Waldbühne

One of Berlin’s favorite outdoor concert locations, the Waldbühne (literally ‘forest stage’), was constructed in 1936 in preparation for the XIth Olympiad. Designed after an ancient Greek amphitheater, the wooden benches seat 22,000 party people—though the original, and typically maniacal plans drawn up by Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels imagined space for 100,000 party members.

Postwar uses for the arena have included an open-air cinema, a boxing ring, and musical performances. Beginning in the 1960s, rock concerts were added to the roster, a decision some regretted when, during a 1965 Rolling Stones concert, audience members demolished the wooden benches during an hours-long pitched battle with police resulting in seventy-three injuries. It would take several years—and 400,000 DM—for the extensive damage to be repaired and for the amphitheater to reopen. The Stones have performed at the Waldbühne since and their concerts, while celebrated, have been somewhat less exciting.