Georg-Melches-Stadion

The Georg Melches Stadium was the largest football stadium in the city of Essen and was in Bergeborbeck district. 1964, was named in honor of the late George Melches a year earlier, a co-founder of Rot-Weiss Essen, renamed. Previously, it was called the stadium on the port road.

The stadium served primarily as a venue for the football club Rot-Weiss Essen, but was also used for various events elsewhere. By 1975, the venue in possession of Rot-Weiss was then followed the sale of the city from financial difficulties. The capacity amounted to 15,000 seats last (nearly all covered, only the first five rows of the seat main grandstand are " uncovered " ), of which 11,000 standing and 4,000 seats. Since 1994 it was a stadium with only three stands, unique in Germany with this capacity.

On 21 March 2012, one day after the last game at the Georg - Melches Stadium, began the demolition work.

Stadium blocks

• The backstretch in the north was a pure standing room grandstand, which was covered and enlarged mid-1970s. With the start of the 2005/06 season the grandstand had to be split due to DFB requirements to a reasonable Fantrennung to guarantee both before and after the games. The former Block I on the west side of the grandstand now served as a block G for the visiting fans and was with a double fence from the rest of the stands separately, on which still stayed the followers of Rot-Weiss Essen. The guest block took about 2100 spectators. Outside the guest block is hot dog stands, and beer stands and a large toilet were located. The separate supply of the away fans could ultimately Requests to a sufficient input control can be ensured.
• The East Stand was a formerly uncovered curve for away fans. In 1983 she was rebuilt as a covered standee line. Since the beginning of the season 2005/ 06 she is completely RWE's fans reserved.
• The main grandstand, built in 1956, was a pure seating area, inside which also the office, the club house, various function rooms and other facilities were located. Behind the grandstand was located on a transitional basis, the VIP tent.
• The west curve was demolished in the early 1990s due to disrepair.
• From January 2008 to the summer of 2011 hung in the former West curve also a display panel ( 3.4 m x 1.8 m). It was replaced by a small stand with a scoreboard that lives with the motto, the west curve was constructed over the 2011/12 season.

Role model in the 1950s

In the 1950s, the stadium had one of the first modern venues in Germany as a role model; among other things, the first floodlights of the Republic was inaugurated here on August 8, 1956.

In addition, counting the main grandstand, which was also built in 1956, the first modern grandstands Europe. She also had a role model, because she was completely covered. A sauna, a gym, a swimming pool, a medical unit and player homes already were then set up in the grandstand. The press at the time of the " German Highbury "; a respectful comparison with the former home of Arsenal London.

New stadium

Since the 1990s, people were thinking about food in a new building of the stadium on the port road. Earlier in 2005, should be started with the new building for a Council Decision of Essen on 26 May 2004. After re relegation to the Regionalliga in 2007, the definitive start of construction was at the annual meeting of the Society on 30 June 2007 by Acting President Rolf Hempelmann announced no later than 30 June 2008. This date passed without that something had happened; also Hempelmann handed shortly before his resignation. After all, could (formerly Cinema World / Michael Kölmel ), and the associated sports advertising company (SWS) are required for a new building basic conditions which were mostly demanded by banks and investors, on the part of the association through newly ordered agreements with the major creditors MK media. In addition, it was possible to decouple the Bauzusage by the athletic skill. Added impetus to the new stadium should give Germany the allocation of women's football World Cup in 2011, was provided in the food as a possible venue. However, since the implementation of the new building was repeatedly stalled, and so up to date in early July 2008 at the DFB no concrete indication of the planned stadium infrastructure could be made, food was removed from the list of potential host cities.

On 4 March 2009, the Council of the City of Essen decided to build a new stadium with the condition that the club can boast a professional structure, an agreement with the long-standing sponsor, the MK- media group is present, and sponsors commitments for the stadium are in a legally binding form. The new stadium should northwest of the old stadium created and initially can accommodate 20,000 spectators. If necessary, it should be expanded to a capacity of up to 40,000 spectators.

On 8 September 2009, at the game against 1.FC Kaiserslautern II, took the then Lord Mayor Wolfgang Reiniger broke ground for this new stadium, to be built from September 2009 to July 2011. Due to the threat of over-indebtedness of the city of Essen and the running since June 2010, insolvency proceedings at Rot-Weiss Essen, the new building was stalled again. There were also political aspects as a result of the municipal election in 2009.

In the Council meeting of 28 April 2010 stated interest Mayor Reinhard Pass that against the backdrop of renewed financial gaps of the association with a further commitment also indebted city of Essen in the stadium was not expected.

The Essen city council but then decided to build a new stadium with about 20,000 seats on 28 October 2010. In the new stadium, the women's soccer team SG Essen - Schönebeck should be available from the 2012/2013 season in addition to Rot-Weiss Essen play.

The new stadium has 9,000 standing places, 11,300 seats, press seats, business seats, lodges seats and wheelchair spaces.

Demolition work

After the last official league game of the RWE May 19, 2012 against Fortuna Köln a farewell match a selection against a all-star team took place on the following day. Then began the demolition of the North Stand and the removal of the old game field.

After the completion of the warm building in the main stand, the guest and opposite the main stand and the fitting out of the new playing field of the new stadium in August 2012 the Fan shop moved into the new stadium. Mid- September 2012 also left the office the grandstand of the Georg- Melches Stadium and moved to the stadium food. In April, 2013, shortly before the completion of the last stand of the new stadium, which began with the demolition work on the East Stand. In early May, 2013, after demolition of the eastern grandstand was also begun with the demolition of the main grandstand.

On 20 June 2013, the demolition work was completed on the former grandstand. Subsequently, the resulting from the demolition rubble was ground down and then used to fill the pit. Then the northwestern floodlight mast was removed. The southwestern Flutlichtmast is maintained and the former stadium site will be developed into a parking lot.