Weser Stadium

Weser Stadium
	Aerial photo from the north side from August 8, 2012
Sponsor name (s)
	Wohninvest Weserstadion (since 2019);
Data
place	Franz-Böhmert-Strasse 1 28205 Bremen;
Coordinates	53 ° 3 '59.2 " N , 8 ° 50' 15.6" E Coordinates: 53 ° 3 '59.2 " N , 8 ° 50' 15.6" E
owner	Bremen Weser Stadium GmbH
operator	Bremen Weser Stadium GmbH
opening	1947
First game	SV Werder Bremen - VfL Osnabrück
Renovations	1963-1965, 1989, 2005, 2008-2011
surface	Hybrid lawn
costs	€ 76.5 million (renovation 2008-2011)
capacity	42,100 seats
Capacity (internat.)	37,441 seats
playing area	105 × 68 m
Societies)
	Werder Bremen;
Events
	International matches of the German national soccer team; Promise ceremony in Bremen 1980; Final second leg of the 1982 U-21 European Football Championship; European Athletics Cup 2001; German Athletics Championships 1983 , 1995 ; Concerts;

The Weserstadion (also Weser Stadium ; officially since July 2019 through a sponsorship of Wohninvest Weserstadion ) is the soccer stadium of the German Bundesliga club Werder Bremen . It is located in Bremen on the right bank of the Weser in the Pauliner Marsch , a floodplain in front of the Osterdeich in the Ostliche Vorstadt district, Peterswerder district . The fans of the home team mainly gather in the east curve.

After various earlier renovations, the Weser Stadium was last expanded, rebuilt and modernized between 2008 and 2011. Since it was completed at the beginning of the 2011/12 season, it has a capacity of just over 42,000 seats. The stadium is owned by Bremer Weser-Stadion GmbH, half of which is owned by SV Werder Bremen and the city of Bremen.

history

1909-1962

The first forerunner of the Weser Stadium, a sports field with a wooden stand, was built in 1909 by the General Bremen Gymnastics and Sports Club. With its new building in 1926, it received its first large grandstand, changing rooms and restaurant. The stadium was now called the ABTS-Kampfbahn and from then on was used not only for football games but also for political mass events. The stadium was given its current name for the first time in 1930. Since then, SV Werder Bremen has played its games there. The Bremen sports club from 1906 also played its league games here until 1963. Between 1934 and 1945 the stadium was called Bremer Kampfbahn and mainly served the NSDAP . During the Second World War there were three anti-aircraft batteries. From 1945 it was referred to as the IKE Stadium and used for American team sports. Since its reopening in 1947, it has consistently been called the Weserstadion.

1963-2007

In its long history, the Weserstadion has undergone numerous extensions, conversions and renovations. Although new grandstands increased its capacity, other measures, above all the conversion from standing to seating, counteracted this. Therefore, the capacity of the Weser Stadium from the 1970s to 2002 tended to decrease. Only the most important construction measures are mentioned below:

For the first season of the Bundesliga in 1963, the north straight was roofed over and a new floodlight system was installed.

In 1965 the curved stands with an upper tier were completed as a reward for the first German soccer championship by SV Werder Bremen.

In 1978 the north stand was rebuilt and the floodlight masts erected - at that time the strongest lighting on a European football field.

On May 6, 1980, the German Armed Forces had 1200 recruits made their solemn pledge in the Weser Stadium. The event, which was intended as a festive event on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of NATO accession, provoked counter-demonstrations from left and pacifist groups, which escalated into street battles with the police. A total of around 8,000 demonstrators turned up, around 250 police officers were injured, and the damage to property was also considerable.

Weserstadion after the game

In 1992 the Weserstadion became the first stadium in Germany with boxes.

In 1997, the Ostkurve was rebuilt with a five-story shell building including changing rooms, fan shop, office, youth boarding school and Germany's first open-plan box with 700 seats and an attached restaurant. In 1998, underfloor heating was installed in the stadium.

In 2002 the interior of the stadium was lowered by two meters, the 400-meter running track was removed and mobile stands were built over. The capacity of the stadium increased by approx. 8,000 seats to approx. 43,500.

In the opening game of the 2004/05 Bundesliga season , a defective sleeve - an element for connecting power cables - ensured that the power supply to the floodlight masts was restricted. The game Werder Bremen against Schalke 04 could only kick off with a 65-minute delay, Bremen won 1-0.

In 2006 the red seats were replaced by green ones. Since then, the words “Werder Bremen” can be read in white on both straights on the lower tier.

Renovation in 2008

The location of the Weser Stadium in Bremen

Starting position

The Pauliner Marsch, in which the Weser Stadium is located, is a local recreation area and has been designated as a floodplain for flood protection. An important main road is located north of the stadium on the Osterdeich . Next to the stadium are the stadium pool , two tennis clubs and a sailing club . The tennis clubs resisted the construction of a third upper tier, as the higher height of the stadium would shade their training grounds. The lease agreement was terminated for the Rot-Gelb tennis club, whose facility is located directly next to the stadium, and a replacement area was offered. The tense traffic situation was also mentioned, as there were too few parking spaces available. There are dense residential developments along the Osterdeich and in the streets adjacent to the north, the residents of which have also reported concerns. During the game days there are always nuisances in the area. Therefore, a traffic concept was also developed for this area.

Expansion plans

The initial plans were to increase the capacity to 50,000 places. The floodlight masts would have given way to an installation under the new roof with a third upper tier. This should be equipped with a solar system that generates part of the energy required from solar energy . The solar area was originally planned for a size of up to 20,000 m². The costs were estimated at 40 to 50 million euros. The Pro Weserstadion fan initiative was formed in order to achieve a conversion suitable for fishing .

On April 12, 2007, the building deputation approved the expansion of the stadium, which was then approved by the Bremen Senate on April 17, 2007. The renovation work should begin at the end of December 2007 and be completed by August 2008.

In 2008, SV Werder Bremen decided not to stick to the planned expansion due to increased costs. Since May 2009 the Weser Stadium has been converted into a pure football stadium. The west and east curves moved closer to the playing field. Around 42,500 people can be seated in the stadium.

The location of the stadium in a retention area made additional flood protection measures necessary in connection with the interim expansions.

Finishing works

The new facade of the south straight contains photovoltaic cells, in the foreground the stadium pool

The new roof of the south straight (picture) is significantly higher than the old one, as is that of the north straight

The photovoltaic elements, which are located directly under the glass panes, are clearly visible

The expansion with photovoltaic elements on the roof of the north straight took place at the end of 2008. At the beginning of 2009 the last pairs of trusses were installed on the south straight, and the assembly of the new facade on the south straight, which was completed at the end of March 2009, began. The south facade contains photovoltaic cells, which should also be installed in the west and east curve. However, this facade caused complaints because it reflected too much and the lawns in the stadium pool would be burned. The glare effect could also have a disruptive effect on bathers. Shortly before the end of the 2008/09 Bundesliga season, work began on dismantling the roof of the west curve. The roof of the new grandstand was installed by the end of 2009.

The conversion of the east curve began in the summer break 2010. The total area of the photovoltaic cells is 16,000 m².

Name sponsorship

Weser-Stadion GmbH sold the naming rights in 2007 in order to generate money for the renovation, among other things. The North German utility company EWE paid three million euros annually to the stadium company from 2007 to 2018, but decided not to rename the stadium. In 2019, the company decided to sell the naming rights to the Fellbach real estate group Wohninvest for three million euros annually for ten years . The real estate company had the stadium renamed Wohninvest Weserstadion (original spelling :wohninvest WESERSTADION) on June 1, 2019 . The contract runs until June 30, 2029. The name change triggered major protests in the Bremen fan scene. 600 people demonstrated against the name change with a protest march under the motto “Weserstadion untouchable”. Fan groups suggested, among other things, friendlies as a source of income. A protest leaflet said that identification was not "just a nice side effect of the professional football business, but the reason for its economic success".

Since then, there have been repeated protests against the name change at home games.

The Wuseum

Since December 2004, the Werder Bremen Museum , or Wuseum for short, has also been located in the Weser Stadium . This was created in the course of the renovation work on the north stand. In WUSEUM the successes and achieved title issued by Werder. The championship trophy , the DFB Cup and many rare posters, photos and other cups can be seen there. In addition, various exceptional players or other members are honored in special exhibitions.

Transport links

The traffic situation around the Weser Stadium and the limited space on site were seen as a problem, especially in connection with the expansion in 2008. The only access option is via the Osterdeich, which repeatedly leads to massive traffic obstructions, especially when the fan traffic mixes with the usual rush hour traffic. The location in the Pauliner Marsch allows only very limited expansion measures, for example there is also a lack of adequate VIP parking spaces, which is cited as the main reason why Bremen is often overlooked when hosting international matches. The few parking spaces may only be used by authorized persons with a special ID. On match days, the streets around the stadium are largely closed, only residents are allowed to pass with their cars. For fans arriving there is an extensive shuttle bus system available next to the Weserstadion stop of the Bremen tram , which connects numerous free parking spaces with the stadium. In addition, since 2009 - unique in the Bundesliga - it has been possible to travel by ship. Immediately behind the stadium, a jetty was built, which is operated at regular intervals and enables a comfortable and cozy journey.

The Weser Stadium
West curve after the renovation
West curve of the Weser Stadium with the guest area before the renovation
Werder fans at a soccer game (Ostkurve)
North side with museum
The ABTS arena , at the bottom left the stadium pool (photo from 1928)
Weserstadion: Game Sportfreunde Lotte against Werder Bremen 2
The location directly on the eponymous Weser
Former logo of the Bremen Weser Stadium until 2019

and display information about the image

Interior view of the Weser Stadium with a view of the Ostkurve (2012)

Events

Entry ticket to the international athletics competition Germany-USA

While the Weser Stadium was used for various sports in the past (including cycling races , athletics ), today only football matches are held there.

On May 6, 1980, a public vow outside the barracks area was carried out at the Weser Stadium for the first time after the end of the war . 260 people were injured in violent riots and many company vehicles went up in flames. The property damage was estimated at one million DM .

On June 29, 1985, the international athletics match between Germany and the USA took place in the Weser Stadium. The sports facility has hosted the German athletics championships twice (1983 and 1995) . In 2001 the European Athletics Cup made a stop in the Bremen stadium.

National team in the Weser Stadium

So far ten international matches of the German national soccer team have taken place in the Weser Stadium. The first on May 23, 1939 against Ireland (1: 1); the last so far on February 29, 2012 against France (1: 2). A special incident occurred on April 28, 1999 at the game against Scotland. Due to the failure of the floodlights , the half-time break had to be extended by 15 minutes.

On November 14, 2014, the qualifying game for the European Football Championship 2016 against Gibraltar should take place. On July 25, 2014, the DFB withdrew the game from the city of Bremen and named Nuremberg with the Grundig Stadium as the new venue. The reason for the withdrawal is the dispute over participation in the costs of police operations at soccer games, which the red-green government of the Hanseatic city decided on July 22, 2014.

date	opponent	Result	occasion	spectator
75053221175 ♠May 23, 1939	Ireland Ireland	1: 1 (1: 0)	Friendly match	35,000
76631297275 ♠Feb. 27, 1980	Malta Malta	8: 0 (3: 0)	Qualification for the European Championship 1980	38,000
76950652100 ♠04th June 1988	Yugoslavia Socialist Federal Republic Yugoslavia	1: 1 (0: 1)	Friendly match	13,000
77105259650 ♠02nd June 1992	Northern Ireland Northern Ireland	1: 1 (1: 1)	Friendly match	30,000
77295402750 ♠Apr 30, 1997	Ukraine Ukraine	2: 0 (0: 0)	Qualification for the 1998 World Cup	33,242
77372613500 ♠Apr 28, 1999	Scotland Scotland	0: 1 (0: 0)	Friendly match	27,000
77453080125 ♠May 29, 2001	Slovakia Slovakia	2: 0 (0: 0)	Friendly match	18,000
77527593150 ♠Apr 30, 2003	Serbia and Montenegro Serbia and Montenegro	1: 0 (0: 0)	Friendly match	26,000
77617734375 ♠0Sep 7 2005	South Africa South Africa	4: 2 (1: 1)	Friendly match	28,100
77869832125 ♠Feb. 29, 2012	France France	1: 2 (0: 1)	Friendly match	37,800

On October 12, 1982, the German U-21 national team won the 2nd final of the U-21 European Championship 3-2 in the Weser Stadium against England . Since the first leg was lost 3-1, the title went to England.

Concerts in the Weser Stadium

Numerous international and national artists appeared in the Weserstadion.

date	Artist	Preliminary program
76956047550 ♠July 30, 1988	Bruce Springsteen
77028514025 ♠0June 9, 1990	Tina Turner
77105724775 ♠0June 7, 1992	Elton John	Crowded House
77110376025 ♠July 25, 1992	Dire Straits	What (not what)
77111771400 ♠0Aug 8, 1992	Michael Jackson
77144609225 ♠0June 9, 1993	U2	Die Toten Hosen , Stereo MCs
77145446450 ♠June 18, 1993	Guns N 'Roses	Blind Melon , The Quireboys
77185540225 ♠0July 1, 1994	Bryan Adams	Texas , Heroes del Silencio , Jimmy Barnes
77220610650 ♠May 26, 1995	Bon Jovi	Van Halen , Ugly Kid Joe , Die Doofen
77298472575 ♠May 31, 1997	Michael Jackson	Sabrina Setlur
77298844675 ♠0June 3, 1997	Michael Jackson	Sabrina Setlur
77306658775 ♠23 Aug 1997	The Kelly Family
77346380450 ♠0Sep 2 1998	The Rolling Stones	Big Country
77375683325 ♠May 29, 1999	Marius Müller-Westernhagen
77377543825 ♠June 17, 1999	Bruce Springsteen
77380799700 ♠July 20, 1999	Lionel Richie
77423777250 ♠0Sep 2 2000	Bon Jovi	Top loader
77528802475 ♠May 11, 2003 77528895500 ♠May 12, 2003	Herbert Grönemeyer
77531314150 ♠0June 6, 2003	Bon Jovi	live
77570942800 ♠June 16, 2004	Metallica	Slipknot , In Flames
77647316325 ♠0June 5, 2006	Depeche Mode	Goldfrapp , The Raveonettes
77687875225 ♠June 25, 2007	Herbert Grönemeyer	Clueso

In 2012, Radio Bremen reported that concert organizers would refrain from booking the Weser Stadium because it had lost 10,000 audience capacity for such events since the last renovation. In 2016, the operating company submitted plans to the Bremen building authorities, according to which the lost capacity should be regained through a modified escape route concept in order to enable concerts in the stadium again from 2017. The Bremen building authorities approved the plans in March 2017, but set the audience capacity to a maximum of 38,000 visitors. Only three months later, however, the plans had to be put aside: the laying of a hybrid turf on the stadium's playing area made it virtually impossible to use it as a venue for concerts.

Data

Capacity national

Total: 42,100
Standing space: approx. 4600

International capacity

Total: 37,441 seats

Capacity for concerts

Total: 38,000

Further data

Playing field: size 105x68 m, hybrid lawn , lawn heating, integrated sprinkling system, drainage system
Sanitary areas: Men: 68 toilet cubicles, 288 urinals - Women: 132 toilet cubicles - Disabled people: 4 toilet cubicles, 2 toilet facilities outside
Boxes: 70 (720 seats)
Open-plan lounges: 1 (700 seats)
Wheelchair spaces: 127
Floodlight: 4 floodlight masts, each 61 m high (relative to the playing field), per mast 51 spotlights à 2,000 watts
Illuminance (1 m above lawn): 1,900 lux
Display board: Two LED video displays (EXPSport, size approx. 74 m², 6x9 format)
Total length with facade: 253 m
Roof height inside: 30.10 m outside: 28 m
Length of the floodlight masts 39 m
old roof height 20.50 m

literature

Harald Klingebiel: The Myth of the Weser Stadium . Verlag die Werkstatt, ISBN 3-89533-501-0 .

Web links

Commons : Weserstadion - Collection of images, videos and audio files

Official website of the Weser Stadium
Seating plan on the Werder website
More information about the Weser Stadium
Conversion of the Weser Stadium Bremen into a football arena on the website of the architecture office

Individual evidence

↑ worldofstadiums.com: Weserstadion
↑ Jürgen Hinrichs: Banks no longer wanted to participate in the renovation costs. Bremen has to vouch for the Weser Stadium. In: weser-kurier.de. Weser Kurier , July 16, 2011, accessed April 26, 2015 .
↑ City supports the Weser Stadium . weser-kurier.de, June 10, 2013.
↑ The history of the Bremen Weser Stadium. In: weserstadion.de. Bremer Weser-Stadion GmbH, accessed on February 27, 2012 .
^ Weserstadion Bremen: Arena and property with an eventful history. In: immo-partner.de. Immonet , May 25, 2009; archived from the original on December 11, 2013 ; Retrieved December 6, 2013 .
^ Zoff at the "Great Zapfenstreich". In: einestages.spiegel.de. Spiegel Online , accessed December 6, 2013 .
↑ fussballdaten.de: The 1st matchday of the Bundesliga 2004/2005
^ Report in the Weser-Kurier on April 15, 2015, page 7
↑ Report in Münchner Merkur on June 22, 2009
↑ Interview with Manfred Müller in: Werder magazine . No. 204, February 14, 2007.
↑ Welt am Sonntag : Werder goes from David to Goliath , October 29, 2006.
↑ Radio Bremen: Approval for the stadium expansion ( memento of December 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), April 12, 2007.
^ Radio Bremen: Expansion of the Weser Stadium one step further ( Memento from December 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), April 17, 2007.
↑ http://www.weser-kurier.de/bremen/bremen-stadtreport_artikel,-Streitfall-Stadion-_arid,930860.html
↑ West stand plan: against Bavaria covered and fully occupied. In: werder.de. Werder Bremen, November 18, 2009, archived from the original on January 7, 2014 ; accessed on January 9, 2014 .
↑ weserstadion.de: PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM - EWE and swb catch the sun for Werder
^ Süddeutsche de GmbH, Munich Germany: 30 million euros: Werder before the stadium name is sold - Sport-News. Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 31, 2019, accessed on August 25, 2020 .
↑ Pay off the stadium with charity matches - is this fan idea realistic? - buten and inside. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
↑ 600 Werder fans demonstrate peacefully against new stadium names - buten un inside. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .
^ Dfb.de: All games of the German national team
↑ weser-kurier.de: DFB withdraws Bremen Gibraltar international game article from July 25, 2014.
↑ Concert overview on Last.fm , accessed on January 24, 2013.
^ Radio Bremen: Bremen Weser Stadium too small for large concerts , message from May 30, 2012 ( Memento from August 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ); Retrieved January 24, 2013.
↑ New concept should make concerts possible again, radiobremen.de ( memento from 23 August 2016 in the Internet Archive ), 21 June 2016, accessed on 21 August 2016.
↑ Green light from the department ( memento from March 23, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), radiobremen.de, March 1, 2017, accessed on March 22, 2017.
^ Off for concerts in the Weserstadion, Weser Kurier, June 7, 2017, p. 7.
↑ weserstadion.de: The equipment of the Weser Stadium in bullet points

[1] worldofstadiums.com: Weserstadion

[2] Jürgen Hinrichs: Banks no longer wanted to participate in the renovation costs. Bremen has to vouch for the Weser Stadium. In: weser-kurier.de. Weser Kurier , July 16, 2011, accessed April 26, 2015 .

[3] City supports the Weser Stadium . weser-kurier.de, June 10, 2013.

[4] The history of the Bremen Weser Stadium. In: weserstadion.de. Bremer Weser-Stadion GmbH, accessed on February 27, 2012 .

[5] Weserstadion Bremen: Arena and property with an eventful history. In: immo-partner.de. Immonet , May 25, 2009; archived from the original on December 11, 2013 ; Retrieved December 6, 2013 .

[6] Zoff at the "Great Zapfenstreich". In: einestages.spiegel.de. Spiegel Online , accessed December 6, 2013 .

[7] ussballdaten.de: The 1st matchday of the Bundesliga 2004/2005

[8] Report in the Weser-Kurier on April 15, 2015, page 7

[9] Report in Münchner Merkur on June 22, 2009

[10] Interview with Manfred Müller in: Werder magazine . No. 204, February 14, 2007.

[11] Welt am Sonntag : Werder goes from David to Goliath , October 29, 2006.

[12] Radio Bremen: Approval for the stadium expansion ( memento of December 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), April 12, 2007.

[13] Radio Bremen: Expansion of the Weser Stadium one step further ( Memento from December 9, 2007 in the Internet Archive ), April 17, 2007.

[14] ttp://www.weser-kurier.de/bremen/bremen-stadtreport_artikel,-Streitfall-Stadion-_arid,930860.html

[15] West stand plan: against Bavaria covered and fully occupied. In: werder.de. Werder Bremen, November 18, 2009, archived from the original on January 7, 2014 ; accessed on January 9, 2014 .

[16] weserstadion.de: PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM - EWE and swb catch the sun for Werder

[17] Süddeutsche de GmbH, Munich Germany: 30 million euros: Werder before the stadium name is sold - Sport-News. Süddeutsche Zeitung , May 31, 2019, accessed on August 25, 2020 .

[18] Pay off the stadium with charity matches - is this fan idea realistic? - buten and inside. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .

[19] 600 Werder fans demonstrate peacefully against new stadium names - buten un inside. Retrieved June 11, 2019 .

[20] Dfb.de: All games of the German national team

[21] weser-kurier.de: DFB withdraws Bremen Gibraltar international game article from July 25, 2014.

[22] Concert overview on Last.fm , accessed on January 24, 2013.

[23] Radio Bremen: Bremen Weser Stadium too small for large concerts , message from May 30, 2012 ( Memento from August 5, 2012 in the Internet Archive ); Retrieved January 24, 2013.

[24] New concept should make concerts possible again, radiobremen.de ( memento from 23 August 2016 in the Internet Archive ), 21 June 2016, accessed on 21 August 2016.

[25] Green light from the department ( memento from March 23, 2017 in the Internet Archive ), radiobremen.de, March 1, 2017, accessed on March 22, 2017.

[wk070617-26] Off for concerts in the Weserstadion, Weser Kurier, June 7, 2017, p. 7.

[27] weserstadion.de: The equipment of the Weser Stadium in bullet points