Olympiastadion Berlin – tournament stadium description

What matches will take place at Olympiastadion Berlin during Euro 2024?

How Olympiastadion Berlin compares to other Euro 2024 venues?

What is the history of Olympiastadion Berlin?

The creation of the Olympic Stadium in Berlin is linked to the 1936 Olympic Games, which were to be held in the German capital. Initially, the main venue for the competition was to be Deutsches Stadion, built for the 1916 Olympics (canceled due to the ongoing World War I).

Plans to expand Deutsches Stadion were abandoned in 1933, when the new Reich Chancellor, Adolf Hitler, recommended its demolition and the construction of an entirely new, monumental Olympic Stadium on the same site. A large sports complex, the Reichssportfeld (now Olympiapark), was also planned around the new venue.

Construction work proceeded from 1934 to 1936, and the inauguration of the monumental Olympic Stadium was the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which took place on August 1, 1936. The facility was designed by Werner March, son of architect Otto March, who drew up the plans for its predecessor (Deutsches Stadion). The new stadium could hold up to 100,000 spectators when it opened.

The 1936 Olympic Games themselves were a major event. A record number of participants took part in the competitions, and the games were televised for the first time (although the images were transmitted by cable to just 19 receivers in the city). The tradition of the Olympic torch relay, carrying the flame from Greece's Olympia, was also initiated.

At the same time, the 1936 Olympics went down in history as the "Nazi Games" and are associated with Nazi greetings and growing anti-Semitism in Germany.

At the end of World War II, there was fighting around the stadium. After it ended, the area was littered with bomb craters, scattered ammunition boxes, burned equipment, barricades and human corpses. The tower at Maifeld was severely damaged. The stadium itself, however, suffered no critical damage and could be restored quickly.

After the war, the stadium was occupied by the Red Army and then by British troops. The facility was first opened for athletic competitions for Allied soldiers, which took place on September 7-8, 1946. After the division of Germany into East and West, the stadium found itself within the borders of the western exclave – West Berlin.

The stadium's stands, except for a small section of the lodge, were initially uncovered. It was only before the 1974 World Cup that a new roof was made to cover much of the auditorium (the roof appeared over the central part of the stands along the field, on both sides).

Between 2000 and 2004, the stands were extensively modernized, and a new roof was built over the auditorium, this time covering it almost entirely. In order to avoid erecting external pillars, which would have negatively affected aesthetics, a compromise solution was used, using internal supports, obstructing visibility for some spectators.

What events has Olympiastadion Berlin hosted so far?

In addition to the 1936 Olympics, the Olympiastadion has hosted World Cup soccer matches in 1974 and 2006 (including the 2006 World Cup final), the Champions League final in 2015, the opening match of the women's World Cup in 2011, or the European (2018) and World (2009) athletics championships. In 2023, the venue was the main arena for the 16th Special Olympics World Summer Games.

Since 1963, the stadium has been home to Hertha BSC football team, which joined the newly formed Bundesliga in the same year. Since 1985, the Olympic Stadium has been the permanent venue for the German Cup finals. The stadium also hosts numerous concerts, and John Paul II as well as Benedict XVI have held masses here.

What does Olympiastadion Berlin look like?

The stadium is partially dug into the ground, with the lower tier of stands based on the slopes. The auditorium is almost fully covered by a flat membrane roof topped by a glass section. From the outside, the stands are enclosed by a colonnade, and the walls and pillars are clad in hewn stone, which emphasizes the monumental style of the building.

A distinctive feature of the stadium is a gap in the western curve, where a section of the upper level of the stands and the roof are missing. During the 1936 Olympics, this was the site for the Olympic torch. The stadium has a blue athletics track, which is surrounded by a ditch that makes it difficult for fans to possibly invade the playing field.

The stands are equipped with folding gray chairs, and the nominal capacity of the stadium is just under 75,000 spectators, making it the largest stadium in Germany in terms of seating capacity. The facility has monument status.

What is the name of the stadium in Berlin?

The stadium in Berlin does not have a commercial name and from the beginning has been known simply as Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium). The name, of course, has to do with the 1936 Olympic Games, for which it was built and of which it was the main venue.

Since there are two major "Olympic Stadiums" in Germany (the other is in Munich and was also the main venue for the Olympic Games – in 1972), a second component with the city's name is often added to differentiate. This is also how the official name of the venue for the Euro 2024 is: Olympiastadion Berlin.

What interesting facts are related to Olympiastadion Berlin?

• Deutsches Stadion, which was formerly located on the site of the Olympic Stadium, was a truly multifunctional facility: it had a pitch with an athletics track, which was circled by a cycling track, to which an outdoor swimming pool was still adjacent on one side, and the whole thing was surrounded by stands. As if that wasn't enough, the stadium was located inside a horse racing track
• During World War II, a bunker, known as the "Blaupunkt-Bunker" (after the Blaupunkt company, which used it for armaments production), was built in the basement of the Olympic Stadium. The bunker's reinforced concrete ceiling was one meter thick. The shelter was decommissioned in the early 1950s.
• The Euro 2024 logo includes references to the characteristic shape of the roof at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin

Where is the Olympiastadion Berlin located?

The stadium is located in the western part of Berlin, in the Charlottenburg district. The facility is part of a large Olympic complex (Olympiapark), which includes numerous training fields, a second athletics track, an Olympic swimming pool or the "Maifeld" field with grandstands and a distinctive high tower, dedicated to large gymnastic shows, festivals, parades, concerts or various sports activities. Nearby is the Waldbühne amphitheater as well as subway and S-Bahn train stations.