Ernst Happel Stadium
68,500 (center-stage)
Ernst-Happel-Stadion (), known as Praterstadion until 1992, sometimes also called Wiener-Stadion, is a football stadium in Leopoldstadt, the 2nd district of Austria's capital Vienna. With 50,865 seats, it is the largest stadium in Austria. It was built between 1929 and 1931 for the second Workers' Olympiad to the design of German architect Otto Ernst Schweizer. The stadium was renamed in honour of Austrian footballer Ernst Happel following his death in 1992. The stadium hosted seven games in UEFA Euro 2008, including the final which saw Spain triumph over Germany.
The stadium is owned by the City of Vienna (Municipal Department 51 – Sports of the City of Vienna). It is managed by the Wiener Stadthalle Betriebs und Veranstaltungsgesellschaft m.b.H., a subsidiary of Wien Holding. It is a UEFA Category 4 stadium, and as such, it is the home of the Austria national football team. It also hosts the Viennese clubs' matches in UEFA competitions.
The stadium is served by Stadion station on the U2 metro line, 77A and 11A bus lines.
History
1928–1945
The foundation stone was laid in November 1928 in honor of the 10-year celebration of the Republic of Austria. The stadium was constructed in 23 months, from 1929 to 1931. It was built according to a design by the Tübingen architect Otto Ernst Schweizer and the second Workers' Olympiad. Schweizer also designed the adjacent Stadionbad (with 400,000 sq m, Europe's largest swimming pool). According to its location in Vienna's Prater, it was initially named Prater Stadium. It was a modern stadium at the time, particularly in Europe, because of its short discharge time of only 7 to 8 minutes. Initially the stadium had a capacity of approximately 60,000 people.
During the Nazi era, following Anschluss (1938–1945), the stadium was used as a military barracks and staging area and as a temporary prison for the deportation of Jewish citizens. Between 11 and 13 September 1939, after the attack on Poland, over a thousand Polish-born Viennese Jews were detained on the orders of Reinhard Heydrich. They were imprisoned beneath the grandstands in the corridors of Section B. On 30 September, 1,038 prisoners were deported to the Buchenwald concentration camp. The next day, the stadium was back to being used as a football pitch. 44 men were released in early 1940, 26 were freed in 1945, the rest were murdered in the camps. In 1988, one of the surviving victims, Fritz Klein, was awarded compensation by the Austrian government equivalent to 62,50 euros for being detained in the stadium. In 2003 a memorial plaque, commemorating these events, was unveiled in the VIP area by a private initiative. In 1944, the stadium was severely damaged during a bomb attack on the Wehrmarcht Staff offices.
1945–2000
After the war and the reconstruction of the stadium, it was again sporting its original use. In 1956, the stadium's capacity was expanded to 92,708 people by Theodor Schull, but in 1965 the capacity was reduced. The attendance record was 90,726 spectators set on 30 October 1960 at the football match between Spain and Austria (0–3).
In 1970, the stadium was the venue of the 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup Final which saw Manchester City F.C. beat Górnik Zabrze 2–1. Neil Young and a Francis Lee penalty sealed the win for City. This final was played under torrential rain in what was then an uncovered stadium. This along with the fact no Polish supporters were allowed to travel to the match restricted the attendance, which is variously reported at between 7,900 and 15,000 spectators.
In the 1980s, the stands were covered and fully equipped with seats. At its reopening a friendly match against archrival Germany was organised. Austria won the match 4–1. After the death of former Austrian top player and coach Ernst Happel (1925–1992), the Prater Stadium was renamed after him in 1992. In 1964, 1987, 1990, and 1995, the Ernst Happel Stadium was the venue of the European Cup/UEFA Champions League final.
UEFA Euro 2008
During the UEFA Euro 2008 tournament, the Ernst Happel-Stadion hosted seven games (three group matches involving Austria, two quarter-finals, a semifinal match, and the Final match). In preparation for the tournament, the first and second place additional rows of seats increased the stadium's capacity to 53,000 seats.
Leading up to the tournament, it was fitted with a heated pitch in the summer of 2005. In May 2008, a connection to the Vienna U-Bahn was established, easing access from all over the city. The cost of the rebuilding was €39,600,000.
The following games were played at the stadium during the UEFA Euro 2008:
| Date | Time (CET) | Team #1 | Result | Team #2 | Round | Spectators |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 June 2008 | 18.00 |  Austria |
0–1 |  Croatia |
Group B | 51,428 |
| 12 June 2008 | 20.45 | 1–1 |  Poland |
51,428 | ||
| 16 June 2008 | 20.45 | 0–1 |  Germany |
51,428 | ||
| 20 June 2008 | 20.45 | Croatia |
1–1 (a.e.t.) (1–3 pen.) |
 Turkey |
Quarter-finals | 51,428 |
| 22 June 2008 | 20.45 |  Spain |
0–0 (a.e.t.) (4–2 pen.) |
 Italy |
48,000 | |
| 26 June 2008 | 20.45 |  Russia |
0–3 | Spain |
Semi-final | 51,428 |
| 29 June 2008 | 20.45 | Germany |
0–1 | Spain |
Final | 51,428 |
Football
The Ernst Happel Stadium is the largest football stadium in Austria. It is the home of the Austria national football team. Club football matches are generally limited to the domestic cup final and international competitions featuring one of Vienna's top clubs, FK Austria Wien and SK Rapid Wien, as their regular stadiums are too small to host UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup matches. Vienna derby matches between FK Austria and SK Rapid have also been played in the stadium.
The stadium is rated one of UEFA's Five Star Stadiums permitting it to host the UEFA Champions League final. The seating capacity was temporarily expanded to 53,008 for the UEFA Euro 2008 championship, with the final played in the stadium. The stadium also hosted 3 group games, 2 quarter-final matches, a semi-final and final. The attendance record of 92,706 for the match against the Soviet Union was in 1960. The capacity has since been reduced.
Notable matches held in the stadium
- 1964 European Cup Final: Internazionale 3–1 Real Madrid
- 1970 European Cup Winners' Cup Final: Manchester City 2–1 Górnik Zabrze
- 1987 European Cup Final: Porto 2–1 Bayern Munich
- 1990 European Cup Final: Milan 1–0 Benfica
- 1994 UEFA Cup Final: Internazionale 1–0 Austria Salzburg
- 1995 UEFA Champions League Final: Ajax Amsterdam 1–0 Milan
- UEFA Euro 2008 Final: Spain 1–0 Germany
Other sports
Other sporting events are held in the stadium, including athletics, cycling and tennis. In 1950, 35,000 watched Austrian Josef Weidinger win the European Heavyweight crown against Stefan Olek (of France), and a temporary pool in the stadium was the venue for the 1995 European LC Championships.
During the 1950 and 1960s, motorcycle speedway took place at the stadium until the track was demolished. Major events included the final of the 1963 Speedway World Team Cup.
On 16 July 2011, the American Football World Championship final took place where USA defeated rivals Canada with a score of 50–7 in front of 20,000 spectators.
On 6 and 7 June 2014, the three games of the final stage of the 13th European Championship of American Football took place in this stadium. In the final 27,000 spectators saw Austria lose to Germany 30–27 in double overtime.
Concerts
The stadium was scheduled to host Taylor Swift's Eras Tour for three shows from 8–10 August 2024. The shows were canceled out of caution on 7 August by its organiser after the revelation of a terror plot targeting the shows.
See also
References
- ^ "First Division Clubs in Europe" (PDF). UEFA. 2011. p. 11. Archived (PDF) from the original on 26 May 2012. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
- ^ "Happel Stadium hides a sinister past". Archived from the original on 29 June 2008.
- ^ "Austria - Spain, Friendly match, 30 October 1960".
- ^ "Vienna City Government website". Archived from the original on 16 June 2008. Retrieved 29 June 2007.
- ^ "Vienna City Government website". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2007.
- ^ "Vienna City Government website". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 29 June 2007.
- ^ "Attendance record against the USSR". Wiener Sportstaetten. Archived from the original on 21 June 2023. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ Oakes, Peter (1981). 1981 Speedway Yearbook. Studio Publications (Ipswich) Ltd. ISBN 0-86215-017-5.
- ^ "American Football EM Finale 2014 - Bittersweet Glory". 22 June 2014. Archived from the original on 10 November 2021. Retrieved 10 November 2021.
- ^ "Organizers cancel Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna over fears of an attack". AP News. 7 August 2024. Archived from the original on 7 August 2024. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
- ^ "Billboard Boxscore :: Current Scores". Billboard. Archived from the original on 25 July 2017. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
- ^ "57,000 visitors celebrate Pink in Vienna at "DiePresse.com". vaaju. Archived from the original on 29 July 2019. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
- ^ "Khalid Flies to New Heights With $30 Million On Free Spirit World Tour". Billboard. 20 September 2019. Archived from the original on 20 September 2019. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
| Events and tenants | ||
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| Preceded by | European Cup Final venue 1964 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Cup Winners' Cup Final venue 1970 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Cup Final venue 1987 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | European Cup Final venue 1990 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | UEFA Champions League Final venue 1995 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | UEFA European Championship Final venue 2008 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | IFAF World Championship Final venue 2011 |
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