Vul. Zolota, 32 – stadium

In June 1908 an athlete by the name of Adolf Kohn spearheaded the formation of a municipal Jewish Gymnastics-Athletic Association, founding several sport clubs: Dror, Zenit, Makabi, Yutshenko, Zionit, Akoakh, and Hasmonea. The Hasmonea Club – named for the Hasmonead Dynasty, the ancient manifestation of the Hebrew people’s fight for religious and political independence – was the leading organization in the Association. Two years after its founding, Hasmonea joined the second division of the Austrian Football League of that time, and finally, in 1927-28, the first division of the Polish League.

The first sports club of Jewish Gymnastics-Athletic Association was laid out on Yanivsky Road in the Levandivka district in 1908, developing football and track-and-field teams there. In time the club expanded and by 1932 boasted squads in 12 different sports (Piłka, 1996, p70). In the spring of 1920 the Hasmonea Club received permission from the city magistrate to build its own sports arena on privateland in the Lychakivska Pasika district. On July 7, 1923 the Jewish Community celebrated the opening of the newlybuilt stadium (Orłowicz, 1925, 10, 240). At the time it was largest sports facility in Lviv (per V. Gorbay’s city plan, published 1931, 1938 and 1939). The stadium could hold 10,000 with seating for 2,000 in the grandstands. The opening was marked with an internatonal match between Hasmonea and the Budapest Vivo club.

On 28 November1932 the stadium was lost in a fire. Hasmonea Club leader Maurycy Richter championed the cause and the club received land on the Pylylvska Heights, where the construction of a new stadium was begun, completing in 1939 (Księga, 1939, 65). Although Hasmonea offered a number of types of sport, all of them were overshadowed by the Club’s football team which competed in the Polish Championship League. Its leading players -Zygmunt Schteuermann,Izydor Redler, Ludwik Schneider(Sznajder) – played for the Polish National Football team. Among other prominent footballers to play for the club were Filip Schliaff, Zygmunt Blumbenblat, Matej Gokh, Maksimilian Gorowitz, Henrich Grubel, Natan Isaak Zuker (Piłka, 1996, 69-70; Lwów i Wilno, 92-107).

In September 1939 the Hasmonea Club was disbanded. During the Second World War its territory was occupied by the Yanivsky concentration camp. During the Soviet era the stadium was granted to the Torpedo Sports Society. In the 1990s, a clothing market was open on the territory, operating until 2008. The territory no longer serves as a sports facility.