From now on, the Hans Kessler Curve is an official part of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On Sunday (January 26th), the area between the main and north stands was put into operation before kick-off. The Hans Kessler Curve was inaugurated at a small ceremony by its namesake, Honorary President Hans Kessler, as well as by the Presidium and the Council of Elders of SV 98, in the presence of, among others, Mayor Hanno Benz.
Hans Kessler: “I would like to thank all members who took part in choosing the name. I would also like to thank everyone who did their part in the background to ensure that we now have an area in our stadium that represents the close connection between the club, the Böllenfalltor location and of course the Lilien family. The curve also symbolises that you can only shape the future if you know the past.”
Rüdiger Fritsch: “We are proud that the curve bears the name of our honorary president Hans Kessler, to whom we as a club owe a lot. We are delighted that we have made a piece of SV 98’s contemporary history visible to future generations of Lily fans. The old steps and breakwaters including the Dugena clock from the pre-renovation period are not only a journey into the past, but also a reminder of the path SV Darmstadt 98 has taken in the recent past without losing its values and ideals . Many thanks at this point for the efforts of many helpers in the background of this project – on behalf of Peter Schmidt from our council of elders and in particular Mr Andreas Schlossarek and Wolfgang Haubach for the work on the clock.”
Hanno Benz: “This place with so much history creates identity with the city and will function as a meeting place for fans in the future. There couldn’t have been a better name for the curve. Thank you on behalf of the city of Darmstadt for naming it.”
Last year, SV 98 called on its members, including the fan advisory board, to vote on the name of the nostalgia corner, and the name “Hans-Kessler-Kurve” prevailed with a large majority in the online vote. At the end of July, work began on this area directly next to one of the time-honored floodlight masts. Andreas Schlossarek and Wolfgang Haubach from the Darmstadt association Makerspace painstakingly repaired the Dugena clock with the help of Peter Schmidt’s council of elders. Continuous operation in practice must now show how reliably the historic clock will run.
From now on, the Hans-Kessler-Kurve will offer space for 28 standing places. These can be booked by fan groups, members and business partners in a package with space and meals on a match-day basis. Interested parties can contact tickets@sv98.de and vip@sv98.de. The capacity of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor remains at 17,810 spectators.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.