Stadthalle Bremerhaven

The Stadthalle Bremerhaven sits in the Lehe district. The Eisbären Bremerhaven play here, in the ProA.

The facade is dark glass and concrete, with a wide paved forecourt that smells of diesel and damp earth. Tall trees line the road in front, separating the arena from the traffic.

It opened in 1974, before the glass stadiums, and took a new skin in 1995–1996 when three galleries were added. The capacity for basketball has not changed since then, though the fire marshal says the number is lower now. Safety regulations have trimmed the total from the old 5,500 down to 1,800 for seated events. The hall still hosts concerts, like the night Karat played in 2012, and dance sport tournaments, but the basketball matches are the reason the lights are on.

The address is Wilhelm-Kaisen-Platz 1, a square of grey tarmac that fills up on match days and empties by noon. The website lists the technical details for anyone who wants to book the space. There are no former names, no sponsored titles. It is just the Stadthalle, a plain name for a plain building. The away end never stopped because there is no end to stop; the crowd sits on three sides, looking in at the game. The heat takes the sting out of it in July, when the cooling system struggles to keep the air moving.