Since its construction (1925 - 1927), the Nordschleife has enjoyed a reputation as the most fearsome and merciless racetrack in the world. An English journalist who visited the Nordschleife at the inaugural race on June 18, 1927, described the track as "they must have sent a staggering giant in a drunken stupor to lay out the course". He was so impressed by the track that he gave it the world-famous name "Green Hell".