From common land to the SchücoArena

Even though the name was changed to the SchücoArena in early 2004, footballfans all over Germany still associate Arminia Bielefeld with ‘Die Alm' (The Meadow). The origin of this unmistakable name probably goes back to club member Heinrich Pehle, who on seeing the new pitch was moved to say: "it looks here like it does on an alpine meadow". Indeed, the area did at first look more like a farmer's field than a football pitch, with banks of earth heaped around the edge acting as terracing for the spectators.

The new ground nevertheless represented progress when compared to what went before. It had all begun on a piece of common land called the ‘Kesselbrink', which passers-by used to wander across even during a game. The club later lost out to a dairy in bidding for an alternative site on Paulusstrasse and, having moved to a pitch ‘an der Pottenau', the mud finally won the day there.

Thus, in what was then the still fairly rural western side of Bielefeld, the club developed ‘Die Alm', where for many games crowds of up to 20,000 packed into the ground. In the 1950s, the earthen mounds were replaced with concrete steps. However, it was not until after the club's 1970 promotion to the Bundesliga that the improved ground grew into a proper stadium. A permanent main grandstand and several tubular steel constructions were built within weeks, increasing the capacity to 30,000.

The return to professional football after seven years in the third tier paved the way in the middle of the 1990s for the ground to be completely rebuilt. Bit by bit, the 28,000 capacity, pure football stadium emerged in its current form. Spring 2008 saw the completion of the new main stand (the East Stand), the heart of the new, modern SchücoArena. With offices to lease, ‘sky offices' with views over the city and an energy-saving solar roof, the structure is bursting with architectural innovation.