Stadion der Freundschaft (Gera)
BSG bismuth Gera, Gera 1 SV / Athletics, LV Gera eV athletics club
- U-17 European Football Championships 2009
The stadium of friendship is a municipal lawn and athletics stadium in Gera. Currently it is the training and competition venue of the athletes of the first SV Gera Gera and the LV.
History
The stadium of friendship was built from 1952 to 1955 ( at that time the capacity 35,000 spectators ). Even during construction, it was inaugurated in the form of a great sporting event with athletics, football and handball on August 17, 1952. For decades it was the home of the bismuth BSG Gera, among other things, their roles in the DDR Oberliga for the seasons 1966/67 ( average attendance 7,577 ) and 1977 /78 ( 6,785 ) fought out in this stadium.
On February 24, 1962, the quarter -final second leg took place in the European Cup winner between motor Jena and Leixões SC Stadion der Freundschaft place after the Jena Ernst -Abbe- sports field was flooded from the River Saale. Later followed some games of Jena in the Intertoto Cup.
The first international match in Gera took place on September 21, 1966, the GDR was 2-0 win against Romania in front of 20,000 spectators. In the following years, four more matches were still played in the stadium of friendship: 1971 DDR Luxembourg 2-1, 1983 DDR Bulgaria 3-0, 1984 GDR - Romania 2:1 and 1987 DDR Tunisia 2-0.
Attention from outside the stadium gained the friendship not only in football, but also for example in the framework of the International Peace Race, where it was repeatedly milestone.
In the second half of the nineties, the stadium was completely renovated, of which the State of Thuringia represents approximately 6 million DM. After the renovation, the stadium can accommodate 15,900 spectators, of which 5,000 seats. 1,000 seats are located on the covered grandstand, 4,000 on the non- covered back straight. In the corners there are 10,900 standing places. Thus, the stadium of friendship after the Old Wald Stadium and the Steigerwald stadium in Erfurt is the third largest stadium in Thuringia. Furthermore the stadium over a career, facilities for track and field competitions and an electronic scoreboard.
1991, 2001 and 2005 was the final of the Thuringian State Cup held in Gera. On 17 May 2001, the German national football team of women on 2 August 2007 was the first time a home game in Gera from ( 1-1 against Russia), again (5-0 against the Czech Republic ). From 2006 until the bankruptcy in January 2012, the first home games of FC Gera 03 were held in the NOFV- Oberliga in the stadium of friendship.
A particular highlight saw the sports facility in the spring of 2007. On April 27, stayed around 10,000 spectators at the opening ceremony of the 2007 Federal Garden Show in the stadium of friendship. The stadium was located directly within the exhibition grounds Hofwiesenpark and was therefore partially disabled for the game operation.
On 6 May 2009 a game of U-17 Football Championship in 2009 in Gera took place - England and the Netherlands separated 1:1. From 19 to 20 June 2010, the Thuringian Association of Athletics Federations resulted in the Stadion der Freundschaft by its national championships. Since the beginning of the 2012/2013 season the first team of bismuth BSG Gera wore their home games back from the stadium of friendship.
Due to the flood in June 2013, the playing surface of the stadium was flooded and impassable the stadium.