Grugahalle
The Grugahalle is a built in 1958 Banquet Hall in Essen's Ruettenscheid. It belongs to the Gruga complex, which also includes the Grugapark, the Grugabad and Messe Essen belong.
Architecture
The Grugahalle was built by a community of architects Hanoverian Ernst Friedrich Brockmann with the Essen Gerd light tap of steel and concrete in the distinctive butterfly shape. The steel roof structure spanning an open space of 80 by 80 meters. Among the features hall with chairs for about 7,700 places, with seats about 10,000 seats. The actual hall with auditorium and stage around 2,800 m² and is located directly above the structural approximately 2,600 m² foyer. The enclosed space of the whole building comprises approximately 165,000 m³.
History
The Council of the City of Essen in 1955 had decided to build the Grugahalle on the foundation of the old building. This was around the destroyed in the Second World War Exhibition Hall V, the ( born 20 December 1878; † August 7, 1957 ) In 1927, the Building Department Director of the Friedrich Krupp AG in Essen, Josef ring that had been built. This hall had 8,000 square feet, was about 40 meters wide, 98 meters long and 20 meters high. The reason for the re-use of the foundation of unsustainable underground was called, which would have required a minimum of ten meters deep and therefore expensive new foundation. Only the eastern and western extensions as well as the towering side, asymmetric reinforced concrete grandstands received new foundations. The construction of the Grugahalle was started in October 1956. She was then in September, 1958 handed over to the then Chief Hall, Henry Spies, and officially opened on 25 October 1958 by the Lord Mayor of Essen Wilhelm Nieswandt. 1988, and again in 1995, the Grugahalle was modernized.
In the 1990s, the Grugahalle ran into an existential crisis. Although she could have a certain history up to that point and enjoyed a good international reputation, were discussed in Essen its demolition. They got thoughts about their utilization, as a new event halls in the area, such as the Cologne Arena, Oberhausen Arena and newly covered football stadiums, emerged. But in combination with the halls of the Messe Essen Grugahalle had found their niche, and it is still in operation today.
Summary of previous events
Musical events
Three days after hall opening, on 28 October 1958 Bill Haley and His Comets played under the supervision of more than 200 police officers in the Grugahalle. The concert began with jazz Kurt Edelhagen and his big band from Herne, which enabled the tuned to rock ' n ' roll audience in turmoil. At that time, a complete seating of the hall without standing custom, but when Bill Haley played, stood on several spectators and began to dance. The police attempted, however, to prevent and referred people back to their seats. Despite some demolished chairs and broken panes Grugahalle had passed its first test.
In April 1959 in 1960, and finally in 1961 the Essen Jazz Festival took place in the Grugahalle. It included performances by Ella Fitzgerald, Oscar Peterson, Bud Powell, Oscar Pettiford, Kenny Clarke, Coleman Hawkins, the Dave Brubeck Quartet and Quincy Jones Big Band on.
On September 12, 1965 were the Rolling Stones, then still with Brian Jones, in the hall.
The American folk singer Joan Baez played on April 9, 1966. Two months later, on June 25, 1966 who here gave The Beatles in their BRAVO Beatles lightning tour two of their few concerts in Germany. The Beach Boys performed here in October 1966.
In September 1968 found at the International Essen Song Days several concerts in the Grugahalle place with it were, among others, The City Preachers, The Fugs and Julie Felix. To this end, the first appearance in Germany by Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention group came before more than 13,000 spectators. Also in September 1968 joined Tangerine Dream on. 1969 had Fleetwood Mac as part of a pop and blues festivals make an appearance.
In October 1973, the Rolling Stones appeared as part of their European tour on three consecutive evenings in the hall. From the concert of the hard rock band Led Zeppelin in the same year reported some newspapers that doing higher decibel levels were measured as when starting a nozzle jets.
The Rockpalast nights that were transferred from the ARD and the WDR between the July 23, 1977 and the March 15, 1986 live on the show Rockpalast were known. Many artists who shaped the 1980s, came into the hall, including Paul Simon, Al Jarreau, Depeche Mode, ZZ Top, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Johnny Winter, Santana, Chris de Burgh, Saga, The Grateful Dead, The Who Gilbert Becaud and.
Sporting Events
From 10 to 19 September 1971, the Grugahalle hosted the most games of Eurobasket 1971. The final was won by the Soviet Union with 69:64 points against Yugoslavia.
In November 1987, the 14th World Judo Championships were held in the Grugahalle.
The two sports clubs TuSEM Essen and SC Phoenix Food wore from 1970 to 2005 the majority of their home games in the Handball - Bundesliga in the hall.
Political events
On August 5, 1959, the Mining called for a protest against the then prevalent in the Ruhr coal mine closures. Its chairman, Henry Gutermuth, said this in the Grugahalle in front of around 3,000 buddy.
The 82nd German Catholic Congress was held from 4 to 8 September 1968, the first bishop of Essen, Franz Hengsbach, in the Grugahalle instead. Head of the Organizing Committee was Hans Kirchhoff, who also was chief of police.
On 12 and 13 April 1969, a DKP- party conference was held in the Grugahalle to attract new members, especially in the Ruhr area. At the start of the election campaign 1969, Willy Brandt and Helmut Schmidt came into the hall, which shortly afterwards, Franz Josef Strauss took advantage.
1994 was the Grugahalle venue of an EU summit.
Other Events
The most famous produced with the technique Cinemiracle film is the documentary feature film Windjammer ( Windjammer: The Voyage of the Christian Radich ). Built in 1958 for the German première on 22 May 1959 in the Grugahalle here temporarily a canvas with 32 meters wide and 17 meters installed at the time the largest screen in the world. In the Grugahalle the film in 1959 and then in 1962 and 1965 shown and seen doing a total of approximately 650,000 spectators.
Since year 1960 until today, at the end of each year, the revue Holiday on Ice instead.
Grugahalle today
Today the Grugahalle is used among other things for concerts, sporting events, political meetings and general meetings of large corporations.