Maifeld / The Mayfield

At the foot of the tower is the Mayfield, which has an area of 112,000 square metres (almost 28 acres). During the Olympic Games, the polo and dressage events, as well as an exhibition organised by 20,000 Berlin school children took place here. As its name indicates, the Mayfield was to be used especially for celebrations on the 1st of May (May Day celebration). (The Foto shows the Mayfield during World Championship of Soccer in 2006).

It has a capacity of 250,000, and the terracing can hold another 60,000 spectators. Until 1994, the annual birthday parade for the British Sovereign was held on the field and was attended by thousands from Berlin. The Mayfield belonged to the grounds of the British protecting powers, which organised various competitions, for instance rugby, football, and polo. Today the Mayfield is still used for sport competitions by German teams. The sculptures at the east end of the Mayfield representing horses being led, is the work of Josef Wackerle. The front of the massive centre of the Bell Tower, with the Langemarck-Halle and the entrances to the tower and Mayfield and the lateral main stairs, is faced with a sturdy stone from the area of the Lower Alps (Nagelfluh www.nagelfluh.de) which gives the edifice a robust appearance.