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is a sports site in the Prenzlauer Berg district of Berlin. In the south it borders on the Eberswalder Straße, in the north on the Max Schmeling Halle, in the west on the Mauerpark, where part of the Berlin Wall once stood. It includes a football and athletics...