Farmsen harness racing track
The Trabrennbahn Farmsen was a sports facility in the Hamburg district of Farmsen-Berne , where horse racing events were held until 1976. It was once one of the most important harness racing tracks in Germany.
The 24 hectare area was converted into a residential complex in the 1990s.
History of the racetrack
Beginnings
The origins of the trotting track go back to Johann Giese from Wandsbek , who leased the area together with other influential Hamburg residents in 1910 and founded the Trabrennbahn-Gesellschaft Hamburg-Farmsen mbH. Previously, three attempts to establish a trotting track in the northeast of the Hanseatic city had failed. The rugged terrain made extensive earthworks necessary before the racetrack could then be opened on August 6, 1911. Initially there were more than 20 racing days per year.
First World War
The outbreak of the First World War almost led to the end of the sports facility. A lack of oats and a lack of transportation endangered continued operations, but in the end it was possible to survive the war.
Rise in the 1920s
After the end of the First World War, the sports facility developed into one of the most important harness racing tracks in Germany. Well-known drivers such as Charlie Mills , his brother Johnny , Albert Stegmann , Walter Heitmann and many other trailblazers of harness racing started in Farmsen.
In 1923, with the construction of the Trabrennbahn underground station , the sports facility received its own connection to the Hanseatic city's underground network. During this time, a restaurant was also built, from which the races could be watched, as well as a heated betting hall, after the cold weather conditions had previously led to a temporary decline in the number of spectators. At the end of the 1920s, the trotting track was one of the most modern and leading in Germany.
A big fire on July 8, 1929 in the stables at today's Friedrich-Ebert-Damm, in which many breeding and race horses were killed, meant a temporary setback, but things started to improve again from 1930. Charlie Mills set a track record with his horse Probst that lasted until 1972.
From 1936 the racetrack was equipped with a floodlight system so that races could also be held in the evening.
Second World War
The outbreak of the Second World War did not initially affect racing. From July 1943, the racetrack served as a collection point for those parts of the Hamburg population who became homeless in the heavy air raids on Hamburg . In 1944 the racetrack was destroyed by bombs.
New beginning after the war and economic decline
The first race after the end of the war took place in December 1945. From 1953, a new type of track surface ensured that the track became the fastest track in Europe and even served as a venue for qualifying races for world championships. At this point, however, there was already a decline in interest in horse racing. Falling audience numbers and direct competition with the second Hamburg trotting track Bahrenfeld in the north-west of the city accelerated the decline, so that the operating company had to file for bankruptcy in 1966 . The site was eventually sold to the family of the industrialist Max Herz. Eight years later it was reopened with new stands. Nevertheless, the racetrack was no longer able to match the previous number of visitors, so that the economic end became apparent again. The Hamburg Senate decided that a trotting track was sufficient for the Hanseatic city and gave preference to the Bahrenfeld trotting track . The operating company in Farmsen was not granted any further permits, so that the last race finally took place on February 25, 1976, after which racing operations were discontinued. Since the property was privately owned and there was no concept for a new use of the site, the buildings and stands were increasingly exposed to structural decay.
Redesign to a residential complex
At the end of the 1980s the idea arose to use the area for residential construction, whereupon a national competition was announced. The winning design provided for the development to be built directly in the oval of the racetrack. Facades and sloping roofs should also give a grandstand-like impression. In September 1995 construction work finally began on the first construction phase, and 15 months later the first apartments were ready for occupancy. A total of 1,170 apartments had been completed by the year 2000. The development concept was later even awarded international urban planning prizes. In the immediate vicinity of the residential complexes there is a day-care center, a primary school and shops.
present
In addition to the distinctive architectural style of the residential complexes, only the name of the Trabrennbahn underground station , which is served by the U1 line of the Hamburger Hochbahn , reminds of the former sports facility. There are also the names of Charlie Mills, Walter Heitmann and Johannes ("Hänschen") Frömming , after whom streets in the immediate vicinity of the residential complexes were named.
Web links
Coordinates: 53 ° 35 ′ 41 ″ N , 10 ° 6 ′ 11 ″ E