Stadion Kazimierza Sosnkowskiego – stadium description

Construction started at Konwiktorska St. in 1925, but due to very limited budget lasted three long years. Even athletes were volunteering to help erect modest stands that were first opened in 1928. Most of the 10,000 people were allocated on terraced embankments around the running track with only a wooden grandstand on the west.

First game was played against Polonia Warszawa and Hasmonea Lviv in mid-August, but official inauguration took place on Sept 30, with Wisła Kraków defeating Polonia 7:2.

In 1930s works on expansion of the stands began, but not much has been done before WWII broke out. The stadium had its part during the Warsaw Uprising as two Polish battalions launched an offensive from the pitch before dawn on August 22 1944, trying to break through to northern districts. 12 insurgents were killed and the stadium vastly damaged. Painful history of WWII Warsaw has been illustrated on murals drawn by supporters along Konwiktorska St. stadium walls.

Rebuilding works took place in 1950s, when the still existing main administrative building was opened, with impressive colonnade. This was the last such big work in twentieth century, with further changes coming in early years of the current millennium. East stand, nicknamed Kamienna (or Rock Stand) was rebuilt and covered in 2004, receiving exactly 1,911 seats as reference to club establishment date. Then came time for new seats, steel structure of the roof and club offices renovation on the west side.

None of those works carried out by the city of Warsaw came close to Polonia’s expectations, though. The club made several attempts to build a new stadium in the same location, offering Warsaw partnership or even covering the whole cost with private funding, but all proposals were blocked.