Strahov Stadium, with a capacity that surpassed only the Roman Circus Maximus

Prague - With a capacity of 220,000 spectators, Strahov Stadium was one of the largest stadiums in the world, surpassed in this category by only the ancient Roman Circus Maximus, which accommodated approximately 320,000 visitors according to some sources. Other sources also state that it is the second largest structure built for sporting purposes after the motor racing stadium in Indianapolis, which has a capacity of 235,000 spectators. Strahov Stadium, which currently has very limited use, was opened 90 years ago, on July 4, 1926, during the VIII. All-Sokol Slet.

The stadium was built for the purpose of holding all-Sokol slets, but in 1926, it featured a sandy training ground, earthen mounds, and wooden stands for spectators. The original stadium was designed by architect Alois Dryák. It was later extended several times; for instance, from 1932 to 1938, the western stand was built according to the designs of architects Ferdinand Balcárek and Karel Kopp, and from 1960 to 1975, the entire complex was extended for the needs of national Spartakiads.

The total area of the stadium is 63,000 m2, which is approximately the size of nine football fields. At the height of its glory, between 16,000 and 33,000 gymnasts trained here, which could be watched by 137,000 spectators. The total capacity for events, such as concerts, is 220,000 places.

Before the war, several Sokol slets and other public performances were held here, with the highest attendance recorded in June and July 1938, when the then Masaryk State Stadium hosted the anti-war X. All-Sokol Slet.

During World War II, the stadium was used by the Nazis for the deportation of Jews, who were gathered here before transport. After the war, Germans awaiting deportation from Czech lands gathered here again.

The first nationwide Spartakiad was held here in 1955 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the end of World War II. A series of nationwide and later Czechoslovak Spartakiads, held at five-year intervals, was interrupted only in 1970 after the invasion of troops into the territory of what was then Czechoslovakia in 1968. The last Spartakiad took place in 1985, while the next planned one in 1990 did not occur. At the 1960 Spartakiad, a record 750,000 gymnasts participated in the area, and the stands accommodated up to two million spectators.

However, after the fall of communism, this rather megalomaniacal structure had no further use, it fell into disrepair, with weeds and small trees growing on the field, and the stands reached a state of emergency. There were tendencies to demolish the stadium, but in the end, it was decided that it would be preserved.

In 1998, the city of Prague signed a contract with the Czech-Moravian Football Association for a 50-year free loan, with the stipulation that the association would start constructing a National Football Stadium in Strahov, but the project was abandoned, and the contract was terminated the following year.

In July 2002, an agreement was signed for the lease of the stadium to the football club Sparta Prague, which opened its training ground with eight fields and a modern administrative building there in October 2003 for 261 million crowns.

In 1994, the renewed XII. All-Sokol Slet was held here with the participation of President Václav Havel, and in May 1995, a mass was held here by Pope John Paul II. However, their scale did not reach that of the pre-war events, and subsequent slets were held at the Rošického Stadium.

The stadium was then filled with crowds of music-loving fans; for example, in August 1990, around 100,000 people attended a concert by the Rolling Stones, approximately 120,000 came in September 1994 for a performance by Pink Floyd, about 130,000 spectators returned in August 1995 for the "Stones" again, and around 80,000 people attended a concert by the Irish band U2 in August 1997.

In the 1990s, the stadium area was also used for exhibition events, including several ForArch fairs. And in September 2000, the stadium served as a tent city during the meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Prague, where opponents of globalization were accommodated, often used by members of Jehovah's Witnesses.

The stadium, which has relatively complicated ownership relations, now has very limited use, mainly serving the football club Sparta. Since March 2003, it has been on the list of cultural monuments.