text: Expansion In 1966, the stadium required expansion when Union won promotion to the DDR-Oberliga, the then top flight in East Germany. The stadium was first expanded in 1970 when the Gegengerade terrace was raised, whilst further extensions to the terracing at both ends in the late 1970s and early 1980s increased the capacity to 22,500. The stadium started showing signs of depreciation with the club unable to properly maintain the same as attendances went into a serious decline in common with the majority of clubs during the 1980s.
  Post-reunification
  After German reunification, when Union were assigned to play in the 3rd league by the German Football Association with the outdated stadium proving to be one of the factors that hampered the club's push for promotion to higher leagues.
  The terracing at the ground was in a poor state thereby reducing the capacity to 18,100 spectators. In the late 1990s, Union were only allowed to continue playing at the stadium on special temporary license until DFL stopped renewing these in 2006. The stadium was no longer eligible to stage any matches in the top three tiers of German football thereby forcing the club to redevelop the stadium or make a move to a different ground.
  Redevelopment