Dzieje stadionu (English)

Z Historia Wisły

Lack of appropriate facilities is an obvious handicap in the functioning of any sports club. It's no wonder that shortly after forming the team, Wisła took on efforts to acquire a piece of land for the pitch and stadium. At the initial phase Wisła played in Jordan's Park (public playground at that time at the outskirts of Krakow) or on Błonia (vast meadow next to Jordan's Park). With the growing popularity of football and rapid development of the sport, these makeshift pitches became insufficient.

The first attempt at building own facilities concerned an ice rink. The idea was simple: income generated by the ice rink would be used to pay for its cost, with the surplus devoted to future creation of football stadium. The unfortunate part was that the winter of 1909 was very mild. As Wisła described it many years later: We have no luck with our own nest. We wandered around the corners of various "trash" places, and when moments came that seemed like finally fate was starting to smile upon us and the possibility of obtaining our own facilities was approaching, unexpected catastrophes cut off our existence. That's how it was in 1909 when leasing the ice rink brought us a huge shortfall because, due to an exceptionally mild winter in Krakow that year, we didn't open the skating track for a single day (then we had to spend years repaying a high loan we took).

Oleandry Sports Park

Several years after the unlucky attempt at creating an ice rink, Wisła - now formally registered as a Sports Society - was granted another piece of land on lease. The efforts of - among others - president Marian Orzelski and board members Zdzisław Kiliński and Adam Obrubański were instrumental in this endeavour. Not far from the first unsuccessful investment, on the so called exhibition grounds (Exhibition of Architecture and Interiors in Garden Surroundings) in Oleandry, the first football facility of Wisła was built. A majority of members of the Wisła Sports Society were involved in the construction works, including the football players. The opening ceremony of the field took place on April 5, 1914. Wisła defeated Czarni from Lviv 3-2 in the inauguration of the new field. As reported by the Illustrated Sports Weekly, "The field itself, as well as the stands, do not look too impressive. The field still requires a lot of work to bring it to the proper value for football competitions. It is also not advantageous to have stands from which the entire field cannot be seen. More space should be left around the field because such narrowing hinders the game." (ITS, April 11, 1914)

Despite these inconveniences, after so many years, the stadium undoubtedly filled Wisła members and supporters with pride. It is also worth noting the rich facilities of the stadium, based on the remains of the Exhibition of Architecture, giving the Park Sportowy in Oleandry the character of a multi-functional facility. In a short time, various events were organized here, including festivities on the occasion of the May 3rd holiday, balloon flights, and art exhibitions. The park also had a theater hall and a concert shell. This made Oleandry have the potential to become an important place on the sports and cultural map of rapidly developing city of Kraków.

However, the players and fans enjoyed their own headquarters briefly. The outbreak of World War I thwarted the opportunity to expand the Oleandry Sports Park of Wisła. Józef Piłsudski's units were stationed in Oleandry with the club's authorities' permission. It was here that the First Cadre Company, the nucleus of the later Polish Legions, was formed. On August 6, 1914, the First Cadre Company marched off to the battlefield from here. When Piłsudski's Legions left Oleandry and Wisła suspended its activities, the stadium was taken over by the city of Kraków, which converted it into cow enclosures. A year later, in March 1915, due to oversight and negligence, the stadium was completely burned down. After the war, only ruins remained of the Oleandry Sports Park and Wisła had start everything from scratch.

Architecture Exhibition around 1912.	Architecture Exhibition around 1912. The first stadium of Wisła will be built in this place. The second one will have a stand modeled after the building visible in the photo.	Site plan of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Plan of the main pavilion of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.
Main entrance to the area of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Café on the premises of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Theater pavilion in the complex of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Main pavilion of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.
Interior of the main pavilion of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Concert shell on the premises of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Tavern on the premises of the Architecture Exhibition in 1912.	Opening match of the stadium: Wisła Kraków - Czarni Lwów 3:2.
Unidentified match at Oleandry	Wisła team at their stadium.	Buildings of the Park Sportowy Wisły in 1914.	Modest stand of the first Wisła stadium.
Modest stand of the first Wisła stadium.	Buildings of the Park Sportowy Wisły.	Buildings of the Park Sportowy Wisły.	Oleandry in flames.
Oleandry in flames.	Oleandry in flames.	Oleandry in flames.	Remains of the stadium, years 1915-17.
Former Wisła stadium grounds, contemporary view.

Second stadium 1922-53

The main task of the authorities of TS Wisła after the reactivation of the club's activities in 1918 in the reborn and independent Republic of Poland was to obtain land from the city authorities for a new stadium. As "Sport lwowski" vividly depicted at that time: "As soon as the war subsided, old Wiślacy emerged as if from underground, returned to the workshop, and the power of their will, solidarity, the power of love for ideals and spirit of these people prevailed." However, before that happened, Wisła wandered around foreign fields during the first years of the Second Polish Republic. Wisła "explored various foreign corners, but it never even dreams of ceasing to exist, although others, luckier, are already in possession of their own territory. It's like a hungry stray dog showing its teeth to well-fed bandogs settled in beautiful houses. If the sight of its teeth doesn't evoke sufficient respect, it is always ready to try them on the opponent's skin, often with painful results. These are the sporting successes of Wisła. Victories over the possessors of beautiful fields, facilities, managed by experienced masters. In the country and abroad." The press wrote with admiration: "This team deserves even more admiration and respect because it doesn't have its own field in Kraków" (Ilustrowany Kurier Codzienny, August 9, 1919). It should be mentioned here that maintaining a club (football team) at a sufficiently high level without its own sports facilities was considered almost miraculous in those times. It was primarily associated with the costs of maintaining the team. There were no government or municipal subsidies supporting clubs at that time. On the contrary, municipalities (especially the city of Kraków) imposed high taxes on gross income from sports events (one could rather say extortion). These taxes were much higher than in other cities in Poland (reaching 40%). Therefore, clubs relied on ticket sales for matches, as the material and financial support from club members and "affluent" benefactors was not significant at that time.

For the normal functioning of the club, having its own stadium became a sine qua non condition for its continued existence. Clubs without their own sports facilities had to borrow them from wealthier neighbors (usually not without self-interest - the rental fees for using, for example, Cracovia's field cost Wisła an average of about 15% of gross ticket revenue or a significant lump sum). Wisła played its matches in Kraków on the fields of Cracovia and Makkabi. The costs of maintaining the club, therefore, increased proportionally, and the questionable profits from the organized matches often turned into losses. All it took was bad weather or fewer spectators than expected, and the club found itself in financial trouble. Another negative consequence of this situation was the small group of loyal fans forced to follow their team around to foreign places. Since the fans were the main benefactors of the club during this period, paying for tickets, it created a vicious cycle. For the normal existence of a club with tradition and ambitions like Wisła, having its own stadium and field became a necessary matter.

The construction and opening of its own stadium played a significant role, as evidenced by Wisła's results. With the establishment of solid material foundations in the form of its own sports facilities, the "Reds" became an equal rival to Cracovia and decisively surpassed them in the following years, competing for the highest laurels in the national championship. The efforts to acquire land for Wisła's field began in early 1919.

On March 29, 1919, during the first General Meeting of TS Wisła after World War I, a resolution was passed to jointly request the City Council, together with the Kraków Cycling and Motorcycle Club, to allocate land for the future stadium. This request was reiterated at the Annual General Assembly on November 14, 1919, as the previous one had no effect. The need for its own field is best demonstrated by a fragment of the meeting's protocol: "The General Meeting earnestly requests the new board to energetically pursue the acquisition of its own field from the municipality since other much younger societies already have their own fields, while 'Wisła,' one of the oldest sports societies in Poland, still does not possess one. The President assures that his and the board's aim will be to strive for obtaining their own field, and the meeting adjourns without further discussion."

After many efforts, Wisła managed to obtain the approval of the municipal authorities and began the construction of the stadium. Initially, our club wanted to buy a part of the land from the former racecourse, but the city authorities did not agree to it. Therefore, leasing was the only option. The modest financial resources of the Society meant that any selfless assistance was gratefully accepted. The players themselves participated in the construction of the facility, even sacrificing their per diems during Wisła's tour in Romania (September 1921). These funds were used to build a wooden fence around the stadium, and the "team personally leveled the received field." The presence of many professional soldiers in Wisła resulted in assistance from their side, as "the military provided 2000 meters of barbed wire for fencing and 100 kg of nails." The management of the entire facility was entrusted to Marian Kopeć. By the end of 1921, the work was progressing at full speed, but there was a lack of funds for further construction. The offer of money from the club's vice-president, Franciszek Wojas, did not solve the problem. It was decided to ask the members of the Society to pay their contributions in advance for 3 years, and institutions for financial or in-kind support (such as wood). For this purpose, an account was also opened at PKO Bank Polski. Fundraising events were also organized, with the proceeds going towards financing the construction. It was essential to complete the construction along with the start of the new football season. The covered grandstand was designed by the renowned architect Roman Bandurski. Wojas paid for it out of his own pocket, and the Society gradually tried to repay this debt. The covered grandstand, which was built, resembled a combination of a "Chinese pagoda with a Polish nobleman's manor," and it made a considerable impression on the fans even during the construction phase (the grandstand could accommodate 1,800 people, although the original plan was for a capacity of 2,500). It also impressed local journalists and editors of Kraków newspapers. It was noted, however, that the grandstand was "...beautiful but not very practical." The field was separated from the spectators by a track, and behind it was a 1-meter wooden fence. A refreshment stand was located in the wing of the grandstand and operated during the events. Underneath the grandstand, after many years, changing rooms with showers were built, which was a luxury in those times, and an earth mound was constructed for standing spectators opposite the grandstand. The cost of building the grandstand amounted to approximately 13 million Polish marks. The track itself was "considered excellent by experts." Unfortunately, initially it was not the case with the field. "Przegląd Sportowy" in 1922 wrote: "The field itself does not present itself in the best way and still requires significant investments(...)". The implementation of the investment was completed, with a significant contribution from Józef Szkolnikoswski, who is considered the initiator of the efforts to have their own Wisła corner.

The grand opening of the new sports stadium finally took place on April 8, 1922. "Finally" because the opening date of the Sports Park had been postponed twice (initially scheduled for March 12, 1922, and then March 25). The entire ceremony began at 9:30 am with a religious service at the Capuchin Church in the Loretan Chapel. The stadium was blessed by Father Anioł from the Capuchin Order, and the "official" opening of the field was performed by the president of the Polish Football Association, Dr. Cetnarowski, who cut the ribbon. For the inauguration, Wisła defeated Lviv's Pogoń 4-2. The stadium was on the corner of 3rd May Street and Miechowska Street (now Reyman Promenade). The stadium served Wisła for many years, being a silent witness to many memorable moments. For example, Marshal Józef Piłsudski visited it in 1924, one of the most exciting derby matches in the history of these encounters took place there (Wisła - Cracovia 5-5), and in 1926, the Polish Cup final was played there. Wisła's stadium was the first to have an Omega clock installed during the memorable championship season of 1927. It was located across from the wooden grandstand. Having one's own field, apart from the obvious benefits, also had its drawbacks. It required insurance payments and costly renovations. The repair of gutters and the roof of the grandstand financially strained the Society to such an extent that President Aleksander Dembiński was authorized to take out a loan.

Disasters did not spare this facility either. On August 14, 1935, a storm that struck Kraków completely destroyed the grandstand. Only the remnants of broken planks served as a reminder of its existence. "Even the mighty concrete support pillars buckled under the onslaught of the raging storm," wrote the press. To rebuild the grandstand, Wisła took out a loan, which caused financial difficulties for the club until the outbreak of the war. The final renovation work was scheduled for August 1939, and the club requested the allocation of 10 workers from the Labor Fund for this purpose. The club, in fact, employed various methods to raise funds for the stadium's reconstruction. In October of that unfortunate year, during the Wisła-Makkabi boxing match, the competition was preceded by a "display of strength by Mr. Radwan. An extraordinary strong man, a Polish sailor, Mr. Radwan, effortlessly twists iron bars into spirals, breaks horseshoes, coins, drives thick nails into wood with his own hand, and so on. He will perform selflessly, dedicating any potential proceeds to the reconstruction of the Wisła Sports Club's grandstand." And so it happened.

The facility miraculously survived the turmoil of World War II, largely due to its continued use by a football team. Unfortunately, it was not Wisła. Poles were forbidden from engaging in organized sports, and many buildings, including Wisła's stadium, displayed a significant sign stating that only Germans were allowed to use it. In late October 1939, the facility on 3rd May Avenue was handed over to the German 3rd Landesschiitzenregiment (3rd National Shooters Regiment). It was not just a football pitch and a grandstand fenced off by a railing. Along with the buildings, a considerable amount of equipment, not only for football but also for other sections, fell into the hands of the occupiers. The Wisła Park Sports facility was taken over by the Deutsche Turn und Sport Gemeinschaft team. DTSG was the first German civilian sports club within the Kraków area. It was founded by Wilhelm Góra, a former player of Cracovia and a Silesian. This first German club had a group of loyal supporters, and perhaps the most famous among them was Oskar Schindler, a German businessman and member of the NSDAP, who, through his actions, saved over 1,000 Jews from certain death. Schindler, known for his willingness to spend money, provided financial support to DTSG. Therefore, the stadium buzzed with football life until the German soldiers withdrew from Kraków.

On January 28, 1945 (10 days after the liberation of Kraków), after the removal of the sign "Nur für Deutsche" (Only for Germans), the teams of Wisła and Cracovia ran onto the field of the White Star to play the first football match in free Kraków (the city was free, but the war was still ongoing). Both teams took to the field wearing their historic colors. The white and red colors of both Wisła and Cracovia moved thousands of fans in the stands. After a short speech, the choral singing soared over the city walls: "Poland has not yet perished..." Wisła emerged victorious with a 2-0 score. The war spared the stadium, but in 1946, another storm completely destroyed the stands once again. This happened a week before the celebrations of the club's 40th anniversary. The stands were successfully rebuilt, but on a smaller scale.

Wisła continued using the facility for couple of years until it has been completely dismantled in mid-50s, when a new, much larger stadium has been built nearby during the stalinist period.

Third stadium

The stadium adjacent to 3rd May Avenue gradually became inadequate for the needs of the large and continuously growing Sports Society. The Gwardia Association (to which Wisła belonged since 1949) took on the burden of building the entire sports complex. There was no need to look far. Right next to the previously used Wisła Game Park, there was a considerable area where additional sports facilities could be created. Nowadays this is a densely built up area, back it those times it was still at the outskirts of the city.

Gwardia built the football stadium on the grounds of the former speedway track, which was opened for use in 1948. The speedway stadium was very modern for those times. There was even a concept of incorporating a football field into the center of the stadium, but the land belonged to the city, so the idea was abandoned. One could say that good things come to those who wait... However, let's not prejudge the facts.

Previously, the football stadium in this location belonged to Jutrzenka. Most likely, Jutrzenka leased the land from the city. The land definitely belonged to the municipality of Kraków (as we can read in issue 14 of the "Przegląd Sportowy" from 1923). Until 1922, this Jewish club only had a field. There were no stands, so no events with the participation of the audience took place there either. Jutrzenka decided to build such a stand. Its opening was supposed to take place on March 1, 1922 (it is not known if it was completed on time, but it was certainly ready by 1923). The following year, the field underwent drainage, making the turf the best in Kraków. Together with the wooden covered stand, the field formed one of the best stadiums in the city. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, it was taken over by the city. Jutrzenka was accused in the press (as mentioned by Manuel Rympel in "Słowo o sporcie wśród ludności żydowskiej") of having ties with the communists. Furthermore, Rympel talks about a successful attempt to auction off the stadium. How much truth is there in these memories? It is unknown. One thing is certain: the stands were dismantled, and in 1934, the area began preparations for the construction of a municipal stadium. After World War II, the aforementioned speedway track was built. We did not come across any mention of how the plot adjacent to Miechowska Street came into Gwardia's possession.

New stands were built on the track, and in May 1953, Wisła moved a few meters to the new facility. The inauguration took place in 1953, but it should be noted that the stands and other club buildings waited for completion for several more years. In addition to the field and stands, a running track was also allocated, and the famous colonnade (known as the Brandenburg Gate) completed the area behind the goals. The construction work progressed rapidly, mainly thanks to the then president of "Biała Gwiazda" (White Star) Grzegorz Łanin, who personally supervised the workers. However, it was not Łanin but the director Józef Krupa who devoted himself entirely to the work on the future facility. The stadium was very modern for those times. It could accommodate 30,000 spectators. Thanks to this magnificent sports facility, the people of Kraków were able to witness international competitions (Poland B - East Germany B). Over time, other facilities such as a swimming pool and sports halls were added. Nevertheless, the team did not fare well in the new location. In 1953, they indeed won the bronze medal of the Polish championship, but it was their last success for many long and gray years. Finally (possibly in 1959), Wisła supporter Zygmunt Jaśko secretly conducted a consecration ceremony for the stadium, in an attempt to reverse its bad luck. It was an audacious endeavour in the communist period, when the authorities were actively prosecuting the Church and trying to eradicate religion.

In June 1972, the stadium was equipped with lighting masts. The light intensity was estimated at around 700 lux, which was sufficient for black and white television back then. There was no problem with the installation. However, an issue arose after the first heavy rain and windstorm that hit Kraków. The soggy ground and weather conditions caused the lighting masts' foundations to loosen. Cracks appeared, allowing water to gush out, and the lamps collapsed. Later, the masts were reinforced with tie rods. The first match under artificial light at Reymonta Street was a 1-1 draw between Wisła and Legia.

For over forty years, Wisła wandered in the middle of the table. There were relegations to the second league and occasional successes, such as winning the championship in 1978. Like the two previous facilities, this one also hosted many incredible sporting events. One of the most important was the UEFA Cup match against Celtic Glasgow. The stands were filled with 45,000 spectators, a record that was never again officially surpassed (although unofficially, there were rumors of 50,000 fans attending a league match against Śląsk Wrocław). To the delight of the crowd, Wisła emerged victorious with a 2-0 score, eliminating the famous and more decorated club.

The 30-year-old stadium, situated on a slope, began to deteriorate with cracks, falling plaster, and damaged railings. This became a serious matter and caught the attention of Krakow newspapers. Editors of "Echo" published an article with the expressive title: "Wisła is collapsing!" A comprehensive renovation of the entire stadium became necessary. In 1985, sectors I, II, III, IV, and V (the West Stand) were demolished to make way for the construction of a new stand. However, the funds allocated were only sufficient for refurbishing the locker rooms, removing soil from beneath the old West Stand, laying foundations for new sectors, and designing the entire stadium. An estimated 1.8 billion zlotys were still needed to complete the stand. This was merely the first stage of the reconstruction (the plan was to have five stages, with the final one scheduled for completion in 1996), but it was not successfully finished. It is worth noting that the construction was carried out by the KBM Zachód company. Earlier, in 1969, something happened that had a significant impact on the future of Wisła Sports Society. By order of the Minister of Internal Affairs, the land became the property of the State Treasury. Many years later, Wisła filed a lawsuit seeking the recognition of ownership rights. Unfortunately, the attempt to regain the lands was unsuccessful.

Stadium in 1973

As mentioned before, the lack of funds prevented further progress, and as a result, fans had to endure eleven years of watching a dirty, dilapidated wall and pits called "oczodoły" (Polish for eye sockets) The project depicted in the drawing faded into the oblivion of history. In the mid-1990s, the stadium underwent a thorough modernization. Let's go back to 1994 because it is worth mentioning the initiative of Mr. Andrzej Gaberle. The idea was for wealthier fans to contribute money to the stadium, companies to donate materials, and volunteers to start the construction. However, the plan could not be realized. It all ended with cardboard boxes for collecting money. The funds were not raised, and Minister Stefan Paszczyk from the Office of Physical Culture and Tourism announced that not a penny from the budget would be allocated for the stadium. As mentioned earlier, the reconstruction of the facility still commenced.

Reconstruction project from 1985

Infamous "oczodoły" or "eye sockets"

The embankment facing Jordan Park was covered with 22 rows, the lighting masts were dismantled, and in 1996, after eleven years, work resumed on sectors A and B (funding provided by Totalizator Sportowy and eventually the Office of Physical Culture). The masts were dismantled for several reasons. The main reason was that they had been non-functional for several years. Even if they were working, they would not have been suitable for use. The introduction of color television required a minimum illumination of 1,200 lx for broadcasting purposes. The construction of the stands was carried out by the companies Hydrotrest and Realbud. As history has shown, the following years brought not only great sporting successes but also organizational achievements.