Eishalle Rostock

Slipping onto the freshly-zambonied ice at the Eishalle Rostock, what stories could these walls tell? The Eishalle Rostock stands as a testament to Rostock’s enduring love for ice sports. This arena, the largest in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, has witnessed countless thrilling hockey matches and graceful skating performances since its opening in September 1971. The Eishalle Rostock replaced a smaller, open-air speed skating rink built in 1958. That original rink, known as Kurzbahn Rostock, hosted youth competitions, even the 1967 East German Championships. The current Eishalle Rostock became the home of the BSG Chemie 70 Rostock hockey team. They competed in the DDR-Bestenermittlung Eishockey, the second-highest league in East Germany, from 1972 to 1978. Today, the Eishalle Rostock’s 111-meter track isn’t just for hockey. It’s also used for short track speed skating. The arena has hosted the German Short Track Speed Skating Championships multiple times (1996, 1999, 2001, and 2004) and the international Hanse Cup since 2002. Interestingly, in the early 1960s, there were ambitious plans for a grand ice stadium in Rostock. The design featured a suspended cable net roof supported by two 128-meter-long, hyperbolic trusses. However, this futuristic vision never materialized. The Eishalle Rostock, while beloved, is showing its age. Plans are underway for a new, modern ice rink as part of a combined swimming and ice sports complex. This new arena will be built near the HanseMesse exhibition center on the IGA Park grounds in the northwest of the city. Construction is slated for 2026 or 2027, with a projected cost of 50 million euros. So, while we enjoy the echoes of cheers and the scrape of skates in the current Eishalle Rostock, we also anticipate the future of ice sports in this vibrant city.