The story of Naturarena Hohe Warte: Destruction and Reconstruction

Destroyed and under foreign control

After the completion of the Prater Stadium (today: Ernst Happel Stadium), fewer and fewer large events took place in the Hohe Warte Stadium in the 1930s. In 1936 the Austrian national team visited the facility for the last time. As a result, the stadium increasingly fell into disrepair and the blue and yellow soccer players switch to other pitches for their home games. Ultimately, the stadium was officially closed in 1942 during the Nazi era. As the war progressed, the military built an anti-aircraft facility on the site. Sporting activities were out of the question now. The Hohe Warte and the stadium are damaged by air raids. During the conquest of Vienna, the troops of the Red Army conquer the Hohe Warte and the sports facility. The entire area is severely damaged. With the Allied Zone Agreement of July 1945, the "United States Forces in Austria (USFA)" took over the sports facility. The main field, now referred to as Viking Field, is used by US military teams to play baseball and American football. First Vienna FC 1894 only has the role of subtenant on the Hohe Warte training ground.

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