View source for Weiße Wiese

{{Infobox venue
| name = Borussia Sportpark<br />Weiße Wiese
| nickname =
| image = Weiße Wiese.jpg
| image_caption = Weiße Wiese
| fullname = Borussia Sportpark
| former_names = Weiße Wiese
| location = [[Dortmund]], Germany
| coordinates =
| broke_ground =
| built =
| opened = 14 August 1924
| renovated =
| expanded =
| closed = 1937
| demolished = 1937
| owner = [[Dortmund|Municipality of Dortmund]], [[Borussia Dortmund]]
| operator = Municipality of Dortmund, Borussia Dortmund
| surface = Grass
| scoreboard =
| construction_cost = 50,000 Reichsmark
| architect =
| project_manager =
| structural engineer =
| services engineer =
| general_contractor =
| main_contractors =
| capacity = 18,000<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.bvb.de/eng/BVB/History/1920/Weisse-Wiese-developed | title="Weisse Wiese" developed &#124; BVB.de }}</ref>
| record_attendance =
| dimensions =
| tenants = 1924-1937: [[Borussia Dortmund]]
}}
'''Weiße Wiese''' (''The White Field''), also known as '''Borussia Sportpark''', was the first home stadium of [[Borussia Dortmund]]. It was located at Wambeler street near the [[:de:Borsigplatz|Borsigplatz]] and factory of [[Hoesch AG]] in northern [[Dortmund]].
== History ==
=== Weiße Wiese (before 1924) ===
Weiße Wiese was originally a municipal ball court with running tracks and jumping pit. The goalposts and crossbar were initially only made of squared timber and were always removed after the games, preventing the risk that they could be stolen. The name of the place, Weiße Wiese, was supposedly originated from the white flowers dropping from adjacent [[poplars]] in spring, which turned the pitch into a white field (''German: Weiße Wiese'').<ref>''Westfalenstadion - Die Geschichte einer Fußball-Bühne''. Gerd Kolbe und Dietrich Schulze-Marmeling. Seite 13. Verlag: "Die Werkstatt" GmbH</ref>
=== Borussia Sportspark (1924-1937) ===
As the field did not satisfy the association rules to promote into the [[Bezirksliga]], the field underwent an extensive construction in Summer 1924. The construction consisted of a 450 meter long and 1.8 meters high wall, the building of the changing rooms and ticket booth, as well as a grandstand in the foreground, expanding the stadium capacity to 18,000. The total cost of the construction amounted to 50,000 Reichsmarks. The new '''Borussia Sportpark''' was inaugurated by [[Lord Mayor]] [[:de:Ernst Eichhoff|Eichoff]] on 14 August 1924.
=== Closure (1937) ===
In 1937, in the preparations for war of Nazi expansion, Hoesch AG forced Borussia Dortmund to leave Weiße Wiese and relocate to [[Stadion Rote Erde]], south of downtown. The sports field eventually gave way to a swimming pool at the newly built [[:de:Hoeschpark|Hoeschpark]], which, however, was not built until 1951 as ''Stockheide Swimming Pool''. A commemorative plaque was erected there for the historic location.
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.bvb.de/eng/BVB/History/1920/Weisse-Wiese-developed Picture of the Stadium]
{{Borussia Dortmund}}
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[[Category:Defunct football venues in Germany]]
[[Category:Demolished buildings and structures in Dortmund]]
[[Category:Buildings and structures in Dortmund]]
[[Category:Borussia Dortmund]]
[[Category:Defunct sports venues in Germany]]
[[Category:Sports venues in North Rhine-Westphalia]]
[[Category:Sports venues completed in 1924]]
[[Category:1924 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Sports venues demolished in 1937]]
[[Category:1937 disestablishments in Germany]]