Zentralstadion (1956)

After the 1896 Summer Olympics, the city of Leipzig began to plan a stadium. The Zentralstadion was built first for the sports students in the Sportforum Leipzig, with a capacity of 100,000. Next to it was an Olympic-style swimming stadium. After the sports university, rowing channel and the swimming stadium were established, plans were made for a new stadium downtown; Leipzig wanted to be awarded the Olympic Games. Blueprints by architect Werner March, the architect of Berlin's Olympiastadion, were used. Finishing the plan took 15 months, with 180,000 volunteers. Walter Ulbricht called the stadium "Stadion der Hunderttausend" (Stadium of 100,000), and made it the home of the German Gym and Sports Celebrations.

After the War of the Fourth Coalition, educators Ernst Moritz Arndt and Friedrich Ludwig Jahn wanted German national sports celebrations to train the Lützow Free Corps to defend against the French.^[4] Leipzig became one of the wealthiest cities in Germany, with a number of sports festivals; the only larger sports gathering was the 1936 Summer Olympics. Leader Walter Ulbricht wanted a national-class stadium to commemorate the 100,000 fallen soldiers in the Battle of Leipzig.^[5]

Free German Youth regional leader Heinz Haferkorn was tasked with finding 200 volunteers per day,^[6] and work on the stadium began on August 2, 1955. To save money, debris from the 1945 bombings was used. Its architect of record was Karl Souradny, who only completed the ground drawings and never visited the site.^[6] A total of 180,000 volunteers worked for 735,992 hours on the stadium, which cost M28 million (DM5.6 million).^[2] A small train brought debris to the stadium, which was mixed with ash, soil and water and compressed into bricks.^[7]

In 1990, due to riots in other European countries and in Leipzig's Alfred-Kunze-Sportpark, access to Zentralstadion was banned to reduce further rioting.^[8] The bell in the stadium's Werner Seelenbinder Tower was silenced.^[9]

Due to the rising maintenance costs, the city decided to build a smaller, soccer-only stadium in 1997. According to critics, Berlin's similar-size Olympiastadion was renovated at the same time and the Zentralstadion could have been saved. Germany won the right to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup in 2000, prompting renovation of many German soccer-specific stadiums (including the Olympiastadion).

• 
  Moving construction material
• 
  Aerial photo in 1956
• 
  The Werner Seelenbinder clock tower
• 
  The Zentralstadion packed with spectators on 4 August 1956
• 
  The main entrance
• 
  Model of the Sportsforum

Between 1957 and 2004, all matches were broadcast by the Deutscher Fernsehfunk and later Eurosport. 2,812,000 visitors came to the matches in all. The Soviet Union was the team with the most matches as foreign team here. The average of the visitor numbers is 63,909 without club team matches, Spartakiade and the East German Sports Festival. The East Germany national team won 20 matches with 13 drawns and 10 defeats. One match was hosted as national stadium for Poland. 21 matches took place as qualifying matches. 23 matches were exhibition matches.^[10]

Date	Local time	Home	Final score (halftime score)	Visitor	Game type	Attendance
1957-05-19	**:**	East Germany	2:1 (1:1) Goals scored:Charles (WAL) 6', Wirth (GDR) 21', Tröger (GDR) 61′	Wales	1958 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Nikolay Latyshev	105,000[11]
1957-10-27	**:**	East Germany	1:4 (1:3) Goals scored: Kraus (TCH) 4′, Moravčík (TCH) 23', Müller (GDR) 23′, Novák (TCH) 43', Kraus (TCH) 88′	Czechoslovakia	1958 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Pierre Schwinte	110,000[12]
1957-11-09	**:**	Poland	0:2 (0:1) Goals scored: Streltsov (URS) 31′, Fiedosov (URS) 75′	Soviet Union	1958 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Clough John Harold	110,000[13][14]
1958-09-14	**:**	East Germany	3:2 (1:1) Goals scored: Schröter (GDR) 25′, Penalty Constantin (ROU) 27′, Penalty Assmy (GDR) 57′, Ene (ROU) 61′, Wirth (GDR) 76′	Romania	Exhibition match – Referee: Nikolai Balakin	60,000
1958-11-02	**:**	East Germany	4:1 (2:1) Goals scored: Assmy (GDR) 4′, Müller (GDR) 12′, Hennum (NOR) 42′, Schröter (GDR) 56′, Müller (GDR) 65′	Norway	Exhibition match – Referee: Antonín Vrbovec	60,000[15]
1959-08-12	**:**	East Germany	2:1 (2:0) Goals scored: Schröter (GDR) 3′, Franz (GDR) 44′, Kadraba (TCH) 53′	Czechoslovakia	Exhibition match – Referee: Nikolai Latychev	100,000[13][16]
1960-08-17	**:**	East Germany	0:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Ponedelnik (URS) 75′	USSR	Exhibition match – Referee: Josef Stoll	70,000[17]
1961-05-14	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Groot (NED) 63′, Erler (GDR) 80′	Netherlands	1962 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Carl Jorgensen	70,000[18]
1961-05-14	**:**	East Germany	4:1 (2:1) Goals scored: Schröter (GDR) 8′, Madsen (DEN) 20′, Ducke (GDR) 29′, Schröter (GDR) 56′, Schröter (GDR) 88′	Denmark	Exhibition match – Referee: Józef Kowal	30,000[19]
1961-05-14	**:**	East Germany	2:2 (0:2) Goals scored: Zambata (YUG) 20′, Jerković (YUG) 43′, Wirth (GDR) 45′, Schröter (GDR) 52′	Yugoslavia	Exhibition match – Referee: Václav Korelus	35,000[20][21]
1964-05-23	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (?:?) Goals scored: ? (GDR) ?′, ? (URS) ?′	USSR	Exhibition match – Referee: ?	80,000
1965-05-23	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (1:1) Goals scored: Vogel (GDR) 17′, Bene (HUN) 28′	Hungary	1966 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Fredrik Johansson	110,000[22]
1965-10-31	**:**	East Germany	1:0 (1:0) Goals scored: Nöldner (GDR) 1′	AUT	1966 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Samuel Carswell	95,000
1966-04-27	**:**	East Germany	4:1 (3:1) Goals scored: Ducke (GDR) 2′, Nöldner (GDR) 23′, Kindvall (SWE) 43′, Frenzel (GDR) 57′	Sweden	Exhibition match – Referee: Laurens van Ravens	50,000[23]
1966-07-02	**:**	East Germany	5:2 (2:0) Goals scored: Nöldner (GDR) 3′, Frenzel (GDR) 44′, Tobar (CHI) 62′, Vogel (GDR) 72′, Fräßdorf (GDR) 79′, Marcos (CHI) 81′, Geisler (GDR) 86′	Chile	Exhibition match – Referee: Per Engblom	45,000[24]
1967-04-05	**:**	East Germany	4:3 (0:2) Goals scored: Mulder (NED) 10′, Keizer (NED) 12′, Vogel (GDR) 50′, Frenzel (GDR) 62′, Keizer (NED) 65′, Frenzel (GDR) 69′, Frenzel (GDR) 85′	Netherlands	UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying – Referee: Hannes Sigurðsson	40,000[25]
1967-10-11	17:00	East Germany	3:2 (1:2) Goals scored: Dyreborg (DEN) 25′, Körner (GDR) 35′, Søndergaard (DEN) 38′, Pankau (GDR) 59′, Pankau (GDR) 73′	Denmark	UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying – Referee: Ryszard Banasiuk	25,000[26]
1967-10-29	14:00	East Germany	1:0 (0:0) Goals scored: Frenzel (GDR) 51′	Hungary	UEFA Euro 1968 qualifying – Referee: Robert Helies	110,000[27]
1968-04-24	**:**	East Germany	3:2 (?:?) Goals scored: ?	Bulgaria	? – Referee: ?	35,000
1969-07-25	**:**	East Germany	2:2 (1:1) Goals scored: Löwe (GDR) 6′, Löwe (GDR) 6′, Puzach (URS) 35′, Khmelnytskyi (URS) 59′, Frenzel (GDR) 87′	Soviet Union	Exhibition match – Referee: Gyula Emsberger	90,000[28]
1971-05-09	15:00	East Germany	1:2 (0:2) Goals scored: Filipović (YUG) 11′, Džajić (YUG) 19′, Puzach (YUG) 35′, Löwe (GDR) 70′	Yugoslavia	UEFA Euro 1972 qualifying – Referee: Paul Schiller	100,000[29]
1971-09-18	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Borja (MEX) 50′, Löwe (GDR) 80′	Mexico	Exhibition match – Referee: Gyula Emsberger	20,000[30]
1972-05-27	**:**	East Germany	1:0 (0:0) Goals scored: Irmscher (GDR) 81′	Uruguay	Exhibition match – Referee: Bohumil Smejkal	20,000[31]
1973-03-26	**:**	East Germany	2:0 (?:?) Goals scored: ?	Romania	Exhibition match – Referee: ?	95,000[32]
1974-05-29	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Streich (GDR) 66', Channon (GDR) 68'	England	Exhibition match – Referee: György Müncz	100,000[33][34]
1974-12-07	17:30	East Germany	0:0 (0:0) Goals scored: 0	Belgium	UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying – Referee: Sergio Gonella	35,000 [35]
1975-10-12	14:30	East Germany	2:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Bathenay (FRA) 50′, Streich (GDR) 55′, Vogel (GDR) 77′	France	UEFA Euro 1976 qualifying – Referee: Erik Fredriksson	35,000 [36][37]
1976-04-07	**:**	East Germany	0:0 (0:0) Goals scored: 0	Czechoslovakia	Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics – Men's qualification – Referee: Vladimir Rudnev	45,000[38]
1977-07-28	**:**	East Germany	2:1 (1:1) Goals scored: Häfner (GDR) 8', Bubnov (USSR) 22', Sparwasser (GDR) 90'	Soviet Union	Exhibition match – Referee: Marian Kuston	95,000[39]
1977-10-12	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (0:1) Goals scored: Hattenberger (AUT) 43', Löwe (GDR) 50'	Austria	1978 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Ian Foote	100,000[40]
1978-04-04	**:**	East Germany	0:1 (0:0) Goals scored: Åslund (SWE) 75'	Sweden	Exhibition match – Referee: Bogdan Dotchev	25,000[41]
1978-09-06	**:**	East Germany	2:1 (1:0) Goals scored: Pommerenke (GDR) 20', Eigendorf (GDR) 66', Ondruš (TCH) 84'	Czechoslovakia	Exhibition match – Referee: Franz Wöhrer	15,000[42]
1979-04-18	**:**	East Germany	2:1 (0:1) Goals scored: Boniek (POL) 7', Streich (GDR) 50', Lindemann (GDR) 63'	Poland	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying – Referee: Azim Zade	55,000[43]
1979-11-21	17:00	East Germany	2:3 (2:1) Goals scored: Schnuphase (GDR) 17', Streich (GDR) 33', Thijssen (NED) 45', Kist (NED) 50', Kerkhof (NED) 67'	Netherlands	UEFA Euro 1980 qualifying – Referee: António Garrido	100,000[44][45]
1980-04-16	**:**	East Germany	2:0 (0:0) Goals scored: Weber (GDR) 64', Streich (GDR) 69'	Greece	Exhibition match – Referee: Torben Månsson	20,000[46]
1980-10-15	**:**	East Germany	0:0 (0:0) Goals scored:0	Spain	Exhibition match – Referee: Jan Veverka	30,000[47]
1981-10-10	**:**	East Germany	2:3 (0:2) Goals scored: Szarmach (POL) 2', Smolarek (POL) 5', Schnuphase (GDR) 53', Smolarek (POL) 62', Streich (GDR) 63'	Poland	1982 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Augusto Lamo Castillo	85,000[48][49]
1982-04-14	**:**	East Germany	1:0 (1:0) Goals scored: Hause (GDR) 20'	Italy	Exhibition match – Referee: Dusan Krchnak	28,000[50][51]
1983-03-30	17:00	East Germany	1:2 (0:1) Goals scored: Van Der Elst (BEL) 35', Vandenbergh (BEL) 70', Streich (GDR) 82'	Belgium	UEFA Euro 1984 qualifying Group 1 – Referee: John Carpenter	75,000[52]
1983-06-26	**:**	East Germany	1:3 (1:2) Goals scored: Blokhin (URS) 10', Streich (GDR) 24', Oganesyan (URS) 35', Yevtushenko (URS) 64'	Soviet Union	Exhibition match – Referee: Károly Palotai	70,000[53]
1984-10-20	**:**	East Germany	2:3 (1:1) Goals scored: Glowatzky (GDR) 11', Baždarević (YUG) 30', Vokri (YUG) 48', Ernst (GDR) 59', Šestić (YUG) 80'	Yugoslavia	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Horst Brummeier	63,000[54]
1985-09-11	**:**	East Germany	2:0 (0:0) Goals scored: Ernst (GDR) 53', Kreer (GDR) 81'	France	1986 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Pietro D'Elia	78,000[55][56]
1987-07-28	**:**	East Germany	0:0 (0:0) Goals scored: 0	Hungary	Exhibition match – Referee: Jan Damgaard	71,000[57]
1989-05-20	**:**	East Germany	1:1 (0:1) Goals scored: Polster (AUT) 3', Kirsten (GDR) 86'	Austria	1990 FIFA World Cup qualification – Referee: Alphonse Constantin	22,000[58]

During this festival came at least 150,000.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Turn- und Sportfest der DDR.

• 1956 (2.–5. August): II. Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest
• 1959 (13.–16. August): III. Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest
• 1963 (1.–4. August): IV. Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest
• 1969 (24.–27. July): V. Turn- und Sportfest der DDR
• 1977 (25.–31. July): VI. Turn- und Sportfest der DDR und VI. Kinder- und Jugendspartakiade
• 1983 (25.–31. July): VII. Turn- und Sportfest der DDR und IX. Kinder- und Jugendspartakiade
• 1987 (27. July–2. August): VIII. Turn- und Sportfest der DDR und XI. Kinder- und Jugendspartakiade

• Video documentation: "Täve, Trümmer und Triumphe" | 23.09.2014 | 29:55 Min. | Broadcaster: Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk"

• Andreas Debski; Michael Kraske; Ingolf Rackwitz (2006). Zentralstadion Leipzig. Vom Stadion der Hunderttausend zum Fussballtempel (in German). Das Neue Berlin. p. 191. ISBN 978-3360012807.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zentralstadion (Leipzig).

• "Discover the history of the Zentralstadion"
• Computer Aided Design Animation

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