A chronology

Our company, our houses

The history of our company began with the opening of the Stadthalle Braunschweig in 1965. Over time, Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH also took over the operation of the Volkswagen Halle and the Eintracht Stadium. Since the year in which the Stadthalle Braunschweig was closed for refurbishment, we have been continuing the history of our company under the new name "Braunschweiger Veranstaltungsstätten". However, the rich history of our traditional venues as part of the city and event history remains unchanged:

1954 First "calls" for a new town hall from Braunschweig politics and business

1956 The city council decides to build the town hall at the Leonhardplatz site.

1961 34 designs are submitted tothe architectural competition by July 1961. The design by Duisburg architects Stumpf & Voigtländer wins the ideas competition.

1962 Foundation stone laid at Leonhardplatz. "This new town hall will fulfill a favourite wish of the people of Braunschweig", Martha Fuchs, then Lord Mayor of Braunschweig (on the right in the picture), was certain at the laying of the foundation stone. Two years later, the topping-out ceremony was celebrated.

 

The then Lord Mayor Martha Fuchs (right) with a model of the Stadthalle.

TV production in the Great Hall in the 70s.

1965 The booking account for the hall, which is still under construction, already shows 129 events booked by the end of the year in July 1965. On September 4, 1965, the Stadthalle Braunschweig opens its doors to guests for the first time. The hall opens with a concert by the Braunschweig State Orchestra under the direction of General Music Director Richard Kraus. The concert also marks the start of the close partnership between the Stadthalle Braunschweig and the Braunschweig State Orchestra. In the Stadthalle's anniversary year, the orchestra performed its 1000th symphony concert in the Great Hall.

1966 First radio broadcast with Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff in the Stadthalle Braunschweig. Between the 1960s and 1980s in particular, the Stadthalle Braunschweig was transformed into a large television studio on several occasions. The hall was extremely popular with the television producers of the time due to its technical comfort.

 


1990 On January 21, 1990, four and a half thousand enthusiastic visitors experienced a true premiere in the Braunschweig Stadthalle: the first joint German-German concert, for which the Braunschweig State Orchestra and the Magdeburg Municipal Orchestra came together in the concert hall for a reunion in C major.

1991 Volkswagen invites 23,000 car dealers from all over Europe to Braunschweig in 1991. With 22 days of events, the presentation of the 3rd Golf generation is the largest congress in the history of the Stadthalle Braunschweig to date.

1995 General technical overhaul for the 30th anniversary of the Stadthalle with new sound and lighting technology in the main hall, a modern air conditioning system and safety and fire protection installations. Special attention is paid to the ten artists' dressing rooms. They are completely redesigned and given a modern, elegant interior. The costs of the largest modernization to date amount to around DM 12.65 million.

1991: VW Golf 3 presentation - also on the parking deck of the Stadthalle.

The multifunctional arena under construction at Bürgerpark in 1999.

1998 The "Sports and Culture Foundation for Braunschweig" is established for the construction of a multi-purpose hall (later the Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig) on Europaplatz.

1998 The 10 millionth visitor is welcomed to the Stadthalle.

1999 Further renovation work on the outside area of the Stadthalle, including the addition of a spacious and striking roof to the forecourt.

2000 The Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig is built in a record time of just one year. The Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig was realized as a public-private partnership model. 15 million euros are made available for the construction by the Foundation Sport and Culture for Braunschweig together with the companies Richard Borek GmbH & Co KG, NORD/LB, Öffentliche Versicherung Braunschweig and Volkswagen AG. Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebs mbH has been commissioned to operate the Volkswagen Halle.


2006 The Eintracht-Stadion is integrated into the operations of Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH

2006 Six years after its opening, the Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig undergoes extensive renovations and extensions. Once again, companies from the region agreed to invest a further seven million euros together with the city of Braunschweig. This has once again significantly improved the functional facilities for event organizers and the quality of stay for visitors. The light-flooded, glass extension can now be booked separately and is used for corporate events, smaller congresses and receptions, for example.

2008 Largest renovation project in the history of the Stadthalle Braunschweig: a total of 7.5 million euros is invested in two construction phases (2008 and 2009) - the largest sum ever for modernization in the years of the Stadthalle's existence.

2009 The 2nd million visitor is welcomed to the Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig.

2005: Home game - fans at the main entrance of the Eintracht stadium.

Construction work on the forecourt of the Eintracht Stadium in 2012.

2011 Starting signal for extensive construction measures in and around the Eintracht Stadium: In a 2011 citizens' survey - the first in the history of the Lion City - the people of Braunschweig voted for a contemporary modernization of "their" stadium, thus giving the starting signal for extensive construction measures. With these measures, the traditional sports venue adapted to the structural and functional standards that apply today for professional soccer and the staging of national and international athletics competitions. The renovation work was completed in 2013, the year Eintracht Braunschweig was promoted to the 1st Bundesliga. Among other things, the main stand was modernized and business seats and boxes were installed. With the newly created, modern and multifunctional business area, Braunschweig also gained a special location for business events at a venue steeped in tradition - bookable for corporate events, conferences, company and staff celebrations, for example.


2012 Certification of the Stadthalle and Volkwagen Halle Braunschweig with the "Green Globe" environmental label. With Green Globe, verifiable and practical criteria were created for the first time to assess the environmental awareness of event venues. Around 125 criteria were examined by an independent auditor, of which at least 51% of the indicators tested must be fulfilled. The aim of Stadthalle Braunschweig and Volkswagen Braunschweig is to develop an ecological standard by which the companies must be guided and measured in their day-to-day event operations.

2014 On June 21 and 22, 2014, the European Athletics Team Championships took place in the Eintracht Stadium. The sporting event was organized by Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH, together with the city of Braunschweig and the State Association of Athletics in Lower Saxony. A total of around 26,000 spectators witnessed top-class European athletics in the Eintracht Stadium.

European Athletics Team Championships 2014 in the Eintracht-Stadion.

People, stories, emotions: 50 years of Stadthalle Braunschweig.

2014 Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH acquires the Volkswagen Halle from the "Stiftung Sport und Kultur für Braunschweig" foundation.

2015 All employees of Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH successfully complete training to become "Sustainability consultants in the event industry". The qualification is a series of training courses initiated by the German Convention Bureau (GCB), which is committed to implementing the concept of sustainability specifically in the event industry.

2015 The celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of Stadthalle Braunschweig began with an official ceremony with guests from politics, business and the event industry on September 4, 2015. An anniversary party and an open day complemented the celebrations, the main theme of which was a musical, stylish and culinary homage to the past 50 years.


2017 Renovation of the Stadthalle Braunschweig decided: 60 million euros are to be spent on bringing the building from the 1960s, which is solid in its substance, up to a contemporary standard so that it can continue to fulfill its supporting role for Braunschweig in the concert, event and congress sector in the future. Structural extensions are also planned.

2017 Stadthalle Braunschweig is the venue for the 2017 German Environmental Award ceremony. The independent environmental prize, which has the highest prize money in Europe with a total of 500,000 euros, was presented by the Federal President.

2017: Presentation of the German Environmental Award in the Stadthalle.

2017: Green Globe sustainability certification for the Volkswagen Halle and Stadthalle in gold.

2017 The Eintracht-Stadion is the official wedding venue of the registry office of the city of Braunschweig. This makes the Eintracht Stadium one of the few stadiums in Germany where a wedding ceremony is possible.

2017 The Stadthalle and Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig are successfully "Green Globe" certified for the fifth time in a row. The annual certification process examines effective aspects of sustainability management within the company. This year, employees at the sites can also look forward to Green Globe "Gold" status. This award is given to companies that have been continuously certified for at least five years.

2018 Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebsgesellschaft mbH is a partner of the ETonTour (Entertainment Technology on Tour) campaign. Supported by the ERASMUS+ program of the European Commission, international companies in the event industry have joined forces to promote the exchange of skilled personnel and establish mutual recognition of training.


2020 premiere of the live stream talk show "Live new Life" on the topic: "What comes after the corona lockdown" from the Stadthalle Braunschweig (and broadcast on the Stadthalle YouTube channel). Behind the idea and production of the show are the company's technical and project management staff as well as partners from the Braunschweig event and creative scene. The aim of the format was to offer a regional platform in this exceptional coronavirus situation and to take advantage of the difficult time for the event industry during the coronavirus crisis.

2022: Corona state of emergency - with its own talk show.

2020: Stadthalle Braunschweig becomes a vaccination center.

2020 Stadthalle Braunschweig becomes a vaccination center. Stadthalle Braunschweig employees coordinated and supported the construction and operation of the vaccination center in the areas of project and facility management as well as press and public relations. The vaccination center was dismantled on September 30, 2021.

2020 The largest covered event hall in the Braunschweig Wolfsburg region will retain the name "Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig" in the future. Volkswagen AG, which obtained the naming rights for the Arena am Bürgerpark until October 1, 2020, has now agreed a long-term partnership with Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebs GmbH, which has owned the arena since 2014. The agreement provides for a minimum of five years and an option for a further five years.


2021 In preparation for the upcoming closure of Stadthalle Braunschweig due to the necessary refurbishment, Volkswagen Halle Braunschweig will also be structurally and technically prepared for the staging of smaller events. A new backstage (stage) entrance is being built on the south side, which will enable significantly improved access control in the future. To the north, a mobile storage hall (pictured) with an area of around 350 m² has been erected to accommodate tables, chairs and other equipment. The aim is to offer as extensive a mix of events as possible for the citizens of the region between the Harz Mountains and the Heath during the renovation of the Stadthalle. Smaller event formats will also find suitable space in the large Volkswagen Hall in an arena adapted for them with a capacity of around 2,700 seats.


Handing over the keys: Stadthalle Braunschweig is being renovated.

2022 Stadthalle Braunschweig becomes a contact and coordination point for war displaced persons from Ukraine. Up to 200 camp beds were set up as the first emergency accommodation and medical areas, a testing station and a tent for pets were set up on the outside grounds.

2024 We hand over the key! At the last (farewell) party in the Stadthalle Braunschweig, Stephan Lemke, Managing Director of Braunschweig's event venues, hands over the keys to the Stadthalle to Natascha Wessling, Managing Director of Struktur-Förderung Braunschweig GmbH (SFB), for refurbishment. Four years are planned for the refurbishment period.


2024 Change of the name of the municipal company Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebs GmbH to "Braunschweiger Veranstaltungsstätten".

Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebs GmbH was founded in 1965 with the sole business purpose of operating the Stadthalle Braunschweig. Since then, the company's business activities have changed and grown to include the Volskwagen Halle and the Eintracht Stadium. The one-sided reference by name of Betriebs GmbH to the Stadthalle made clear corporate communication difficult on many levels, but the name Stadthalle Braunschweig Betriebs GmbH is no longer communicable, at the latest with the renovation of the Stadthalle and its closure, which is expected to last four years. Together with the employees, a new name for the company was sought and found: "Braunschweiger Veranstaltungsstätten". With the renaming, the establishment of a logo for the umbrella brand (word-image brand) was also implemented for the first time. The logo is intended to serve as an overarching sender and point of contact, particularly for customers from the national conference and congress business, and to establish itself as a clear employer brand in an increasingly difficult battle for skilled workers. The names and brands (logos) of the individual business locations will remain unchanged.