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The expanded national rowing base in Hamburg-Allermöhe was officially inaugurated on April 21, 2026 with more than 100 guests and bright sunshine. The new management center sustainably strengthens the location on the Dove-Elbe and sends a clear signal for modern competitive rowing in Hamburg.
New federal rowing base in Allermöhe officially opened
On April 21, 2026, we inaugurated the expansion of our Hamburg national rowing base in Allermöhe. It was a special day for our rowing sport in Hamburg, for the location on the Dove-Elbe and for everyone who has worked hard on this project over the past few years.
More than 100 guests came to Allermöhe in glorious sunshine to celebrate the completion of the new rowing center. After two years of construction, a modern base has been created here that meets the requirements of top-class sport and at the same time sends out a strong signal for the future of rowing in Hamburg.
Since the ground-breaking ceremony, the sports infrastructure at Dove-Elbe has grown continuously over the decades. The opening of the new building marks another important milestone in this development. The location now offers our athletes even better conditions for training, regeneration, meetings and rest. This is precisely where its real significance lies: not just in new buildings, but in a place where competitive sport is possible at a high level in everyday life.
A location with significance for Hamburg and the sport of rowing
The federal base in Allermöhe is a central location for competitive rowing. National, state and junior squads train here under professional conditions. New training and functional rooms, an additional boat hall as well as recreation and seminar rooms create the basis for development, performance and prospects to come together in one place.
Andreas Döpper, Chairman of the AAC/NRB Landesruderverband Hamburg, commented on the opening:
“Today is a good day for rowing in Hamburg. With the new management center in Allermöhe, we are strengthening a location where work has been carried out with great continuity and at a high level for many years.”
Hamburg’s sports senator Andy Grote summed up the importance of the location:
“Rowing is Hamburg’s flagship discipline. As a green metropolis on the water, we not only have perfect conditions, but as of today we also have one of the most modern bases in Germany, with training conditions that offer everything our athletes need on their way to the top of the world. Together with the federal government, we are thus laying the foundations for a strong Team Germany and for successful Olympic and Paralympic rowing competitions in Hamburg. “
These words show what Allermöhe is all about: a location that combines sporting quality, long-term support and the Olympic perspective of rowing.
Recognition at federal level
The federal government was also represented at the inauguration by Josephine Burth, Head of Division in the Sports Department of the Federal Chancellery. She offered her congratulations on the completion of the extension, underlining the importance of the site at a federal level. Her attendance was a visible sign of recognition for the work that has been carried out in Allermöhe for many years and for the role that this base plays in German rowing.
High-quality infrastructure for top-class sport
The new location also sets standards in terms of construction. Jens Kerkhoff, Managing Director of GMH | Gebäudemanagement Hamburg, emphasized the quality and direction of the project at the inauguration:
“We are delighted that we at GMH have been able to make an important contribution to the promotion of top-class sport in Hamburg with the structural expansion and modernization of the national and state rowing base. With the new extension, the modern training and functional rooms as well as sustainable features such as a photovoltaic system and heat pumps, we offer the athletes optimal conditions for their sporting development. This project shows how high-performance infrastructure and sustainable construction can go hand in hand. “
This describes precisely what this extension is all about: a combination of functionality, quality and sustainability.
Lars Koltermann: A location of national and international importance
Lars Koltermann, Deputy Chairman of the DRV, spoke on behalf of the German Rowing Association. He clearly explained the importance of the location:
“When we met here almost exactly two years ago in a similar setting to lay the foundation stone, we only had a rough theoretical idea of what to expect. Now we are very impressed to see what has been created here, namely a modern performance center that meets all the requirements of a top-class sports base. “
Koltermann also emphasized the sporting role of the location in the German rowing system:
“We also work at the highest level here, as the Hamburg/Ratzeburg federal base is one of three leading bases of the German Rowing Association.”
And further:
“The state squad athletes of the Hamburg State Rowing Association, who have been among the best in Germany for years, train here. The U23 athletes from all over northern Germany also train very successfully here. And the national men’s sculling team of our association also prepares here for international competitions such as world championships and the Olympic Games. “
His statement on the European presence at the site is also particularly noteworthy:
“The fact that European Rowing, the European Rowing Federation, will soon have its headquarters in this building is also a great sign of recognition for this location. This also shows the importance of this facility! “
This makes it clear that Allermöhe is not only an efficient training base in everyday training, but is also gaining additional weight in its international perception.
Koltermann also drew attention to the regatta course itself:
“We not only see an expanded performance center here, but also a regatta facility that meets international standards.”
And added:
“We would be delighted if major international competitions were to be held here again in the near future. We would definitely support this project! “
More than just a building
The inauguration showed just how strong the Allermöhe site is today. Competitive sport needs reliable framework conditions, good routes, professional training facilities and places where athletes can concentrate on their work. This is exactly what the new training center stands for.
The pictures of the day made this impressively clear: the view of the new training areas, the functional quality of the building, the direct location on the regatta course and the tangible connection between sport, the association, politics and the public sector. Allermöhe has thus not only been functionally strengthened. Architecturally and organizationally, the location now also appears even more clearly as what it is: a central location for German rowing.
Broad media response to the opening
The inauguration of the new management center was also widely covered by the media. Reports on the opening included
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Hamburg Ministry of the Interior and Sport
https://www.hamburg.de/politik-und-verwaltung/behoerden/behoerde-fuer-inneres-und-sport/presseservice/pressemeldungen/neuer-hamburger-bundesstuetzpunkts-rudern-eingeweiht-1166984 -
SAT.1 REGIONAL
https://www.sat1regional.de/olympia-referendum-erste-abstimmungsunterlagen-in-hamburg-versendet/ -
NDR Hamburg Journal
https://www.ndr.de/fernsehen/sendungen/hamburg_journal/millionen-euro-fuer-ruderstuetzpunkt,hamj-10076.html -
RTL Nord / RTL+
https://plus.rtl.de/video-tv/shows/rtl-nord-hh-sh-904366 -
SAT.1 REGIONAL Newsticker
https://www.sat1regional.de/newsticker/modernisierter-hamburger-ruder-stuetzpunkt-eingeweiht/ -
Hamburger Abendblatt / Bergedorfer Zeitung
https://www.abendblatt.de/hamburg/bergedorf/article411771622/ruderzentrum-plus-ruder-club-bergedorf.html
WELT and n-tv also reported on the opening.
Our thanks
A project of this magnitude does not happen by itself. It needs political support, public funding, quality planning and many committed people in the background. We would therefore like to thank everyone involved in the planning, financing and implementation of this construction project.
Special thanks go to the City of Hamburg and the federal government for supporting this project. We would also like to thank all our guests, partners and contributors who shared this day in Allermöhe with us.
The inauguration of the new management center in Allermöhe has created a place that will strengthen rowing in Hamburg in the long term. The location stands for quality, continuity and the future. It improves the conditions for our athletes in their day-to-day training, strengthens Hamburg’s role in German rowing and underlines the importance of the Dove-Elbe as an efficient location for training and regattas.
To conclude, Andreas Döpper said:
“This building stands for more than just new rooms. It stands for reliability, for joint efforts and for the clear perspective of continuing to put rowing in Hamburg on a strong footing in the future.”
April 21, 2026 was therefore much more than just an official date. It was a visible sign of what is possible when support, conviction and long-term commitment come together.