Premiere in Oberhausen: the church is transformed into a sports spectacle

Germany’s first sports chapel will be built in Oberhausen. After the conversion, citizens should be able to take advantage of many sporting activities. Premiere nationwide.

Oberhausen – a sport in the church? This will soon be possible in Oberhausen in North Rhine-Westphalia. For this purpose, the city of Oberhausen would like to redesign a centuries-old church. According to the city, the project will cost more than three million euros. After the conversion, day care centers, schools and sports clubs should be able to use the chapel.

Oberhausen (NRW): A former Catholic church turned sports scene

According to the city, the new sports church will be built in the former church of St. Joseph Heide in Oberhausen-Osterfeld. The building, which dates back to 1910, was used by the Catholic Church for services until September 2020. According to the city, a sports and exercise landscape must now be created there so that residents of Oberhausen can continue to use the listed site.

The city of Oberhausen, together with the federal government, offers more than three million euros

The money will come largely from a federal funding program that deals with the renovation and maintenance of municipal facilities in the areas of sports, youth and culture. According to the city, a grant of three million euros was promised. The city announced that it wanted to support the project with an additional €333,333. Thus, a total of 3.3 million euros is available for the construction of the sports landscape.

Sportkirche in Oberhausen: also space for daycare centers and schools

With the transformation of Hyde Church, the city wants to create a place of movement and encounters. At the same time, the city of Oberhausen announced that the aim is to encourage residents to take up sports with “low-threshold sports offerings”. After the conversion, children and young adults will be able to climb, jump and slide there, among other things. In addition to being used in the entertainment sector, according to the city, the church should also be a point of contact for day care centers and schools in the morning.

Starting in Oberhausen perhaps not earlier than 2025 – the city hopes for citizen participation

It will be some time before the first sports chapel is opened in Germany. A spokesperson said the city currently assumes the church could open in the second half of 2025 Radio Oberhausen. An architect’s office is expected to commission the planning in April.

The city hopes to get additional support from the population so that the sports and exercise scene can also be realized. “As part of the implementation, the city of Oberhausen, in close cooperation with the responsible parish, relies on broad citizen participation,” the city said in 2022.

Oberhausen is changing

Not the athletic and aerobics scene at St. Josef Heide’s former project is the only one to change the scope of recreational activities in Oberhausen. For example, theme park operator Karls plans to create a Karls adventure village for children and families next to Centro Oberhausen. (Son)