Jahnkampfbahn Wald, Cultural heritage stadium in Solingen, Germany.
Jahnkampfbahn Wald is a stadium in the Wald district of Solingen, built into the filled-in Krausener Bachtal. The grounds hold a grass pitch, running tracks, and facilities for high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus and hammer throw. The grandstand seats 4957 spectators, and floodlights and a sound system are installed.
Construction started in 1921, and the opening took place in 1928 with 8000 visitors, including world record holder Otto Peltzer. The facility has been rebuilt and modernized several times over the decades.
The stadium is named after Friedrich Ludwig Jahn; a naming after the Wald-born educator Friedrich Albert Lange was also discussed, but Jahn was chosen for his role in German history. At the 1928 inauguration, Wald residents decorated their houses with flowers and black-white-red flags, and the workers' sports clubs, about 20 percent of Wald's athletes, stayed away in protest.
The stadium lies in the Krausener Bachtal, on ground that was drained and levelled before construction. The grandstand holds 4957 spectators, and the grounds include floodlights, a sound system, running tracks and areas for high jump, long jump, triple jump, shot put, discus and hammer throw. The complex has been a listed monument since 1994.
The 1948 match between Preußen Dellbrück and TSG Vohwinkel drew around 22,000 spectators, still the stadium's record attendance. The Wuppertal side won in extra time to avoid relegation from the Oberliga West. The ground had survived the war largely intact; former NSDAP members were ordered to repair it so US soldiers could use it.
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