Deutschlandhalle

Deutschlandhalle
Location	Messedamm 26 14055 Berlin
Coordinates	52°30′01″N 13°16′11″E / 52.50028°N 13.26972°E / 52.50028; 13.26972Coordinates: 52°30′01″N 13°16′11″E / 52.50028°N 13.26972°E / 52.50028; 13.26972
Opened	29 November 1935
Owner	State of Berlin
Operator	Messe Berlin GmbH
Architect	Franz Ohrtmann Fritz Wiemer
Capacity	Ice hockey: 8,630 Concerts: 10,000
Tenants
BSC Preussen (2001–2004) ECC Preussen Juniors Berlin (2006–2009)

Deutschlandhalle is an arena in the Westend neighbourhood of Berlin, Germany. It was inaugurated on 29 November 1935 by Adolf Hitler. The building has been granted landmark status in 1995.

Built primarily for the 1936 Summer Olympics, the Deutschlandhalle holds 8,764 people. The Olympic boxing, weightlifting and wrestling competitions took place here.^[1] On 19 February 1938 test pilot Hanna Reitsch demonstrated the first indoor flight in the arena with a Focke-Wulf Fw 61 helicopter.

Deutschlandhalle in 1939, in the foreground terrace of the AVUS race track

Heavily damaged by air raids in 1943, the Deutschlandhalle was rebuilt after World War II and since 1957 has served as a multi purpose arena and sports venue, in the last years primarily for ice hockey, but also for indoor soccer and again for boxing.

The arena hosted the 1980 basketball euroleague final between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Real Madrid (Madrid won 89-85),^[2][3] the 1995 basketball Korać Cup final in which local ALBA Berlin won the trophy^[4] and the 1995 World Amateur Boxing Championships.

The building has also been used for musical events: Ella Fitzgerald performed here in 1960; the concert was recorded as Ella in Berlin. On 4 September 1970, it was the site of Jimi Hendrix's second-to-last performance.

The 1981 film Christiane F. shows a performance by David Bowie in the Deutschlandhalle.

After the 1990 German reunification, the Deutschlandhalle lost its position as Berlin's primary arena, replaced by the newly erected Velodrom, Max-Schmeling-Halle and O2 World. After the building had to be closed for repairs several times in recent years, most recently in 2009, the Berlin Senate in May 2008 finally decided to demolish it and build a new ice arena on the site.^[5] However, the demolition is not expected to occur before 2011.^[6]

Notes

1. ^ 1936 Summer Olympics official report. Volume 2. pp. 705, 737.
2. ^ Real Madrid - Maccabi, final de la Copa de Europa de 1980 (Spanish)
3. ^ 8 EUROLIGAS BALONCESTO (6 SUBCAMPEÓN) (EUROPEAN BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS CUP)
4. ^ Club History
5. ^ Brigitte Schmiemann, "Mit der Deutschlandhalle fällt ein Stück Geschichte", Die Welt 27 May 2008 (German)
6. ^ "Deutschlandhalle soll erst 2011 fallen", Berliner Morgenpost 31 July 2008 (German)

External links

• Deutschlandhalle (German)

Preceded by Palais des Sports Grenoble

FIBA European Champions Cup Final Venue 1980

Succeeded by Rhenus Sport Strasbourg