Olympiastadion/Olympic Stadium, Berlin

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Through my life as a sport idiot I've seen hundreds and other hundreds of football games. All over Europe. But nothing can be compared to the World Cup game I saw here in 2006.
Sweden had started the tournament in a really bad style, just getting a 0-0 draw against Trinidad/Tobago in their first game. Having paid 260 euro on the black market for the ticket I was not thrilled...
But me and my friends took our car and went from Dortmund to Berlin to see the second game, against Paraguay. And this time we paid 360 euro for the ticket.

It was a crazy time, with 100 000 Swedish supporters traveling to the German capital, and 55 000 of those somehow having bought tickets for the game. But after 88 minutes we were again down to our knees, since the score still was 0-0.

Then, after 88.05, Fredrik Ljungberg got his head on the ball and nodded us all up in the football heaven! Never again will I feel those emotions again.
A 2-2 draw later against England took us to the play off against Germany, and... let's not talk about that.

Almost five years later I was back at the stadium for another game. This time in the german second division. And another great afternoon.
Hertha Berlin has always been the great time i Berlin, with Union Berlin being the little brother that no one really cares about. Hertha has played in the Champions League, won the German Bundesliga - while Union has been happy playing in the lower divisions.
But now it was time again. Hertha had after huge economical problems been relegated to the second division, while Union like a miracle had reached up to the same level.
My friend Erik got us the tickets next to the Union section and what followed would be a game that the Union supporters will talk about for decades.
2-1 to Union and the home supporters couldn't believe their eyes. It's one of those games I'm really thankful I watched live!

Despite its running track the Olympic Stadium is a really cool arena, with both history and modernity in its walls.

It was built in 1934-1936, on the site of the earlier Olympic Stadium, that was built for the never held Olympic Games in 1916. It was here Jesse Owens made Adolf Hitler very frustrated by winning four gold medals in the Olympic Games in 1936. The stadium area was later one of the few spots in Berlin that wasn't badly injured during the Second World War, only holes from machine guns could be seen.

From 1963 Hertha has played their home games here, and both during the World Cup 1974 and 2006 games have been located here. In 2006 the classic final between Italy and France was held here.
It was also ahead of that tournament that the stadium was restored so that it nowadays looks pretty modern.

Equipment: Hertha Berlin is now back in the first division again. Playing in blue and white it could be a good idea to wear something like that, while it's not a must.
The supporters are quite vocal and it's most of the time a nice atmosphere at the games, even if it can't be compared to some of the really big teams, like Dortmund.
The maximum crowd that can watch a game here now is 74 500. Most games are not sold out, so no problem to buy a ticket on the match day.

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The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was built between 1934 and 1936 to host the Olympic Games of 1936.
It's been renovated for the FIFA World Cups in 1974 and 2006. It's mainly used for home matches of Hertha BSC Berlin (football), but also for athletics events like the ISTAF or concerts.

The stadium can be visted selfguided or on different guided tours.
Admission is 7€ (+3/4€ for a tour)

This famous landmark was built for the 1936 Olympic Games by architect Werner March. Now it is the home to the Bundesliga team Hertha BSC. When buying a ticket for an event here your public transport will become free before and after the event!

As I live not too far from the old Olympic stadium I have taken to cheering on the local soccer team Hertha BSC. They play in the German Bundesliga and average a good home crowd of around 40,000. although for bigger games the crowd is much larger. The stadium is being totally refurbished for the upcoming World Cup finals in 2006 as thhis is where the final will be played.

The team was actually named after an old steamship hence the name Hertha which is quite unusual for a sporting club.

It is an interesting afternoon or evening out mingling with the crowd outside at one of the many bratwurst stands and drinking a cheap beer before going into the stadium. This was the stadium where the 1936 Olympics took place and there was the incident with Hitler and that black American fellow!

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In the Olympic Stadium in Berlin will be played footballmatches during the World Championship Football in 2006.

The stadium dates from the Olympic Games of the '30s and is renovated for the big event of next year. It's an imposant building and easy reachable by metro.

The stadium is home to Hertha BSC, the Bundesliga soccer team of Berlin.

The refurbishment of the Olympic stadium in Berlin took four years to complete. After building work was completed, the stadium was re-opened with a huge party on July 31st 2004.After building work was completed, the stadium boasted a capacity of 74,500, all seats. During the refurbishment of that area, 80,000 sqm of earth were moved, 15,000 sqm of concrete were used as well as 1800 tons of steel.The highlight of the whole refurbishment of the Olympic stadium was the roof construction, which cost around 26 million Euros…11% of the total budget. The steel construction was covered by two huge membranes, each measuring 31,000 sqm. The upper membrane consists of 76 segments featuring 1158 glass blocks, each of which weighed 200 kg. The roof construction itself is supported by a total of 20 pillars.

History:

Berlin's Olympic Stadium, designed by architect Werner March, was built between 1934 and 1936 for the '36 Olympic Games. 42 million Reichmarks were spent on its construction, which was completed by several hundred different companies. The new stadium replaced the "German Stadium", designed by Werner March's father Otto March. The Olympic complex encompasses hockey, swimming, and equestrian stadiums, as well as a theatre and the oval-shaped Olympic Stadium. If the seats of the Olympic Stadium were to be placed in a row, its length would amount to around 42 kilometers. The symbolism is apparent - the classic marathon run is 42.195 km long. The oval form of the arena is interrupted by the 25-meter wide Marathon Gate, from which one could look out upon the Maifeld and its belltower.

During the Second World War the Olympic Stadium was not spared from allied bombing-raids. Despite substantial damage, a reconstruction was possible, thereby reconfirming the stadium's status as a symbol for the Olympic spirit, unbroken despite the storms of history.

Initally built for the Olympic Games 1936 this stadium is one of the oldest but the biggest in Germany - and one of the most popular stadiums because of great atmosphere as well. It's architecture with a much lower ground and the brand new roof is a highlight, but especially the football matches bring it back to life. Watch a game of Hertha BSC or special games like the german cup final at the end of may and be part of the party.

Completed in 1936 for the Olympic Games, this Neoclassical structure was intended as a tool of Nazi propaganda and to play host to numerous Aryan victories. Sadly for Hitler, who didn't realise at the time that Europeans can't run very fast, the star of the games was Afro-American runner Jesse Owens who stole the show with four gold medals. One of the few Germans who could derive any satisfaction from the proceedings, apart from Hitler's bookmaker, was the stadium's designer, Werner March, who managed to create an incredibly impressive structure in which the seating falls away below ground level to create a much deeper auditorium than expected. Closed to visitors until 2004 for renovation, it is still possible to see inside by paying to watch Hertha BSC , the resident football team.