Augsburger Panther · Augsburg, Germany
Curt Frenzel Stadium is a hockey venue located in Augsburg, Germany, with a seating capacity of 6,218. It is home to Augsburger Panther, who compete in Deutsche Eishockey Liga. Curt Frenzel Stadium is one of 63 venues in Germany tracked on TurfNurd, and ranks 5th among Deutsche Eishockey Liga stadiums by capacity.
If you're planning to catch an ice hockey game in Bavaria, make your way to Augsburg's Curt Frenzel Stadium, where the Augsburger Panther play before passionate crowds of over 6,000 fans. Named after the team's beloved president who passed away in 1970, this arena has a fascinating quirk in its history: until 2013, it was the only professional ice hockey venue in Germany that was partially open to the elements, with a roof overhead but no walls enclosing the sides. Imagine watching a fast-paced game while feeling the crisp German winter air swirling around you, creating an atmosphere unlike any other rink in the country.
The stadium underwent a major transformation that kept it shuttered for the entire 2013-14 season, though the renovation project itself became something of a local saga. What began in 2010 with a planned 2012 completion date turned into a comedy of errors when fans settling into the newly completed first stand realized they couldn't actually see portions of the ice surface. The entire stand had to be torn down and rebuilt, adding roughly 2.5 million euros to the bill and sparking a legal battle with the architect that dragged on for years. Today, though, visitors can enjoy the fully renovated facility without any obstructed views, making it well worth the wait for both the home faithful and traveling hockey enthusiasts looking to experience German ice hockey culture in one of the country's most storied venues.
