Radstadion Köln
Müngersdorf velodrome opened in 1996 with a track made from rare tropical Afzelia wood; partly demolished since 2022, replaced by the Albert Richter Velodrome from 2027.
Opened in 1996 in the Müngersdorf district, the Radstadion Köln was home to a cycling track officially known as the Albert-Richter-Bahn. Partial demolition began in 2022, and a successor venue — the Albert-Richter-Velodrome — is planned to open on the same site by 2027.
Source: Wikipedia
At a Glance
- Type
- Cycling stadium with banked indoor track
- Location
- Müngersdorf district, Lindenthal borough
- Opened
- 1996 (construction began 1990)
- Capacity
- 2,500 spectators, partly covered
- Track
- Banking between 13° and 43°, suitable for speeds up to 85 km/h
- Material
- Tropical Afzelia hardwood
- Status
- Partly demolished since 2022
The velodrome track is made of rare tropical afzelia wood, which sparked a heated political dispute in Cologne's city council during construction due to concerns about using this threatened tropical timber.
Construction and Architecture
Built in stages after groundbreaking in 1990, the stadium was completed in 1996. It stood directly adjacent to the Rheinenergiestadion and the German Sport University Cologne. The design was created by Münster-based architects Herbert and Ralph Schürmann. The track was laid using Afzelia, a weather-resistant tropical hardwood — a choice that sparked political controversy in Cologne's city council during construction.
Named After Albert Richter
The track's name honours Albert Richter, a Cologne cyclist who won the amateur sprint world championship in Rome in 1932 and most likely died at the hands of the Gestapo in Lörrach prison in 1940. Naming the track after him was championed by a citizens' initiative led by journalist Renate Franz and Andreas Hupke, who later became mayor of Cologne's inner city district. Officially only the track bore his name, but in everyday usage the distinction faded and people commonly referred to the entire facility as the "Albert-Richter-Radstadion."
Use and Demolition
The venue hosted the 110th German Track Cycling Championships at its very opening in 1996. Until 2001 it was owned by the City of Cologne, after which it passed to the city-owned company Kölner Sportstätten GmbH. In 2012, Maximilian Levy set the track record over 200 m with a time of 10.033 seconds. The partial demolition that began in 2022 left only the structural shell and a utility building standing; until the new velodrome opens, the Sportforum Kaarst-Büttgen — roughly 40 kilometres away — serves as the training base for the NRW high-performance cycling centre.
Timeline
- 1990Construction of the cycling stadium begins
- 1996Opening; 110th German Track Championships; track named after Albert Richter
- 1998Scoreboard from demolished Cologne sports hall installed
- 2001Transfer to the city-owned Kölner Sportstätten GmbH
- 2012Track record over 200 m: Maximilian Levy in 10.033 seconds (22 July)
- 2022Partial demolition of the stadium down to the structural frame
- 2027Planned opening of the new Albert Richter Velodrome
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Auto-generated, last verified: 2026-06-27