Sportforum Leipzig, sports complex in Leipzig (Germany)
Sportforum Leipzig is a large sports park in the city of Leipzig with several stadiums and training facilities. It includes the current Red Bull Arena stadium, Arena Leipzig for indoor sports, the Festwiese as open ground, and the Sports Museum that documents Leipzig's sports history.
The stadium grounds by the Elsterbecken were created between 1954 and 1956 under the direction of Karl Souradny; the 23-metre wall was formed from large quantities of wartime rubble. During the GDR era the site hosted gymnastics and sports festivals and national and international athletics meetings. In 1997 it was the venue of the closing service of the Leipzig Kirchentag. Around 2000 the stadium was rebuilt to designs by Wirth + Wirth, and the road Am Sportforum was driven through the grounds between 1999 and 2004.
The name Sportforum refers to a unified space bringing together multiple sports facilities and public grounds. Today, residents and visitors use the green areas and training facilities for everyday sports activities and community gatherings, making it a central meeting point for sports enthusiasts.
The grounds are well served by public transport and located next to the Elster river basin. Visitors can easily walk between the different stadiums and facilities, with nearby eating options and plenty of green spaces to spend time in.
The 23-metre wall of the original stadium was heaped up from rubble left by wartime bombing, and the ground had first to be drained from wet meadowland. The four-lane road Am Sportforum, driven through the site in 1999–2004, passes under the listed stairway of the stadium in two 100-metre tunnels.
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