Welcome to the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, located right in the heart of Berlin’s Prenzlauer Berg district. This site tells the story of Berlin on many levels—from Prussian soldiers and football to the division of the city.
As early as the 19th century, the grounds served as a Prussian military drill ground, known as the “Einsame Pappel” (Lonely Poplar). Soldiers marched here, and in 1848, demonstrators participating in the bourgeois revolution gathered on the site. Later, people began playing football here; even Hertha BSC used the pitch during its early years.
During the Nazi era, sport on these grounds became a tool of propaganda. Gymnastics festivals, football matches, and paramilitary drills were staged to project the image of a strong Germany. Many Berliners attended these events, which were closely intertwined with the regime’s ideology. Here, sport was not merely a game, but also a form of political theater.
After the Second World War, both Berlin and the stadium lay in ruins. Between 1951 and 1952, the new sports park was constructed, and in 1952, it was officially named after Friedrich Ludwig Jahn—the founder of the German gymnastics movement. Even back then, the stadium had seating capacity for tens of thousands of spectators and quickly became a centerpiece of sports in East Berlin.
During the GDR era, the sports park evolved into a flagship facility for elite competitive sports. Track and field competitions were held here, during which world records were set. A famous example: in 1984, Uwe Hohn threw the javelin over 104 meters—a record that remains unbroken to this day. Football also played a major role; BFC Dynamo celebrated numerous championship victories here and hosted European Cup matches.
However, the sports park was more than just a venue for games and competitions. It was situated directly alongside the Berlin Wall, which was erected in 1961. West Berliners were not permitted to enter here, and the GDR strictly monitored the grounds. Sport became a means of demonstrating the strength of socialism. Every competition, every event, and every training session served as a political signal.
Following the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, the surrounding area underwent a transformation. The former border strip situated to the west of the sports park became Mauerpark—a green gathering place for all Berliners. Today, the sports park is open to clubs, schools, and recreational athletes. In 2024, the demolition of the old Großes Stadion (Main Stadium) began; by 2030, a modern, inclusive sports center will take its place. It will feature indoor sports halls, playing fields, public community areas, and ample green space—a venue that honors the past while simultaneously shaping the future.
Image 1: The construction site for the new sports stadium on Cantianstraße. March 1951. By Bundesarchiv, Image 183-M0206-0366 / Otto Donath / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5366146
Image 2: By Geoportal Berlin; responsible: Margit Rust, Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing Berlin – Senate Department for Urban Development, Building and Housing: Geoportal Berlin / Aerial Images 1954, Oblique Views. Image number 2947. Data License Germany – Attribution – Version 2.0. The license is available at
https://www.govdata.de/dl-de/by-2-0, CC BY 2.5,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=133245291
3rd Image: By Bundesarchiv, Image 183-23703-0013 / CC-BY-SA 3.0, CC BY-SA 3.0 de,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=5349643
Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sports Park
from the audio walk Berlin Like You’ve Never Heard It Before – True Stories & Secrets
254:05 min Audio
8
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Other stops on this audio tour:
A Brief Excursion into Berlin's History (7:59 min) • St. Nicholas' Church / St. Nicholas' Quarter (2:49 min) • Newspaper District (4:28 min) • Checkpoint Charlie (1:55 min) • Former Gestapo Headquarters (2:57 min) • Former Tempelhof Airport (3:46 min) • 7 Wannsee Conference (4:45 min) • Walther Rathenau Memorial (2:34 min) • Olympic Stadium / 1936 Olympic Games (5:36 min) • Commune 1 (2:27 min) • Benno Ohnesorg / Student Movement (2:16 min) • Rolf Eden (1:54 min) • Café Kranzler (2:08 min) • Kurfürstendamm (3:03 min) • Zoo Palace (3:47 min) • Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church (2:22 min) • Karl Liebknecht and Rosa Luxemburg (3:28 min) • Schöneberg Town Hall (2:33 min) • Former Sportpalast / Sportpalast Speech (5:12 min) • Bendlerblock/Stauffenberg assassination attempt (4:47 min) • Kroll Opera House / Enabling Act (3:09 min) • Reichstag Building (4:14 min) • Reichstag Fire (4:28 min) • Brandenburg Gate (2:52 min) • People's Court (3:08 min) • Potsdamer Place (2:58 min) • Former "Führerbunker" (5:06 min) • "Tresor" (Safe) (1:43 min) • Popular Uprising in the GDR (2:11 min) • Reich Chancellery / Hitler's Seizure of Power (5:11 min) • "Die weiße Maus" (The White Mouse) (2:57 min) • Friedrichstraße Station / "Tränenpalast" (Palace of Tears) (3:46 min) • Humboldt University (1:56 min) • Berlin Palace (5:04 min) • Red City Hall (2:30 min) • Alexanderplatz (2:30 min) • Otto Weidt's Workshop for the Blind / Anne Frank Center (2:05 min) • Hackesche Höfe (5:21 min) • Rosenthaler Platz (2:58 min) • St. Sophia's Church (3:03 min) • Sophie-Gips Courtyards (2:08 min) • Koppenplatz (3:16 min) • Clärchen's Dance Hall (3:54 min) • New Synagogue (2:19 min) • Berliner Ensemble (3:55 min) • Friedrichstadt-Palast (4:02 min) • Dorotheenstadt Cemetery (2:25 min) • Bloody May (2:18 min) • Humboldthain Flak Tower (5:17 min) • Chris Gueffroy and the Victims of the Wall (1:28 min) • Tunnel 57 / Egon Schultz (2:40 min) • AMIGA (1:37 min) • Bernauer Street (4:07 min) • Former Bornholmer Straße Border Crossing (3:26 min) • Mauerpark (4:07 min) • Arkonaplatz (3:03 min) • Zion Church (3:44 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Fire Station (3:18 min) • Hirschhof (2:41 min) • Freya Klier (2:28 min) • Prater (2:28 min) • Oderberger Straße Municipal Baths (3:36 min) • Oderberger Street 2 (1:58 min) • Currywurst (2:16 min) • Konnopke's Snack Bar (2:43 min) • Gethsemane Church (2:09 min) • Museum in the Kulturbrauerei (1:06 min) • Kulturbrauerei (3:24 min) • Frannz-Club (2:31 min) • Husemann Street (1:58 min) • Jews' Passage (3:32 min) • Prenzlauer Berg Water Tower (2:37 min) • Rosa Luxemburg Square (4:34 min) • Mont Klamott (1:43 min) • Samaritan Church (2:23 min) • Former Stasi Headquarters / Stasi Museum (2:48 min) • Berlin-Karlshorst Museum / Unconditional Surrender (2:54 min) • East Side Gallery (2:59 min) • House Squatting in the 1980s (2:34 min)
