List of German football champions

The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany.

German football championship (Deutsche Fußballmeisterschaft)
Founded1903
Replaced byBundesliga
(since 1963–64)
CountryGermany
Other club(s) fromFree City of Danzig
Number of clubs18
Level on pyramidLevel 1
Current championsBayer Leverkusen (1st title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsBayern Munich (33 titles)

History

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The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.

Brought to the country by English immigrants, the sport took root in the cities of Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart, and Leipzig in the 1890s,[1] leading to the growth of city, regional, and academic leagues, each with their own championships. Following the establishment of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fußball Bund) in 1900,[2] the first recognized national championship match was hosted by Hamburg club Altona 93 in 1903 in which VfB Leipzig defeated DFC Prag 7–2,[3] and was awarded the Viktoria, the championship trophy from 1903 to 1944.[4] Before the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963, the championship format was based on a knockout competition, contested between the winners of each of the country's top regional leagues. Since 1963, the first-place finisher in the Bundesliga has been recognized as the national champion.[5]

Championship play was suspended twice; from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I and again from 1945 to 1947 due to World War II.[5] Following World War II, Germany was occupied by the victorious Allies and two German football competitions emerged when the country was divided as a result. The historical tradition of the DFB was continued in what was known as West Germany, while a second national championship was contested in Soviet-controlled East Germany under the auspices of the DFV (Deutscher Fußball-Verband or German Football Federation).[3] Following the reunification of the country in 1990, the two separate football competitions were merged and a single national championship was restored.[3]

Bayern Munich hold the record for the most championships with 33, yet all but one of these (1932) come in Bundesliga competition. BFC Dynamo claimed 10 titles in the former East Germany, winning these championships in consecutive seasons (1979–88).[5]

Champions

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Early German football championships (1903–32)

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The new British game of football quickly caught on in late 19th-century Germany, which had previously been a nation of gymnasts and fencers. The earliest attempt at organizing some form of national championship came in 1894, when city champions Viktoria 89 Berlin invited FC Hanau 93 to play a challenge match. The Hanauers were unable to afford the cost of the trip and so were unable to take up the invitation.[1] In 2007, the 1894 final was replayed and Viktoria were crowned the official 1894 champions.[6]

After its formation in 1900, the DFB began to establish its authority over the myriad city and regional leagues springing up throughout the country and organized the first officially recognized national championship in 1903.

The prize of German football was the Viktoria, a trophy statue of a seated Roman goddess of victory, donated by the committee that organized German participation in the 1900 Olympic Games in Paris – and originally intended to be shared with teams playing the rugby version of football.[2] The formation of the DFB helped establish for the first time a clear divide between association football and its close cousin.

To qualify for the German championship finals, a club had to win one of the regional championships, which, in some cases, predate the national one. Those were:

One other regional championships briefly existed:

From 1925 onwards, the runners-up of those competitions were also qualified for the German championship finals, which had been expanded to sixteen clubs. The two strongest regions, South and West were also allowed to send their third-placed team. This system of regional championships was abolished in 1933 and superseded by the Gauliga system.

Season[7] Champions[7] Score[7] Runners-up[7] Venue
1903 VfB Leipzig (1) 7–2 Deutscher FC Prag Altona
1904
No champions (unresolved protest, final not played per DFB)
Kassel
1905 Union 92 Berlin (1) 2–0 Karlsruher FV Köln
1906 VfB Leipzig (2) 2–1 1. FC Pforzheim Nuremberg
1907 Freiburger FC (1) 3–1 Viktoria Berlin Mannheim
1908 Viktoria Berlin (1) 3–0 Stuttgarter Kickers Berlin
1909 Phönix Karlsruhe (1) 4–2 Viktoria Berlin Breslau
1910 Karlsruher FV (1) 1–0 (a.e.t.) Holstein Kiel Köln
1911 Viktoria Berlin (2) 3–1 VfB Leipzig Dresden
1912 Holstein Kiel (1) 1–0 Karlsruher FV Hamburg
1913 VfB Leipzig (3) 3–1 Duisburger SpV München
1914 SpVgg Fürth (1) 3–2 (a.e.t.) VfB Leipzig Magdeburg
1915–1919
Suspended due to World War I
1920 1. FC Nürnberg (1) 2–0 SpVgg Fürth Frankfurt
1921 1. FC Nürnberg (2) 5–0 Berliner FC Vorwärts 1890 Düsseldorf
1922 No champions (title declined per DFB)
2–2 (a.e.t.)
1–1 (a.e.t.)
Hamburger SV
1. FC Nürnberg
Berlin
Leipzig
1923 Hamburger SV (1) 3–0 Union Oberschöneweide Berlin
1924 1. FC Nürnberg (3) 2–0 Hamburger SV Berlin
1925 1. FC Nürnberg (4) 1–0 (a.e.t.) FSV Frankfurt Frankfurt
1926 SpVgg Fürth (2) 4–1 Hertha BSC Frankfurt
1927 1. FC Nürnberg (5) 2–0 Hertha BSC Berlin
1928 Hamburger SV (2) 5–2 Hertha BSC Hamburg
1929 SpVgg Fürth (3) 3–2 Hertha BSC Nuremberg
1930 Hertha BSC (1) 5–4 Holstein Kiel Düsseldorf
1931 Hertha BSC (2) 3–2 TSV 1860 Munich Köln
1932 Bayern Munich (1) 2–0 Eintracht Frankfurt Nuremberg

German football championships in Nazi Germany (1933–45)

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With the beginning of the 1933–34 season, top-flight German football was reorganized into 16 regional Gauligen with each of these leagues sending their champion to the national playoffs.[5] New Gauligen were created as the Reich expanded its border through the Anschluss with Austria. This expanded the national championship competition with the addition of regional champions from the new circuits.[5] It also introduced previously foreign clubs into German domestic competition where Viennese Austrian sides made a notable impression. Competition during the war was also characterized by the formation of military-based clubs including the Luftwaffe side LSV Hamburg which appeared in the era's last national championship match at the end of the 1943–44 season.[5] Unlike the United Kingdom, where play was suspended early on, national football competition continued on in Germany in some form through the course of the war. Play finally collapsed as the war drew to its conclusion and no champion was declared in 1944–45.

It was also during this period that a national cup competition was introduced; the Tschammerpokal was named for Reichssportführer (Sports Chief of the Reich) Hans von Tschammer und Osten and is predecessor to the modern-day DFB-Pokal (German Cup). The first cup competition was staged in 1935 and won by 1. FC Nürnberg.[5]

Key

Champion also won Tschammerpokal
Season[7] Champions[7] Score[7] Runners-up[7] Venue
1933 Fortuna Düsseldorf (1) 3–0 Schalke 04 Köln
1934 Schalke 04 (1) 2–1 1. FC Nürnberg Berlin
1935 Schalke 04 (2) 6–4 VfB Stuttgart Köln
1936 1. FC Nürnberg (6) 2–1 (a.e.t.) Fortuna Düsseldorf Berlin
1937 Schalke 04 (3) † 2–0 1. FC Nürnberg Berlin
1938 Hannover 96 (1) 3–3 (a.e.t.)
4–3 (a.e.t.)
Schalke 04 Berlin
1939 Schalke 04 (4) 9–0 Admira Wien Berlin
1940 Schalke 04 (5) 1–0 Dresdner SC Berlin
1941 Rapid Wien (1) 4–3 Schalke 04 Berlin
1942 Schalke 04 (6) 2–0 First Vienna Berlin
1943 Dresdner SC (1) 3–0 FV Saarbrücken Berlin
1944 Dresdner SC (2) 4–0 LSV Hamburg Berlin
1945
Suspended due to World War II

German football championships from post-war to the Bundesliga (1946–63)

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In the immediate aftermath of World War II, German football was in complete disarray. Occupying Allied authorities ordered the dissolution of most organizations in the country.[1]

However, many football clubs were soon re-established and new sides formed; play was tentatively resumed. By 1948, a new first division league structure, the Oberligen, was in place in most of the Western zone of occupation. The restored competition maintained the German game's historical practice of play in regional leagues. An exception was in French-occupied Saarland where attempts by France to annex the state were manifested in the formation of a separate, but short-lived, football competition that staged its own championship. Saarland briefly had its own representation under FIFA, forming Olympic and World Cup sides, before re-joining German competition in 1956.[1]

In the Soviet-occupied East zone, a more enduring separation took place that was not mended until the reunification of Germany in 1990. As a result, Eastern-based clubs did not take part in the German national championship under the DFB, vying instead for a different prize. The country's capital city of Berlin was similarly divided and clubs based in West Berlin took part in western-based competition.[1]

The Viktoria disappeared at war's end, although it would eventually reappear and be held in East Germany. A new trophy – the Meisterschale – was introduced in the west in 1949. The first post-war champions were 1. FC Nürnberg (2–1 over 1. FC Kaiserslautern in Köln) who were also, coincidentally, the first champions following World War I.[5]

Over time, the notion of professionalism – long anathema to German sports – made inroads in the country. A consequence of this was that by 1956, a distinct national amateur championship was established, open to teams playing below the Oberliga level in second- and third tier leagues.

Season[7] Champions[7] Score[7] Runners-up[7] Venue
1946–1947
Suspended – Post-war regional play only
1948 1. FC Nürnberg (7) 2–1 1. FC Kaiserslautern Köln
1949 VfR Mannheim (1) 3–2 (a.e.t.) Borussia Dortmund Stuttgart
1950 VfB Stuttgart (1) 2–1 Kickers Offenbach Berlin
1951 1. FC Kaiserslautern (1) 2–1 Preußen Münster Berlin
1952 VfB Stuttgart (2) 3–2 1. FC Saarbrücken Ludwigshafen
1953 1. FC Kaiserslautern (2) 4–1 VfB Stuttgart Berlin
1954 Hannover 96 (2) 5–1 1. FC Kaiserslautern Hamburg
1955 Rot-Weiss Essen (1) 4–3 1. FC Kaiserslautern Hannover
1956 Borussia Dortmund (1) 4–2 Karlsruher SC Berlin
1957 Borussia Dortmund (2) 4–1 Hamburger SV Hannover
1958 Schalke 04 (7) 3–0 Hamburger SV Hannover
1959 Eintracht Frankfurt (1) 5–3 (a.e.t.) Kickers Offenbach Berlin
1960 Hamburger SV (3) 3–2 1. FC Köln Frankfurt
1961 1. FC Nürnberg (8) 3–0 Borussia Dortmund Hannover
1962 1. FC Köln (1) 4–0 1. FC Nürnberg Berlin
1963 Borussia Dortmund (3) 3–1 1. FC Köln Stuttgart

East German football championships (1950–90)

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The post-war occupation of Germany by the victorious Allies eventually led to the de facto partition of the country and the emergence of two separate German states, each with its own government and institutions.

Early plans to maintain a national championship to be contested by representatives from the eastern and western halves of the country quickly fell by the wayside in the context of the Cold War. An Ostzone champion was declared in each of the 1946–48 seasons and in 1949 the first division DDR-Oberliga was established under the DFV (Deutscher Fußball-Verband der DDR) as a distinct national sport governing body. From 1950 through to 1990 an East German football champion was declared, until the eastern competition was reintegrated into the German national competition under the DFB.[1]

In the first recognized East German national championship staged in 1949, ZSG Union Halle defeated SG Fortuna Erfurt 4–1. In 1990, the last East German champion was SG Dynamo Dresden. The following season the DDR-Oberliga (I) was redesignated the Nord-Ostdeutscher Fußball Verband Oberliga and became a third tier regional division within the existing German league structure under the DFB. FC Hansa Rostock captured the title in the transitional 1990–91 season, and alongside runners-up SG Dynamo Dresden, advanced to play in the Bundesliga, thereby fully integrating former Eastern clubs into a unified German championship.[3]

The performance of various clubs is shown in the following table:[8]

Season Champion Runner-up Third Place Top Scorer (Goals)
1948 SG Planitz (1) SG Freiimfelde Halle
1949 ZSG Union Halle (1) SG Fortuna Erfurt
1949–50 ZSG Horch Zwickau (2) SG Friedrichstadt BSG Waggonbau Dessau   Heinz Satrapa (23)
1950–51 BSG Chemie Leipzig (1) BSG Turbine Erfurt BSG Motor Zwickau   Johannes Schöne (37)
1951–52 BSG Turbine Halle (2) SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden BSG Chemie Leipzig   Rudolf Krause (27)
1952–53 SG Dynamo Dresden (1) BSG Wismut Aue BSG Motor Zwickau   Harry Arlt (26)
1953–54 BSG Turbine Erfurt (1) BSG Chemie Leipzig SG Dynamo Dresden   Heinz Satrapa (21)
1954–55 SC Turbine Erfurt (2) SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt SC Rotation Leipzig   Willy Tröger (22)
SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt SC Empor Rostock SC Dynamo Berlin   Klaus Seligow (12)
1956 SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt (1) SC Aktivist Brieske Senftenberg SC Lokomotive Leipzig   Ernst Lindner (18)
1957 SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt (2) ASK Vorwärts Berlin SC Rotation Leipzig   Heinz Kaulmann (15)
1958 ASK Vorwärts Berlin (1) SC Motor Jena SC Aktivist Brieske Senftenberg   Helmut Müller (17)
1959 SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt (3) ASK Vorwärts Berlin SC Dynamo Berlin   Bernd Bauchspieß (18)
1960 ASK Vorwärts Berlin (2) SC Dynamo Berlin SC Lokomotive Leipzig   Bernd Bauchspieß (25)
1961–62 ASK Vorwärts Berlin (3) SC Empor Rostock SC Dynamo Berlin   Arthur Bialas (23)
1962–63 SC Motor Jena (1) SC Empor Rostock ASK Vorwärts Berlin   Peter Ducke (19)
1963–64 BSG Chemie Leipzig (2) SC Empor Rostock SC Leipzig   Gerd Backhaus (15)
1964–65 ASK Vorwärts Berlin (4) SC Motor Jena BSG Chemie Leipzig   Bernd Bauchspieß (14)
1965–66 FC Vorwärts Berlin (5) FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig   Henning Frenzel (22)
1966–67 FC Karl-Marx-Stadt (1) 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig BSG Motor Zwickau   Hartmund Rentzsch (17)
1967–68 FC Carl Zeiss Jena (2) F.C. Hansa Rostock 1. FC Magdeburg   Gerhard Kostmann (15)
1968–69 FC Vorwärts Berlin (6) FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1. FC Magdeburg   Gerhard Kostmann (18)
1969–70 FC Carl Zeiss Jena (3) FC Vorwärts Berlin Dynamo Dresden   Otto Skrowny (12)
1970–71 Dynamo Dresden (2) FC Carl Zeiss Jena Hallescher FC Chemie   Hans-Jürgen Kreische (17)
1971–72 1. FC Magdeburg (1) BFC Dynamo Dynamo Dresden   Hans-Jürgen Kreische (14)
1972–73 Dynamo Dresden (3) FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1. FC Magdeburg   Hans-Jürgen Kreische (26)
1973–74 1. FC Magdeburg (2) FC Carl Zeiss Jena Dynamo Dresden   Hans-Bert Matoul (20)
1974–75 1. FC Magdeburg (3) FC Carl Zeiss Jena Dynamo Dresden   Manfred Vogel (17)
1975–76 Dynamo Dresden (4) BFC Dynamo 1. FC Magdeburg   Hans-Jürgen Kreische (24)
1976–77 Dynamo Dresden (5) 1. FC Magdeburg FC Carl Zeiss Jena   Joachim Streich (17)
1977–78 Dynamo Dresden (6) 1. FC Magdeburg BFC Dynamo   Klaus Havenstein (15)
1978–79 BFC Dynamo (1) Dynamo Dresden FC Carl Zeiss Jena   Joachim Streich (23)
1979–80 BFC Dynamo (2) Dynamo Dresden FC Carl Zeiss Jena   Dieter Kühn (21)
1980–81 BFC Dynamo (3) FC Carl Zeiss Jena 1. FC Magdeburg   Joachim Streich (20)
1981–82 BFC Dynamo (4) Dynamo Dresden 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig   Rüdiger Schnuphase (19)
1982–83 BFC Dynamo (5) FC Vorwärts Frankfurt FC Carl Zeiss Jena   Joachim Streich (19)
1983–84 BFC Dynamo (6) Dynamo Dresden 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig   Rainer Ernst (20)
1984–85 BFC Dynamo (7) Dynamo Dresden 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig   Rainer Ernst (24)
1985–86 BFC Dynamo (8) 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig FC Carl Zeiss Jena   Ralf Sträßer (14)
1986–87 BFC Dynamo (9) Dynamo Dresden 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig   Frank Pastor (17)
1987–88 BFC Dynamo (10) 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig Dynamo Dresden   Andreas Thom (20)
1988–89 Dynamo Dresden (7) BFC Dynamo FC Karl-Marx-Stadt   Torsten Gütschow (17)
1989–90 Dynamo Dresden (8) FC Karl-Marx-Stadt 1. FC Magdeburg   Torsten Gütschow (18)
1990–91 F.C. Hansa Rostock (1) Dynamo Dresden FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt   Torsten Gütschow (20)

Bundesliga (since 1963)

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The formation of the Bundesliga in 1963 marked a significant change to the German football championship. The historical regional league and national playoff format was abandoned in favour of a single unified national league. Sixteen teams from the five Oberligen in place at the time were invited to be part of the new circuit – which also for the first time formally acknowledged the sport as professional rather than amateur.[1]

The new league adopted a round-robin format in which each team plays every other club once at home and once away. There is no playoff, with the club having the best record at the end of the season claiming the German championship. 1. FC Köln captured the first-ever Bundesliga title in the league's inaugural 1963–64 season. Since then the competition has been dominated by Bayern Munich which has taken the championship in 32 of the 60 Bundesliga seasons played to 2023.

Key

Double
* Treble
Season Champions[7] Runners-up[9] Third place[10] Top scorer(s)[11] Goals[11]
1963–64 1. FC Köln (2) Meidericher SV Eintracht Frankfurt Uwe Seeler 30
1964–65 Werder Bremen (1) 1. FC Köln Borussia Dortmund Rudi Brunnenmeier 24
1965–66 TSV 1860 Munich (1) Borussia Dortmund Bayern Munich Friedhelm Konietzka 26
1966–67 Eintracht Braunschweig (1) TSV 1860 Munich Borussia Dortmund Lothar Emmerich, Gerd Müller 28
1967–68 1. FC Nürnberg (9) Werder Bremen Borussia Mönchengladbach Hannes Löhr 27
1968–69 Bayern Munich (2) † Alemannia Aachen Borussia Mönchengladbach Gerd Müller 30
1969–70 Borussia Mönchengladbach (1) Bayern Munich Hertha BSC Gerd Müller 38
1970–71 Borussia Mönchengladbach (2) Bayern Munich Hertha BSC Lothar Kobluhn 24
1971–72 Bayern Munich (3) Schalke 04 Borussia Mönchengladbach Gerd Müller 40
1972–73 Bayern Munich (4) 1. FC Köln Fortuna Düsseldorf Gerd Müller 36
1973–74 Bayern Munich (5) Borussia Mönchengladbach Fortuna Düsseldorf Josef Heynckes, Gerd Müller 30
1974–75 Borussia Mönchengladbach (3) Hertha BSC Hamburger SV Josef Heynckes 27
1975–76 Borussia Mönchengladbach (4) Hamburger SV Bayern Munich Klaus Fischer 29
1976–77 Borussia Mönchengladbach (5) Schalke 04 Eintracht Braunschweig Dieter Müller 34
1977–78 1. FC Köln (3) † Borussia Mönchengladbach Hertha BSC Dieter Müller, Gerd Müller 24
1978–79 Hamburger SV (4) VfB Stuttgart 1. FC Kaiserslautern Klaus Allofs 22
1979–80 Bayern Munich (6) Hamburger SV VfB Stuttgart Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 26
1980–81 Bayern Munich (7) Hamburger SV VfB Stuttgart Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 29
1981–82 Hamburger SV (5) 1. FC Köln Bayern Munich Horst Hrubesch 27
1982–83 Hamburger SV (6) Werder Bremen VfB Stuttgart Rudi Völler 23
1983–84 VfB Stuttgart (3) Hamburger SV Borussia Mönchengladbach Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 26
1984–85 Bayern Munich (8) Werder Bremen 1. FC Köln Klaus Allofs 26
1985–86 Bayern Munich (9) † Werder Bremen Bayer Uerdingen Stefan Kuntz 22
1986–87 Bayern Munich (10) Hamburger SV Borussia Mönchengladbach Uwe Rahn 24
1987–88 Werder Bremen (2) Bayern Munich 1. FC Köln Jürgen Klinsmann 19
1988–89 Bayern Munich (11) 1. FC Köln Werder Bremen Thomas Allofs, Roland Wohlfarth 17
1989–90 Bayern Munich (12) 1. FC Köln Eintracht Frankfurt Jørn Andersen 18
1990–91 1. FC Kaiserslautern (3) Bayern Munich Werder Bremen Roland Wohlfarth 21
1991–92 VfB Stuttgart (4) Borussia Dortmund Eintracht Frankfurt Fritz Walter 22
1992–93 Werder Bremen (3) Bayern Munich Eintracht Frankfurt Ulf Kirsten, Tony Yeboah 20
1993–94 Bayern Munich (13) 1. FC Kaiserslautern Bayer Leverkusen Stefan Kuntz, Tony Yeboah 18
1994–95 Borussia Dortmund (4) Werder Bremen Freiburg Heiko Herrlich, Mario Basler 20
1995–96 Borussia Dortmund (5) Bayern Munich Schalke 04 Fredi Bobic 17
1996–97 Bayern Munich (14) Bayer Leverkusen Borussia Dortmund Ulf Kirsten 22
1997–98 1. FC Kaiserslautern (4) Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen Ulf Kirsten 22
1998–99 Bayern Munich (15) Bayer Leverkusen Hertha BSC Michael Preetz 23
1999–2000 Bayern Munich (16) † Bayer Leverkusen Hamburger SV Martin Max 19
2000–01 Bayern Munich (17) Schalke 04 Borussia Dortmund Sergej Barbarez, Ebbe Sand 22
2001–02 Borussia Dortmund (6) Bayer Leverkusen Bayern Munich Márcio Amoroso, Martin Max 18
2002–03 Bayern Munich (18) † VfB Stuttgart Borussia Dortmund Giovane Élber, Thomas Christiansen 21
2003–04 Werder Bremen (4) † Bayern Munich Bayer Leverkusen Aílton 28
2004–05 Bayern Munich (19) † Schalke 04 Werder Bremen Marek Mintál 24
2005–06 Bayern Munich (20) † Werder Bremen Hamburger SV Miroslav Klose 25
2006–07 VfB Stuttgart (5) Schalke 04 Werder Bremen Theofanis Gekas 20
2007–08 Bayern Munich (21) † Werder Bremen Schalke 04 Luca Toni 24
2008–09 VfL Wolfsburg (1) Bayern Munich VfB Stuttgart Grafite 28
2009–10 Bayern Munich (22) † Schalke 04 Werder Bremen Edin Džeko 22
2010–11 Borussia Dortmund (7) Bayer Leverkusen Bayern Munich Mario Gómez 28
2011–12 Borussia Dortmund (8) † Bayern Munich Schalke 04 Klaas-Jan Huntelaar 29
2012–13 Bayern Munich (23) * Borussia Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen Stefan Kießling 25
2013–14 Bayern Munich (24) † Borussia Dortmund Schalke 04 Robert Lewandowski 20
2014–15 Bayern Munich (25) VfL Wolfsburg Borussia Mönchengladbach Alexander Meier 19
2015–16 Bayern Munich (26) † Borussia Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen Robert Lewandowski 30
2016–17 Bayern Munich (27) RB Leipzig Borussia Dortmund Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang 31
2017–18 Bayern Munich (28) Schalke 04 1899 Hoffenheim Robert Lewandowski 29
2018–19 Bayern Munich (29) † Borussia Dortmund RB Leipzig Robert Lewandowski 22
2019–20 Bayern Munich (30) * Borussia Dortmund RB Leipzig Robert Lewandowski 34
2020–21 Bayern Munich (31) RB Leipzig Borussia Dortmund Robert Lewandowski 41
2021–22 Bayern Munich (32) Borussia Dortmund Bayer Leverkusen Robert Lewandowski 35
2022–23 Bayern Munich (33) Borussia Dortmund RB Leipzig Niclas Füllkrug, Christopher Nkunku 16
2023–24 Bayer Leverkusen (1) † VfB Stuttgart Bayern Munich Harry Kane 36

Performances

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Over the history of the German football championship, 30 different clubs have won the title. The most successful club is FC Bayern Munich, with 33 titles to its credit, 32 of those coming in Bundesliga competition. The most successful pre-Bundesliga club is 1. FC Nürnberg, who won eight titles in the era of knockout play amongst regional champions.

Former German champions are recognized through the Verdiente Meistervereine system which permits the display of a star or stars on a club's jersey. This system allows for the recognition of both German and East German titles, although only German titles are listed in the table below.

Clubs in bold currently play in the top division.

Performance by club

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Club Winners Runners-up Winning seasons Runners-up seasons
Bayern Munich 33 10 1932, 1968–69, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23 1969–70, 1970–71, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1995–96, 1997–98, 2003–04, 2008–09, 2011–12
1. FC Nürnberg 9 3 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1936, 1948, 1961, 1967–68 1934, 1937, 1962
Borussia Dortmund 8 11 1956, 1957, 1963, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2010–11, 2011–12 1949, 1961, 1965–66, 1991–92, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2021–22, 2022–23
Schalke 04 7 10 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1958 1933, 1938, 1941, 1971–72, 1976–77, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2017–18
Hamburger SV 6 8 1923, 1928, 1960, 1978–79, 1981–82, 1982–83 1924, 1957, 1958, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1986–87
VfB Stuttgart 5 5 1950, 1952, 1983–84, 1991–92, 2006–07 1935, 1953, 1978–79, 2002–03, 2023–24
Borussia Mönchengladbach 5 2 1969–70, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77 1973–74, 1977–78
Werder Bremen 4 7 1964–65, 1987–88, 1992–93, 2003–04 1967–68, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1994–95, 2005–06, 2007–08
1. FC Kaiserslautern 4 4 1951, 1953, 1990–91, 1997–98 1948, 1954, 1955, 1993–94
1. FC Köln 3 7 1962, 1963–64, 1977–78 1960, 1963, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1981–82, 1988–89, 1989–90
1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig 3 2 1903, 1906, 1913 1911, 1914
Greuther Fürth 3 1 1914, 1926, 1929 1920
Hertha BSC 2 5 1930, 1931 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1974–75
FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin 2 2 1908, 1911 1907, 1909
Dresdner SC 2 1 1943, 1944 1940
Hannover 96 2 1938, 1954
Bayer Leverkusen 1 5 2023–24 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2010–11
Karlsruher FV 1 2 1910 1905, 1912
Holstein Kiel 1 2 1912 1910, 1930
1860 Munich 1 2 1965–66 1931, 1966–67
SpVg Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin 1 1 1905 1921
Karlsruher SC 1 1 1909 1956
Fortuna Düsseldorf 1 1 1933 1936
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 1 1959 1932
VfL Wolfsburg 1 1 2008–09 2014–15
Freiburger FC 1 1907
Rapid Wien 1 1941
VfR Mannheim 1 1949
Rot-Weiss Essen 1 1955
Eintracht Braunschweig 1 1966–67
1. FC Saarbrücken 2 1943, 1952
Kickers Offenbach 2 1950, 1959
RB Leipzig 2 2016–17, 2020–21
Deutscher FC Prag 1 1903
1. CfR Pforzheim 1 1906
Stuttgarter Kickers 1 1908
Duisburger SpV 1 1913
1. FC Union Berlin 1 1923
FSV Frankfurt 1 1925
FC Admira Wacker Mödling 1 1939
First Vienna 1 1942
LSV Hamburg 1 1944
Preußen Münster 1 1951
MSV Duisburg 1 1963–64
Alemannia Aachen 1 1968–69


Titles won by club (%)

  Bayern Munich – 33 (29.5%)
  1. FC Nürnberg – 9 (8%)
  Borussia Dortmund – 8 (7.1%)
  Schalke 04 – 7 (6.3%)
  Hamburger SV – 6 (5.4%)
  VfB Stuttgart – 5 (4.5%)
  Borussia Mönchengladbach – 5 (4.5%)
  Werder Bremen - 4 (3.6%)
  1. FC Kaiserslautern - 4 (3.6%)
  1. FC Köln - 3 (2.7%)
  1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig - 3 (2.7%)
  Greuther Fürth - 3 (2.7%)
  Hertha BSC - 2 (1.8%)
  FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin - 2 (1.8%)
  Dresdner SC - 2 (1.8%)
  Hannover 96 - 2 (1.8%)
  Bayer 04 Leverkusen - 1 (0.9%)
  Karlsruher FV - 1 (0.9%)
  Holstein Kiel - 1 (0.9%)
  1860 Munich - 1 (0.9%)
  Spvgg Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin - 1 (0.9%)
  Karlsruher SC - 1 (0.9%)
  Fortuna Düsseldorf - 1 (0.9%)
  Eintracht Frankfurt - 1 (0.9%)
  VfL Wolfsburg - 1 (0.9%)
  Freiburger FC - 1 (0.9%)
  Rapid Wein - 1 (0.9%)
  VfR Mannheim - 1 (0.9%)
  Rot-Weiss Essen - 1 (0.9%)
  Eintracht Braunschweig - 1 (0.9%)

Notes:

  • A. ^ VfB Leipzig would have faced Berliner TuFC, but no final was held.
  • B. a b c d e The German football championship was not held from 1915 to 1919 due to the First World War.
  • C. ^ The 1922 final between Hamburger SV and 1. FC Nürnberg ended 2–2. The match was called due to darkness after 189 minutes of play. The replay ended 1–1 when the referee called off the game while in extra time due to Nuremberg having just seven players remaining in the game. Hamburg was awarded the championship but later declined.
  • D. a b c The German football championship was not held from 1945 to 1947 due to the Second World War and its aftermath.
  • E. E VfB Leipzig are now known as Lokomotive Leipzig.
  • F. F Vienna was part of Germany when Rapid Wien won the championship in 1941.

Performance by state and regional association

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As of 2024, German football champions have come from 11 of the 16 German states. The most successful state is Bavaria with 45 championships. Bavaria is also home to the two individually most successful clubs, Bayern Munich and 1. FC Nürnberg. North Rhine-Westphalia follows with 26 championships. The state is home to the third and fourth most successful clubs, Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04. No club from the Saarland, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern has yet won the championship.

In most cases the regional associations of the DFB align with state borders in Germany. However, the DFB has two regional associations in Rhineland-Palatinate, and three each in North Rhine-Westphalia and Baden-Württemberg. For the champions of these states the regional associations are mentioned as well. From 1938 to 1945 Austria was part of Germany, and Austrian clubs were thus allowed to compete in the German football championship. Rapid Wien won one championship in that period.

State Winners Club(s)
Bavaria 46 Bayern Munich (33), 1. FC Nürnberg (9), Greuther Fürth (3), 1860 Munich (1)
North Rhine-Westphalia 26 Westphalia (15): Borussia Dortmund (8), Schalke 04 (7)
Lower Rhine (7): Borussia Mönchengladbach (5), Fortuna Düsseldorf (1), Rot-Weiß Essen (1)
Middle Rhine (4): 1. FC Köln (3), Bayer Leverkusen (1)
Baden-Württemberg 9 Württemberg (5): VfB Stuttgart (5)
Baden (3): Karlsruher FV (1), Karlsruher SC (1), VfR Mannheim (1)
South Baden (1): Freiburger FC (1)
Hamburg 6 Hamburger SV (6)
Saxony 5 Lokomotive Leipzig (3), Dresdner SC (2)
Berlin 5 Hertha BSC (2), Viktoria 89 Berlin (2), SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin (1)
Bremen 4 Werder Bremen (4)
Rhineland-Palatinate 4 South-Western Germany (4): 1. FC Kaiserslautern (4)
Lower Saxony 4 Hannover 96 (2), VfL Wolfsburg (1), Eintracht Braunschweig (1)
Schleswig-Holstein 1 Holstein Kiel (1)
Hesse 1 Eintracht Frankfurt (1)
Other 1 Austria (1): Rapid Wien (1)

Undeclared championships

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In over a century of German football competition, champions were not declared in several seasons for various reasons. No champion was declared in 1904 due to the DFB's inability to resolve a protest filed by Karlsruher FV over their 1–6 semi-final loss to Britannia Berlin to determine which of these sides would face defending champion Leipzig in that year's final. Karlsruhe's protest was over the failure to play the match at neutral venue.

The national championship was suspended in October 1915 due to World War I. Limited play continued on a regional basis in many parts of the country, while competition was abandoned in other areas. Several regional leagues continued to declare champions or cup winners. The national championship was reinstated with the 1919–20 season that was concluded with a 2–0 victory by 1. FC Nürnberg over SpVgg Fürth in Frankfurt.[3]

The 1922 final was contested by 1. FC Nürnberg and Hamburger SV, but never reached a conclusion on the pitch. The match was called on account of darkness after three hours and ten minutes of play, drawn at 2–2. The re-match also went into extra time, and in an era that did not allow for substitutions, the game was called at 1–1 when Nürnberg was reduced to just seven players and the referee ruled they could not continue. Considerable wrangling ensued over the decision. The DFB awarded the win to Hamburg under the condition that they renounce the title in the name of "good sportsmanship" – which they grudgingly did. Ultimately, the championship trophy was not officially presented that year.[12]

Competition for the national title was maintained through most of World War II and was supported by the regime for morale. Play became increasingly difficult as the war drew to its conclusion due to manpower shortages, bombed-out stadiums, and the hardship and expense of travel. In the era's final championship match Dresdner SC beat the military club LSV Hamburg 4–0 on 18 June 1944 in Berlin's Olympiastadion. The 1944–45 season kicked off ahead of schedule in November; however, by March 1945 play had collapsed throughout Germany as Allied armies overran the country.[1] Play was tentatively resumed in various parts of the now-occupied country in early 1946 and the postwar Oberliga structure began to take shape in the 1946–47 season; no national champion was declared from 1945 to 1947. In 1947–48, qualification play took place to determine Westzonen (Western occupation zones) and Ostzone (Eastern occupation zone) representatives to meet in a national final that never took place. 1. FC Nürnberg is recognized as the first postwar German national champion for its 2–1 victory over 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the Westzonen final staged on 8 August 1948 in Mannheim.[5] In the Ostzone, SG Planitz beat SG Freiimfelde Halle 1–0 on 4 July 1948 in Leipzig to qualify for the scheduled national final, but were denied a permit to travel to play the match by Soviet authorities.[1]

Other national championships

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Workers' and Faith-based Leagues

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In the aftermath of World War I, several lesser national football competitions emerged as outgrowths of the tumultuous German political situation. These included the left-leaning workers' ATSB (Arbeiter-Turn- und Sport-Bund), the Catholic-sponsored DJK (Deutschen Jugendkraft), the Protestant-backed DT (Deutsche Turnerschaft), and the Communist KG (Kampfgemeinschaft für Rote Sporteinheit). Through the 1920s and 1930s, each of these leagues staged their own national championships or fielded national sides. Because of the ideologies they represented, they were considered politically unpalatable by the regime and disappeared in the 1933 reorganization of German football under Nazi Germany that consolidated competition in state-sanctioned leagues.[3] These clubs were forced into mergers with other mainstream sides or saw their assets seized by the state.

Antisemitism in Germany led to the creation of Jewish sports associations as Jews were forced out of mainstream clubs. These associations, including Sportbund Schild and Makkabi, staged their own national championships from 1933–38.

Arbeiter-Turn-und Sportbund (1920–1933)

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Key

* Match was replayed after a protest
Year Champions Score Runners-up Venue
1920 Tuspo Fürth 3–2 TuS Süden Forst Leipzig
1921 VfL Leipzig-Stötteritz 3–0 Nordiska Berlin Dresden
1922 VfL Leipzig-Stötteritz 4–1 BV 06 Cassel Berlin
1923 VfL Leipzig-Stötteritz (1–0) 3–2 * Alemannia 22 Berlin Dresden
1924 Dresdner SV 10 6–1 SV Stern Breslau Dresden
1925 Dresdner SV 10 7–0 SV Stralau 10 Dresden
1926 Dresdner SV 10 5–1 TuS Süden Forst Dresden
1927 Dresdner SV 10 4–1 TuS Nürnberg-West Dresden
1928 Pankower 08 Adler 5–4 ASV Westend Frankfurt Berlin
1929 Lorbeer 06 Hamburg 5–4 FT Döbern Hamburg
1930 TuS 1930 Nürnberg-Ost 6–1 Bahrenfelder SV 19 Nuremberg
1931 Lorbeer 06 Hamburg 4–2 SpVgg 12 Pegau Hamburg
1932 TuS Nürnberg-Ost 4–1 93 FT Cottbus Nuremberg
1933
ATSB dissolved by Nazis in May 1933.

Deutsche Jugendkraft (1921–1932)

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Year Champions Score Runners-up Venue
1921 DJK Katernberg 3–2 (a.e.t.) DJK Ludwigshafen Düsseldorf
1924 DJK Katernberg 4–2 DJK Bürgel Sparta Frankfurt am Main
1927 Sparta DJK Nürnberg 6–1 DJK TuS 08 Homberg-Hochheide Köln
1932 Sparta DJK Nürnberg 5–2 DJK Adler Frintrop Dortmund

Deutsche Turnerschaft (1925–1930)

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Year Champions Score Runners-up Venue
1925 MTV Fürth 5–0 MTV Kiel Hamburg
1926 MTV Fürth 3–2 Rotherburgsorter TV Ulm
1927 TV 1861 Forst 6–0 TV 1846 Mannheim Dresden
1928 Harburger TB 1–0 ATV Leipzig-Paunsdorf Köln
1929 TV Mannheim 46 2–0 ATG Gera Gera
1930 Kruppsche TG Essen 5–4 MTV Wilhelmsburg Leipzig

Following the 1930 season, most DT teams became part of the mainstream DFB.

Kampfgemeinschaft für Rote Sporteinheit (1931–1933)

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Year Champions Score Runners-up Venue
1931 Dresdner SV 10 3–2 Sparta 11 Berlin
1932 FT Jeßnitz 8–0 BV Gelsenkirchen 1912
1933
KG dissolved by Nazis in February 1933.

Participation of non-German clubs

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German championships have included clubs from countries other than Germany.[5] DFC Prag, vice-champions in the first national final and a founding member of the DFB, was an ethnically-German club from Bohemia in the Austro-Hungarian Empire (today part of the Czech Republic) which did not at the time have its own national football federation.

Following the annexation of Austria, which was incorporated into Nazi Germany in 1938, Austrian clubs became part of German competition; Admira Wien made a losing appearance in the German national final in 1939, Rapid Wien captured the championship in 1941, and First Vienna also lost in 1942. In each case their opposition was Schalke 04. Throughout the course of World War II, clubs in German-occupied territories were made part of German competition in the Gauligen and took part in the regional qualifying rounds of the national championship, but without the same success as Austrian sides.

Trophies

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Replica of the Viktoria at the FC Schalke 04 museum

Two trophies have been used for the official German and, during the era of the divided Germany, West German champions. The pre-Second World War trophy, the Viktoria, was awarded from 1903 to 1944, making Saxonian clubs VfB Leipzig the first and Dresdner SC the last club to receive it. The trophy disappeared during the final stages of the war and would not resurface until after the German reunification. A new trophy, the Meisterschale, was commissioned after the war but was not ready for the first post-war champions in 1948. Instead it was first awarded to VfR Mannheim in 1949. While the original trophy has only the champions from 1903 to 1944 engraved the new one lists all the German champions since 1903 and has had to be enlarged on occasion.[4][13]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i Hesse-Lichtenberger 2003[page needed]
  2. ^ a b "Die DFB-Geschichte" (in German). DFB. Archived from the original on 27 February 2009. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Grüne, Hardy (2003) 100 Jahre Deutsche Meisterschaft. Die Geschicte des Fußballs in Deutschland. ISBN 3-89533-410-3
  4. ^ a b "Die "Viktoria"". DFB (in German). 11 February 2014. Archived from the original on 11 November 2017. Retrieved 28 December 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Grüne, Hardy (1996). Vom Kronprinzen bis zur Bundesliga. Kassel: AGON Sportverlag ISBN 3-928562-85-1
  6. ^ "Soccer-Viktoria Berlin win 1894 German final – 113 years late". Reuters. 28 July 2007. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 2 October 2014.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "(West) Germany – List of Champions". RSSSF. 31 July 2008. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  8. ^ "East Germany - List of Champions". rsssf.org. 16 October 2005. Retrieved 6 November 2008.
  9. ^ "Bundesliga champions since 1963". Reuters. 4 May 2008. Archived from the original on 21 September 2020. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  10. ^ Hesse-Lichtenberger 2003, p. 293
  11. ^ a b "(West) Germany -Top Scorers". RSSSF. 7 November 2008. Archived from the original on 8 August 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2009.
  12. ^ Andreas Bock (8 March 2008). "Geschichtsstunde – Kameraden fürs Leben" (in German). 11freunde.de. Archived from the original on 15 May 2008. Retrieved 5 January 2009.
  13. ^ "Meisterschale". DFB (in German). 29 September 2014. Archived from the original on 19 October 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2015.

Bibliography

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  • Andreff, Wladimir; Stefan Szymanski (2006). Handbook on the Economics of Sport. Edward Elgar Publishing. ISBN 1-84376-608-6.
  • Hesse-Lichtenberger, Ulrich (2003). Tor! The Story of German Football. WSC Books Limited. ISBN 0-9540134-5-X.