Hohe Warte Stadium
The Hohe Warte Stadium is a football stadium in the Döbling district of Vienna. It is the home ground of the oldest football club in Austria, First Vienna FC 1894. It is also used by the American football team Vienna Vikings. It is one of the oldest stadiums which are still in use in professional football.
 | |
| Full name | Casino Stadion Hohe Warte |
|---|---|
| Location | Vienna, Austria |
| Capacity | 4 500 |
| Surface | lawn |
| Construction | |
| Built | 1921 |
| Opened | 19 June 1921, First Vienna FC 1894 vs. SC Hakoah Wien 2:1 |
| Renovated | 2005/06 |
| Architect | Eduard Schönecker |
| Tenants | |
| First Vienna FC 1894, Vienna Vikings (American football) | |
History
The stadium was opened in 1921 with a match between First Vienna and S.C. Hakoah Wien. It was at that time the biggest in Europa. It was and still is the homeground of First Vienna F.C. 1894. The stadium was planned by Eduard Schönecker, who was not only a architect, but also a notable football defender playing for SK Rapid Wien and the national team.[1] With 90,000 capacity it was the largest stadium in Europe at this time. In 1923, 80,000 visitors were looking at the match of the Austrian national football team versus Italy. The stadium was also used for open air opera performances and boxing events.[2]
In the 1920s the stadium was used for open air operas and boxing. 1924 the composer Pietro Mascagni conducted the opera Aida by Giuseppe Verdi.
Today the capacity is 5,500 because the city closed the natural hills around the stadium for visitors. The costs to maintain the stadium are €400,000. There are plans to build a wellness center to lower the costs for the club.[3]
References
- "Vienna's Pride - Fanpage für den First Vienna FC 1894". Archived from the original on 2011-09-22. Retrieved 2020-09-15.
- Martin, Gunther (1993). Damals in Dobling. ISBN 978-3-85058-085-4.
- Hochfliegende Pläne für die Hohe Warte - derStandard.at