Sport
Hoppegarten: The East German racetrack that was a Cold War hit
Published 1812 GMT (0212 HKT) August 8, 2016
Share
1 of 9
The exterior of Hoppegarten racetrack on the eastern outskirts of Berlin, Germany. CNN
The historic racecourse is more than 100 years old and was purchased by private investor, Gerhard Schoningh, in 2006.
CNN
CNN
Artur Boehlke was charged with running Hoppegarten in the days of the GDR, as East Germany was officially known. CNN
Horse trainer Uwe Stech began working as an apprentice jockey at Hoppegarten in 1977. CNN
Crowds gather to watch a race in Hoppegarten's glory days.
Hoppegarten's grandstand was built in the 1920's when Germany was known as the Weimar Republic.
The course was well taken care of by the state between the end of World War II and the fall of the Berlin Wall, Stech says.
According to Boehlke, people would dress up to come to the races and have a bet during the days of the GDR.
Schoningh aims to bring back big crowds to Hoppegarten while emphasizing it's history and charm.
