User:Mahei/Racecourse Hoppegarten

Hoppegarten race course  (German: Rennbahn Hoppegarten) is located 20 kilometers east of Berlin and is the oldest race course in Germany with a 145 years tradition since 1868. Until 1945 Hoppegarten was the leading national turf training centre with about 1.000 horses. After the second World War and following the division of Germany, Hoppegarten found itself in East German State. Following the construction of the Berlin Wall, West Berliners, who accounted for half of the Hoppegarten´s visitors, could no longer visit their local racecourse.

Following German Reunification, efforts were made to restore Hoppegarten to its pre war eminence and several group races were created with the help of high profile sponsors. The ownership of the track remained in dispute between central government, the state government of Brandenburg and Hoppegarten’s original owner, the Union-Klub (German Jockey Club). As a consequence no major investments could be made and the operation and funding of the race meetings was complicated by the large number of parties involved. In 2005 the race club operating Hoppegarten became insolvent, with the lease falling back to central government. It was then decided to privatise the track by public tender.

In March 2008 Gerhard Schöningh became the new owner of the track and training facilities. Hoppegarten is the only racecourse in Germany that is both privately owned and operated.