Wellblechpalast

The Wellblechpalast in the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen has been an ice rink since 1958 and got its name from the corrugated iron roof, which was added over the rink in 1963. Today, the professionals of Eisbären Berlin train here, and the Eisbären Juniors play their home games in front of up to 4,695 spectators. Among the ice rinks in Berlin, this one is for ice hockey evenings rather than individual skating sessions.

Wellblechpalast: Berlin’s legendary ice hockey arena in Hohenschönhausen

The Wellblechpalast is located on Konrad-Wolf-Straße on the grounds of the Sportforum Hohenschönhausen, Germany’s largest Olympic training center. Tram M5 stops at Simon-Bolivar-Straße station about 100 meters away, and parking is available at the main entrance of the Sportforum on Weißenseer Weg. The facility was built in 1958 as an open ice stadium; the corrugated iron roof was added in 1963 and gave the building its nickname. The name was originally intended as a mockery, but in 2001 the State of Berlin made it official.

During the GDR era, the hall was home to SC Dynamo Berlin; later, Eisbären Berlin played here until the end of the 2007/08 season before moving to their current arena. What remains is a hall with 4,695 seats, where the spectator stands are close to the boards. The Eisbären professionals still train on this ice. The owner is the State of Berlin, and a subsidized project to improve the ventilation technology in the hall is currently underway. After the professionals moved, the hall remained as a training and youth development location.

Ice Hockey Evenings and Competitions at Wellblechpalast

The Wellblechpalast is the home venue for the Eisbären Juniors Berlin, whose junior teams, the men’s regional league team, and the women’s team in the highest German league compete here. The atmosphere is considered significantly rougher and more direct than in larger arenas, with standing room and short distances to the ice. Tickets are sold through the respective club’s sales channels.

In addition to ice hockey, the hall serves as a competition venue for figure skating and a stage for shows during the Christmas season. However, there is no public ice skating in the Wellblechpalast: those who want to skate themselves can find public skating in the neighboring speed skating hall on the same grounds. Nevertheless, for a winter evening with ice, puck, and bratwurst, the Wellblechpalast is one of the most distinctive addresses in the city. At times, clubs like FASS Berlin and OSC Berlin have also played on this ice. Those who want to see ice hockey in an old-school setting will find one of the last halls of its kind in Berlin here.