Hertha Berlin has been searching for the perfect location to build their new stadium for some time now. In this context, increasing attention is being drawn to the Reiterstadion belonging to the equestrian club. This proposal is facing significant criticism.

Will horses make way for footballers?

According to rbb information, the expert commission for the potential construction of a new stadium by Hertha BSC is leaning towards a location on Jesse-Owens-Allee. This decision comes after the commission's first meeting in over a year. Apparently, this area will require less complex and costly work compared to the previously preferred location north of Maifeld, known as Lindeneck. The review group will now further examine the proposal. The timing of the decision remains unknown.

The equestrian club in Olympic Park, which has been using the equestrian stadium, would be affected by the construction of the stadium at Jesse-Owens-Allee. The association was informed about these plans by the Senate administration only a few days ago, according to a protest letter sent by the board to the sports senator, Iris Spranger (SPD). The commission's proposal for building the new stadium is justified by the fact that the equestrian club has another facility outside of the Olympic Park. However, as indicated in a letter sent to the sports senator Iris Spranger (SPD) on Monday evening, this would not be enough to accommodate all the horses.

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Equestrian club excluded from discussions

Both equestrian facilities of our club are almost fully occupied. If we had to give up the riding facility, approximately 30 horses would need new accommodation, reads the letter. However, according to the association in Berlin, this is not feasible, also due to high veterinary requirements and demands for horse breeding.

The equestrian club also maintains that they were never involved in discussions about the stadium construction. Its representatives never even received invitations to meetings of the expert commission. The club's board writes in its letter that urgent clarification of this situation through discussions is now necessary.

The association recently submitted an application for permission to renovate two large riding arenas in the Olympic Park. Preliminary discussions have already taken place with a photovoltaic systems manufacturer who intended to use a large roof area for this investment.

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Political support

As previously reported by rbb, the Senate intends to take over planning rights for the Olympic Park. In the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district, this was seen as a step towards building Hertha's new stadium. The Olympic Park development plan for 2030 includes a place for the equestrian club. However, it envisions consolidating various equestrian clubs into one location. This is planned to take place at the show jumping stadium - where the Senate is currently planning the construction of a football stadium for Hertha BSC.

Hertha BSC has long desired its own stadium. The planned facility will accommodate 45,000 seats. Time will tell whether the club will be able to independently finance such a large investment. Currently, the team plays their home matches at the vast Olympiastadion.

We support the potential new privately funded football stadium for Hertha BSC, which can accommodate approximately 45,000 spectators, in a suitable location within Olympic Park, stated a coalition of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) in early March.

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