Paul Greifzu Stadium

Geschichte

The Paul Greifzu Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dessau-Roßlau. It is one of the most modern stadia in Saxony-Anhalt.OverviewEight peace doves heralded the opening of the Paul Greifzu Stadium in Dessau in October 1952. It was named after German motorsport racer and constructor Paul Greifzu who had died in a training accident in Dessau in May that same year. The stadium had been built by voluntary work on dozens of tons of rubble from the ruins of Dessau. Altogether, 51,000 hours of work were spent to construct a 35,000 capacity stadium. It soon became a location for regional athletics championships. During the GDR era, little was done for the maintenance and preservation of the stadium. Only after German reunification, in the mid-1990s, did the city of Dessau develop plans for the remodeling of the stadium. In several steps the complex as renovated and expanded. An important innovation was the construction of complete facilities for track and field athletics. Had athletes had to be content with a cinder track, they now found a modern running track providing optimal conditions for competitions. The facilities were completed by providing for other disciplines, such as shot put, javelin throw, high jump, pole vault and discus throw. The first test for the new facilities came in 1998, when Great Britain, France and Germany U23 teams competed in track and field there.