Olympiastadion: History behind Euro 2024 final stadium
By Euan Burns
There are few stadiums in the world that are more used to having the world's spotlight on it than the Olympiastadion in Berlin.
It is a stadium that has played host to many massive sporting moments, even beyond the footballing world. One of its biggest occasions will come in 2024 as it plays host to the Euro 2024 final with Germany as the host nation.
Here is the background of the historic stadium and a look at the huge events that have taken place there over the decades since its construction.
The creation of the Olympiastadion
The idea of building a stadium in this particular part of Berlin can be traced as far back as 1868 when horse racing was popular among the high society. They used to take place in the east outside of Berlin but the Union-Klub decided to find a location in Berlin West that people could travel to quickly.
After one location, Victor von Podbielski found a Grunewald location for the Union-Klub. They signed a 30-year lease in 1907 but it then became clear that the area already belonged to the people of Berlin, as ordered by Emperor Wilhelm II. That means Union-Klub had to ensure their development served 'general sports functions' too.
A 40,000-capacity track was designed in 1909 and then Berlin was handed the 1916 Olympics. Excavation work soon began for the National Stadium or 'Grunewaldstadion' and it was created in just 200 days of construction. It became the centre of German sports and trained athletes and coaches on-site. World War I arrived and progress was halted until after the war.
As the area continued to develop its facilities, Berlin then won the bid for the 1936 Olympics. Werner March already had plans for the development of the stadium itself and he would soon get his wish to demolish the National Stadium to build a new and improved one.
Read the latest on Euro 2024 here
feed
Hitler's role in the Olympiastadion
Adolf Hitler was made Chancellor in January 1933 and he quickly paid attention to the new stadium plans. He could see the Olympic Games were a perfect propaganda opportunity. He chose the design plan from the March brothers which called for demolishing the National Stadium and designing a new, more visible one.
Construction was slow and the government had to put serious pressure on construction companies. They were also forced only to hire 'complying, non-union workers of German citizenship and Aryan race'. At one point, 500 companies with a total of 2,600 workers were employed.
The stadium was ready in time for the 1936 Olympics and that is where American athlete Jesse Owens made history. He won four gold medals and was the most successful individual at the games. While Hitler had planned for the games to show the dominance of the Aryan race, a black American man had outperformed everyone.
What football matches has the Olympiastadion hosted?
The Olympiastadion first hosted the German National Soccer Cup final in 1937 when Schalke 04 beat FC Nuremberg 2-0. Showing the dark history of the stadium, just three months later, thousands of Nazis carrying torches marched on the Maifield next to the stadium to welcome Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Since 1985, it has hosted the final of the DFB-Pokal and the Frauen DFB Pokal. It has also been the home stadium of German side Hertha Berlin since 1963 although they are plotting a move to a new stadium.
The Olympiastadion hosted three Group A matches at the 1974 FIFA World Cup and it then hosted six games at the 2006 World Cup. They included the final between Italy and France which was won by the Italians on penalties and featured Zinedine Zidane's infamous red card for head-butting Marco Materazzi.
The opening match of the 2011 Women's World Cup was hosted there, as was the 2015 Champions League final between Juventus and Barcelona which ended 3-1 to the Spanish side. It is not clear how many games the Olympiastadion will host at Euro 2024 but it will be hosting the final on July 14, 2024.
Events at the Olympiastadion outside of football
The Olympiastadion has always been a very well-used venue and it used to host a lot of American football in the 1990s. It was also home to Berlin Thunder, an American football team that played in the NFL Europa until the league was shut down.
It also hosted the World Culture Festival in 2011 and the 2009 World Athletics Championships where Usain Bolt broke the 100 metres and 200 metres world records.
Where in Berlin is the Olympiastadion?
The Olympiastadion is located in the far west of the German capital and is not walkable from the very centre unless you want to walk for two hours from the Brandenburg Gate.
That being said, it is served by the U Olympia-Stadion U-Bahn station and the Olympiastadion S-Bahn station. The exterior of the stadium is worth the 40 minutes or so on public transport. It is domineering and almost eerie when you know which historical figure put so much money and manpower into it.
A trip to the Olympiastadion can also be combined with a visit to the Grunewald Forest which is a huge green space on the edge of the city which also features an abandoned radar tower.
We appreciate that this is becoming a travel guide, but you've got the bones of a day in Berlin there which features incredibly important history both in a socio-political and a sporting sense. You'll also get some great scenery from the forest and the lake.