Niedersachsenstadion facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena

Former names	Niedersachsenstadion (1954–2002) AWD-Arena (2002–2013) HDI-Arena (2013–2022)
Location	Hanover, Germany
Operator	Hannover 96 Arena GmbH & Co. KG
Capacity	49,200
Surface	Grass
Construction
Opened	26 September 1954
Construction cost	€ 82.8 million (for redevelopment)
Architect	Schulitz & Partner Architects
Tenants
Hannover 96 (1959–present) TSV Havelse (2021–2022) VfB Oldenburg (alternate venue, 2022–present) Germany national football team (selected matches)

The Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena is a famous football stadium in Hanover, Germany. It is the home ground for the football club Hannover 96. The stadium was first built in 1954 and was known as the Niedersachsenstadion, which means "Lower Saxony Stadium".

When it first opened, the stadium could hold 86,000 people. Over the years, it has been updated many times for big football events. Today, it has 49,000 covered seats. The stadium's name has changed a few times because of sponsorship deals. Before its current name, it was called the AWD-Arena and then the HDI-Arena. During the 2006 FIFA World Cup, it was known as the FIFA World Cup Stadium, Hanover.

Stadium History and Name Changes

The stadium was built between 1952 and 1954. It cost about 4 million German Marks to build. A lot of the materials used for its foundation came from the rubble of houses in Hanover that were destroyed during World War II. The stadium officially opened on September 26, 1954.

Hannover 96 started playing their home games here permanently in 1959. Other local football clubs have also used the stadium for their matches. It has hosted many international games and important finals for German football cups, like the DFB-Pokal.

The stadium's name has changed due to companies paying to have their name on it.

• From 2002 to 2013, it was called the AWD-Arena, named after a financial company.
• From 2013 to 2022, it was known as the HDI-Arena, after an insurance company.
• Since 2022, it has been the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena, named after a construction company.

In November 2015, a friendly football match between Germany and the Netherlands was planned. However, the game was cancelled just two hours before it was supposed to start due to a security concern. The stadium and nearby areas were safely evacuated.

Some other football clubs have used this stadium as a temporary home. For example, TSV Havelse played here in the 2021–22 season because their own stadium wasn't big enough. Similarly, VfB Oldenburg has used it for some of their matches when their home stadium wasn't ready for evening or winter games.

International Football Tournaments

The Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena has been a host stadium for three major international football tournaments.

1974 FIFA World Cup Matches

The stadium was one of the nine places chosen to host games for the 1974 FIFA World Cup in West Germany. For this event, the stadium was updated. The number of seats increased to 38,000, and the upper part of the west stand was covered with a roof. These changes cost 26 million German Marks.

Here are the games played at the stadium during the 1974 World Cup:

Date	Time	Team 1	Result	Team 2	Round	Attendance
15 June 1974	16:00	Uruguay	0–2	Netherlands	Group 3	53,000
19 June 1974	19:30		1–1	Bulgaria		12,000
26 June 1974	19:30	Brazil	1–0	East Germany	Group A (2nd round)	58,463
30 June 1974	16:00	Argentina	1–2	Brazil		38,000

1988 European Championship Matches

When Germany hosted its second international tournament, the UEFA Euro 1988, this stadium was chosen again. By this time, the stadium's capacity was 55,000 people. This was because 8,000 standing areas were changed into seats.

It hosted two group matches:

Date	Time	Team	Result	Team	Round	Attendance
11 June 1988	15:30	Denmark	2–3	Spain	Group A	60,366
15 June 1988	20:15	Republic of Ireland	1–1	Soviet Union	Group B	38,308

2006 FIFA World Cup Matches

The stadium was also a venue for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. During this event, it was officially called FIFA World Cup Stadium Hanover. This was due to FIFA's sponsorship rules. For the tournament, all standing areas were converted into seats, reducing the capacity to 43,000. After the World Cup, the standing areas were brought back.

Here are the games played at the stadium during the 2006 World Cup:

Date	Time	Team	Result	Team	Round	Attendance
12 June 2006	21:00	Italy	2–0	Ghana	Group E	43,000
16 June 2006	21:00	Mexico	0–0	Angola	Group D	43,000
20 June 2006	16:00	Costa Rica	1–2	Poland	Group A	43,000
23 June 2006	21:00	Switzerland	2–0	South Korea	Group G	43,000
27 June 2006	21:00	Spain	1–3	France	Round of 16	43,000

Modern Stadium Upgrades

The stadium has changed a lot over the years, but the biggest changes happened in 2003 and 2004. This major renovation cost €65 million and was designed by Schulitz & Partner Architects.

For many years, people debated whether to build a new stadium or update the old one. In the end, they decided to completely rebuild the existing stadium. This big project started when Germany was chosen to host the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

During 2003 and 2004, large parts of the stadium were rebuilt. The maximum capacity was set at 49,951, which includes about 8,000 standing spots. Before 2003, the stadium had very tall floodlight masts and a track for athletics. About 60% of it was open to the sky. The renovation completely changed it into a modern football-only arena. About 70% of the old building was removed, including the roof and parts of the stands.

The old scoreboards were replaced with two modern video screens. The tall floodlight masts were removed. Instead, 160 new lights were built into the roof, making the pitch very bright.

The football pitch was moved much closer to the fans. The old running track was removed, and the stands were built right around the pitch. This made the stadium feel more like a football-specific venue. The new pitch also has a special drainage system and heating system to keep the grass healthy.

The new inner roof is made of a special material called ETFE. This material lets sunlight through, which helps the grass grow naturally. It also protects all the fans from bad weather. This design helps avoid having to replace the grass often, which happens in many other stadiums with roofs.

The stadium also added new areas for businesses and VIP guests. There are about 1,250 business seats and 29 VIP boxes. There are also 96 spots for the press.

The renovation finished earlier than planned, in December 2004. The first football game in the newly renovated stadium was on January 23, 2005. Hannover 96 played against Bayer Leverkusen in a Bundesliga match.

In June 2008, the stadium hosted the 2008 Hannover Sevens, which is a European rugby championship. On November 15, 2009, the stadium was completely full for the funeral of Robert Enke. He was a 32-year-old goalkeeper for Hannover 96 who had passed away. The stadium was also featured in the video game FIFA 12 when it came out in 2011.

Other Uses of the Stadium

Besides football, the stadium has been used for many other events. It has hosted German athletics championships, sports festivals, and field handball finals. It is also a popular place for concerts.

Since The Rolling Stones performed here in 1982, the stadium has become a top outdoor concert venue in Northern Germany. After the big renovation in 2003/04, The Rolling Stones came back to perform in the new arena. Many other famous artists have held concerts here, including Madonna in 2006, Michael Jackson in 1988, Bon Jovi in 1996, Status Quo in 2006, and U2 in 2010.

In 2013, Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, as well as Robbie Williams, performed at the stadium for the first time.

Artists who have performed more than two concerts at the venue:

See also

In Spanish: HDI-Arena para niños