Political parties, CDU and SPD, advocate for a new stadium for Hertha Berlin, a German football club.
Berlin's Hertha BSC Stadium Rebuilding Project Gains Momentum
In a significant development for German football, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) have expressed a desire to include the rebuilding project for Hertha BSC's stadium in their new coalition agreement.
The project, which has garnered support from key figures such as Iris Spranger, the senator for sport and the interior, has been a topic of discussion for some time. Spranger, an advocate for the project, communicated her support last year and even suggested a potential site for the new stadium on the Friedrich-Friesen-Allee, north of the Maifield, also known as "Lindeneck".
The steering groups around CDU leader Kai Wegner and the two SPD chairpersons, Franziska Giffey and Raed Saleh, will decide whether the stadium new construction of Hertha BSC will be included in the coalition agreement. The sports political working group, consisting of representatives from both parties, is expected to present its proposals for the sports political development of Berlin to the steering groups of both parties at the beginning of next week.
Hertha BSC President Bernstein has welcomed the political support for the struggling Bundesliga club. He expressed relief at the positive reception and discussion of the Hertha Stadium project in the coalition negotiations, stating that inclusion in the coalition agreement would be a very important sign for the future of Hertha BSC.
Meanwhile, Union Berlin has acquired the stadium area of the Old Forest Theatre in Köpenick, while Union plays in the Olympic Stadium. The renovation of the Old Forest Theatre is planned to start in 2024. On the other hand, the Jahnsportpark in Prenzlauer Berg is planned for a new stadium and inclusion campus for 1. FC Union.
The actual implementation of the Hertha stadium project ultimately depends on the results of the working groups and a financing of the project by private partners, as the state of Berlin will not participate in the construction costs for the new stadium. The investor 777 has signaled its willingness to finance a possible stadium construction or participate in its financing at Hertha BSC, currently investing around 100 million euros in the club.
Scott Körber, a former member of parliament and long-standing supervisory board member of Hertha BSC, has officially committed to taking the needs of the football club seriously and supports a good connection between the club and politics. The Initiative Blauweißes Stadion has been instrumental in promoting the project after initial resistance from Berlin politics.
The final report of the review group is currently scheduled for summer 2023. The potential location for a new Hertha stadium could be on the grounds of the Olympiapark in Berlin-Charlottenburg. The sport-political negotiators of both the CDU and SPD have reportedly agreed on the stadium rebuilding project. The next few months will be crucial in determining the future of Hertha BSC's stadium.
