In the entrance area of the Ahorn-Sportpark-Halle, there is a bust depicting the head of Heinz Nixdorf. In the background, on the white wall between the entrance door and a floor-to-ceiling window, hangs a canvas photograph of Heinz Nixdorf. In this black-and-white photograph, he is standing in front of the athletics stadium, looking straight ahead. At the top of the picture is the following quote from Heinz Nixdorf: "I did not pursue sport out of passion, but sport became my passion."

Ahorn-Sportpark

Life on earth comes before heaven, and that is where we must build a social society.

Heinz Nixdorf, 1986

In this black-and-white photograph by Heinz Nixdorf, he is standing in front of the athletics stadium, looking straight ahead. In the background, the athletics area with the grass pitch and the tartan track can be seen. Further in the background, trees are visible.

Heinz Nixdorf

Heinz Nixdorf (1925–1986) was one of the most innovative and successful entrepreneurs in post-war German history.

With the creation of the Ahorn Sports Park, Heinz Nixdorf established an ‘open sports facility usage system’, meaning that, alongside the organised sporting activities of various company sports groups and numerous Paderborn clubs, non-club-affiliated recreational athletes can also use the Ahorn Sports Park at any time.

Heinz Nixdorf Foundation / Westfalen Foundation

The Heinz Nixdorf Foundation, Munich, and the Westfalen Foundation, Paderborn, are two corporate-independent, charitable foundations under civil law that were established from the estate of the entrepreneur Heinz Nixdorf, who died in 1986. The foundations’ assets originally consisted of ordinary shares in Nixdorf Computer AG held by Heinz Nixdorf. The current foundation assets derive from the sale of this shareholding. The Heinz Nixdorf Foundation and the Westfalen Foundation are now among the largest private foundations in Germany.

Although both foundations are legally independent, they are closely linked due to their shared roots, their largely identical charitable purposes and their parallel administration.

stiftung-westfalen.de

The Golden Maple Leaf

Without volunteers, our society would not only be poorer and colder, but also less functional. Some of our fellow citizens are committed to helping others without holding a formal position. At the Ahorn Sports Park, alongside the particularly successful athletes, the extraordinary achievements of those who volunteer at the Ahorn Sports Park are to be highlighted and honoured – with the ‘Golden Maple Leaf’.

The ‘Golden Maple Leaf’ was first awarded in 1999. The recipients of the Golden Maple Leaf:

1999

Gisela Kuglin (LC Paderborn e.V.)
Klaus Meilwes (LC Paderborn e.V.)
Andreas Preising (Paderborn Squash Club e.V.)

2000

Manfred Löhr (LC Paderborn e.V.)
Heinz Georg-Knübel (Coronarsportgemeinschaft Paderborn e.V.)
Margret and Hermann-Josef Kluth (DJK Paderborn)

2001

Dr Leo Pieprzyk (Coronarsportgemeinschaft Paderborn e.V.)
Dr Uwe Rheker (Paderborner Ahorn-Panther e.V.)

2005

Marlies Brünemeier (LC Paderborn e.V.)
Andreas Dirkes (Paderborn Squash Club)
Werner Dulling (LC Paderborn e.V.)

2007

Josef Sonntag (Club85 Paderborn e.V.)
Hans Uffelmann (Westphalia Football and Athletics Association)

2010

J. Uwe Diedam (Untouchables Paderborn Baseball Club e.V.)
Rudi Herrmann (Ahorn Sport and Leisure Club Paderborn e.V.)

2013

Friedhelm Steinkemper (Coronarsportgemeinschaft Paderborn e.V.)
Matthias Wolff (Paderborn Squash Club)

2024

Ludger Düchting (Paderborn Ahorn-Panther e. V.)
Prof. Dr Uwe Kern (Paderborner Squash Club e. V.)