German Football Association
Encyclopedia
The German Football Association ( DFB) is the governing body of football in Germany
. A founding member of both FIFA
and UEFA
, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga
, and the men's
and women's
national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt
and is divided into five regional federations with 21 regional organizations. The German Football Association is the largest single sports federation in the world.
From 1875 to the mid 1880s, the first kind of football played in Germany was according to rugby
rules. Later, association-style football teams formed separate clubs, and since 1890, they began to organise on regional and national levels.
The DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) was founded in 1900 in Leipzig
by representatives of 86 clubs
. The DFB consolidated the large number of state-based German regional competitions in play for a single recognized national title for the season 1902/03. Germans were not present in Paris when FIFA was founded by seven nations in May 1904, but by the time the FIFA statutes came into effect on 1 September, Germany had also joined by telegram as the eighth nation. The German national team
played its first game in 1908.
Before 1914, the German Empire was much larger than today's Germany, comprising Alsace-Lorraine
and the Eastern provinces. The borders of the regional associations were drawn according to suitable railway connections. Also, teams based in Bohemia
, then part of Austria-Hungary
, were eligible, as it was surrounded on three sides by the German Empire. Thus, a team of Prague
was runner-up in the German championship. On the other hand, clubs of the Danish
minority in Northern Schleswig refused to join the DFB. This area after World War I voted to join Denmark. Due to borders changes imposed by the Treaty of Versailles
, the DFB had to adopt its structure. The Saarland
, Danzig, and the Memelland were detached from Germany and East Prussia
was cut off from the main part by the Polish Corridor
.
The role of DFB and its representatives like Felix Linnemann
during Nazi Germany
was documented in 100 Jahre DFB and by Nils Havemann in Fußball unterm Hakenkreuz. According to Gleichschaltung
policy, the DFB, with its large membership from all political sides, and strong regional structures compared to weak national ones, submitted to new rulers and new Gau structures. On a short general meeting on 9 July 1933 in Berlin, the DFB did so, at least formally. Later, the Hitler salute
was made compulsory; Marxists and Jews
were expelled. A new organization, Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen
(German Reich League for Physical Exercise), was established and Linnemann was appointed leader of its Fachamt Fußball (Football section), which took over the operational affairs, whereas the DFB lost most of its duties until it was formally dissolved in 1940.
On the pitch, Germany had done well in 1934, but after a 0–2 loss in the 1936 Summer Olympics
, with Adolf Hitler
attending, the DFB and football fell from grace. Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach
and Hitlerjugend took over youth football (under 16) from the clubs following a deal with Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten
, who had been in charge of all sports in Germany since 1933, making DFB officials even more powerless. Germany had made a bid to host the 1938 World Cup, but it was withdrawn without comment.
Following the Anschluss
in March 1938 that made Austria
part of Germany, the Austrian Football Association
became part of the German federation. New coach Sepp Herberger
was told on short notice to use also Austrian players in his team, which was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, weakening the situation of football within Nazi politics to near meaninglessness. Four Germans (Hans Jakob, Albin Kitzinger
, Ludwig Goldbrunner, and Ernst Lehner) represented West Europe in a FIFA friendly on 20 June 1937 in Amsterdam
, and another two (Kitzinger again and Anderl Kupfer) represented a FIFA continental team on 26 October 1938 in London
, England
.
During the war, Germany played international games until 1942. In the aftermath of World War II
, German organisations were disbanded by the allies. The FIFA decided in November 1945 to ban the no longer existing DFB (and Japan
) from international competition. Internationally, Germans were still represented, with Zürich
-based Ivo Schricker
serving as General Secretary of FIFA from 1932 to December 1950. In 1948, Switzerland requested FIFA to lift the ban on games against Germans, but this was denied. Swiss clubs played German clubs anyway, but had to cease doing so due to international protests. This was only changed in 1949 when The Football Association
requested FIFA to lift the ban on club games. FIFA did so on 7 May 1949, two weeks before the Federal Republic of Germany was founded, thus games required permission by the military governments of the time.
Due to partition into several occupation zones, and states, the DFB was legally re-founded in Stuttgart
on 21 January 1950 only by the West German regional associations, without the Saarland Football Association in the French occupied Saarland
, which on 12 June 1950 would be recognized by FIFA as the first of three German FAs after the war. At the FIFA congress held on 22 June prior to the 1950 FIFA World Cup
in Brazil, the Swiss Football Association
requested that DFB is reinstated with full FIFA membership, which was granted on 22 September 1950 in Bruxelles. Germany resumed international games in late 1950. The teams of the DFB and the Saarland were squared off in the Qualifiers for the 1954 WC before the Saarland and its FA was permitted to rejoin Germany and the DFB in 1956.
In the early years of the division of Germany, West Germany claimed exclusive mandate
of all of Germany. Unlike the IOC, which granted only provisional recognition to the East Germans in 1955, demanding they participate in an All-German Olympic team (Unified Team of Germany), the FIFA fully recognized the East German Football Association in 1952. Winning the 1954 World Cup was a major success for the DFB, and the popularity of the sport in Germany.
Due to that success, and due to regional associations fearing to lose influence, the old amateur structure, in which five regional leagues represented the top level, remained in effect longer than in many other countries, even though a Reichsliga
had been proposed decades ago. Also, professionalism was rejected, and players who played abroad were considered "mercenaries" and not capped. The conservative attitude changed only after disappointing results in the 1962 WC when officials like the 75 year old Peco Bauwens
retired. According to the proposals of Hermann Neuberger, the DFB finally introduced a single nation-wide professional league, the Fußball-Bundesliga
, for the 1963–64 season.
In 1974, the DFB hosted (and won) the World Cup. Germany also hosted the 1988 European Championship. Upon reunification in 1990, the Deutscher Fußball Verband der DDR (DFV) was absorbed into the DFB. For 2006, Germany and the DFB once again hosted a World Championship tournament.
The official mascot is an eagle with black feathers and yellow beak called "Paule" (since 26 March 2006).
states of Bavaria
, Hesse
and Baden-Württemberg
. The SFV, formed on 17 October 1897 under the name of Verband Süddeutscher Fußball-Vereine, originally administered the Southern German football championship
, until it was dissolved by the Nazis in 1933. Reformed after the Second World War, it operated the Oberliga Süd as its highest league until 1963. In the 2008–09 season, the SFV is in charge of the Regionalliga Süd
(IV) for men and women. The league above, the 3rd Liga
, is administered by the DFB, while the leagues below are administered by the SFV's five regional associations.
occupation zone in Germany. Its highest league until 1963 was the Oberliga Südwest
. It is subdivided into three regional associations covering two states, Rhineland-Palatinate
and Saarland
with the current highest league in the region, the tier-five Oberliga Südwest
, administered by the FRVS:
and is sub-divided into three football associations. The association used to administer the Western German football championship
until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league was the Oberliga West and, since 2008, the Nordrhein-Westfalen Liga
is administered by it. Its three sub-associations are:
, Hamburg
, Lower Saxony
and Schleswig-Holstein
and is sub-divided into four football associations. The association used to administer the Northern German football championship
until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league was the Oberliga Nord
, which, intermidently, existed again from 1974 to 2008. Its four sub-associations are:
and South
. It covers the federal states of Brandenburg
, Berlin
, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony
, Saxony-Anhalt
and Thuringia
. Each of these six states has their own football association:
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. A founding member of both FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
and UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, and the men's
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
and women's
Germany women's national football team
The German women's national football team represents Germany in international women's football and is directed by the German Football Association . The team – informally called West Germany in English – played its first international match in 1982...
national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
and is divided into five regional federations with 21 regional organizations. The German Football Association is the largest single sports federation in the world.
History
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
rules. Later, association-style football teams formed separate clubs, and since 1890, they began to organise on regional and national levels.
The DFB (Deutscher Fußball-Bund) was founded in 1900 in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
by representatives of 86 clubs
Founding Clubs of the DFB
The DFB was formed January 28, 1900 in Leipzig. The commonly accepted number of founding clubs represented at the inaugural meeting is 86, but this number is uncertain. The vote held to establish the association was 62:22 in favour . Some delegates present represented more than one club, but may...
. The DFB consolidated the large number of state-based German regional competitions in play for a single recognized national title for the season 1902/03. Germans were not present in Paris when FIFA was founded by seven nations in May 1904, but by the time the FIFA statutes came into effect on 1 September, Germany had also joined by telegram as the eighth nation. The German national team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
played its first game in 1908.
Before 1914, the German Empire was much larger than today's Germany, comprising Alsace-Lorraine
Alsace-Lorraine
The Imperial Territory of Alsace-Lorraine was a territory created by the German Empire in 1871 after it annexed most of Alsace and the Moselle region of Lorraine following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War. The Alsatian part lay in the Rhine Valley on the west bank of the Rhine River and east...
and the Eastern provinces. The borders of the regional associations were drawn according to suitable railway connections. Also, teams based in Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
, then part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, were eligible, as it was surrounded on three sides by the German Empire. Thus, a team of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
was runner-up in the German championship. On the other hand, clubs of the Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
minority in Northern Schleswig refused to join the DFB. This area after World War I voted to join Denmark. Due to borders changes imposed by the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
, the DFB had to adopt its structure. The Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
, Danzig, and the Memelland were detached from Germany and East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
was cut off from the main part by the Polish Corridor
Polish Corridor
The Polish Corridor , also known as Danzig Corridor, Corridor to the Sea or Gdańsk Corridor, was a territory located in the region of Pomerelia , which provided the Second Republic of Poland with access to the Baltic Sea, thus dividing the bulk of Germany from the province of East...
.
The role of DFB and its representatives like Felix Linnemann
Felix Linnemann
Felix Linnemann was the fourth Deutscher Fußball-Bund president, serving from 1925 to 1945....
during Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
was documented in 100 Jahre DFB and by Nils Havemann in Fußball unterm Hakenkreuz. According to Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung
Gleichschaltung , meaning "coordination", "making the same", "bringing into line", is a Nazi term for the process by which the Nazi regime successively established a system of totalitarian control and tight coordination over all aspects of society. The historian Richard J...
policy, the DFB, with its large membership from all political sides, and strong regional structures compared to weak national ones, submitted to new rulers and new Gau structures. On a short general meeting on 9 July 1933 in Berlin, the DFB did so, at least formally. Later, the Hitler salute
Hitler salute
The Nazi salute, or Hitler salute , was a gesture of greeting in Nazi Germany usually accompanied by saying, Heil Hitler! ["Hail Hitler!"], Heil, mein Führer ["Hail, my leader!"], or Sieg Heil! ["Hail victory!"]...
was made compulsory; Marxists and Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
were expelled. A new organization, Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen
Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen
The Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen , more rarely "NSRBL", , known as Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen until 1938, was the umbrella organization for sports during the Third Reich.The NSRL was led by the Reichssportführer, who after 1934 was...
(German Reich League for Physical Exercise), was established and Linnemann was appointed leader of its Fachamt Fußball (Football section), which took over the operational affairs, whereas the DFB lost most of its duties until it was formally dissolved in 1940.
On the pitch, Germany had done well in 1934, but after a 0–2 loss in the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
, with Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
attending, the DFB and football fell from grace. Reichsjugendführer Baldur von Schirach
Baldur von Schirach
Baldur Benedikt von Schirach was a Nazi youth leader later convicted of being a war criminal. Schirach was the head of the Hitler-Jugend and Gauleiter and Reichsstatthalter of Vienna....
and Hitlerjugend took over youth football (under 16) from the clubs following a deal with Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten was a German sport official, SA leader and a member of the Reichstag...
, who had been in charge of all sports in Germany since 1933, making DFB officials even more powerless. Germany had made a bid to host the 1938 World Cup, but it was withdrawn without comment.
Following the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
in March 1938 that made Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
part of Germany, the Austrian Football Association
Austrian Football Association
The Austrian Football Association is the governing body of football in Austria. It organizes the football league, Austrian Bundesliga, the Austrian Cup and the Austrian national team, as well as its female equivalent. It is based in Vienna....
became part of the German federation. New coach Sepp Herberger
Sepp Herberger
Josef "Sepp" Herberger was a German football player and manager...
was told on short notice to use also Austrian players in his team, which was eliminated in the first round of the World Cup, weakening the situation of football within Nazi politics to near meaninglessness. Four Germans (Hans Jakob, Albin Kitzinger
Albin Kitzinger
Albin Kitzinger was a German football player.Kitzinger played his whole career for FC Schweinfurt 05 ....
, Ludwig Goldbrunner, and Ernst Lehner) represented West Europe in a FIFA friendly on 20 June 1937 in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
, and another two (Kitzinger again and Anderl Kupfer) represented a FIFA continental team on 26 October 1938 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
During the war, Germany played international games until 1942. In the aftermath of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, German organisations were disbanded by the allies. The FIFA decided in November 1945 to ban the no longer existing DFB (and Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
) from international competition. Internationally, Germans were still represented, with Zürich
Zürich
Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is located in central Switzerland at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich...
-based Ivo Schricker
Ivo Schricker
Dr. Ivo Wolfgang Eduard Schricker was a German footballer and the 3rd General Secretary of FIFA, serving from 1932 to 1951 upon his resignation....
serving as General Secretary of FIFA from 1932 to December 1950. In 1948, Switzerland requested FIFA to lift the ban on games against Germans, but this was denied. Swiss clubs played German clubs anyway, but had to cease doing so due to international protests. This was only changed in 1949 when The Football Association
The Football Association
The Football Association, also known as simply The FA, is the governing body of football in England, and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. It was formed in 1863, and is the oldest national football association...
requested FIFA to lift the ban on club games. FIFA did so on 7 May 1949, two weeks before the Federal Republic of Germany was founded, thus games required permission by the military governments of the time.
Due to partition into several occupation zones, and states, the DFB was legally re-founded in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
on 21 January 1950 only by the West German regional associations, without the Saarland Football Association in the French occupied Saarland
Saar (protectorate)
The Saar Protectorate was a German borderland territory twice temporarily made a protectorate state. Since rejoining Germany the second time in 1957, it is the smallest Federal German Area State , the Saarland, not counting the city-states Berlin, Hamburg and Bremen...
, which on 12 June 1950 would be recognized by FIFA as the first of three German FAs after the war. At the FIFA congress held on 22 June prior to the 1950 FIFA World Cup
1950 FIFA World Cup
The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II...
in Brazil, the Swiss Football Association
Swiss Football Association
The Swiss Football Association is the governing body of football in Switzerland. It organizes the football league, the Swiss Football League, and the Switzerland national football team. It is based in Bern....
requested that DFB is reinstated with full FIFA membership, which was granted on 22 September 1950 in Bruxelles. Germany resumed international games in late 1950. The teams of the DFB and the Saarland were squared off in the Qualifiers for the 1954 WC before the Saarland and its FA was permitted to rejoin Germany and the DFB in 1956.
In the early years of the division of Germany, West Germany claimed exclusive mandate
Exclusive Mandate
An exclusive mandate is a government's assertion of its legitimate authority over a certain territory, part of which another government controls with stable, de facto sovereignty...
of all of Germany. Unlike the IOC, which granted only provisional recognition to the East Germans in 1955, demanding they participate in an All-German Olympic team (Unified Team of Germany), the FIFA fully recognized the East German Football Association in 1952. Winning the 1954 World Cup was a major success for the DFB, and the popularity of the sport in Germany.
Due to that success, and due to regional associations fearing to lose influence, the old amateur structure, in which five regional leagues represented the top level, remained in effect longer than in many other countries, even though a Reichsliga
Reichsliga
The Reichsliga was a proposed nation-wide German association football league, first suggested in 1932 by Felix Linnemann, president of the German Football Association, the DFB, at the time...
had been proposed decades ago. Also, professionalism was rejected, and players who played abroad were considered "mercenaries" and not capped. The conservative attitude changed only after disappointing results in the 1962 WC when officials like the 75 year old Peco Bauwens
Peco Bauwens
Dr Peter Joseph Bauwens was a German international football player, referee and controversial administrator with the German Football Association...
retired. According to the proposals of Hermann Neuberger, the DFB finally introduced a single nation-wide professional league, the Fußball-Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, for the 1963–64 season.
In 1974, the DFB hosted (and won) the World Cup. Germany also hosted the 1988 European Championship. Upon reunification in 1990, the Deutscher Fußball Verband der DDR (DFV) was absorbed into the DFB. For 2006, Germany and the DFB once again hosted a World Championship tournament.
Other
Today, about 26,000 clubs are members, fielding 170,000 teams with over two million active players and totalling over six million members, the largest membership of any single sports federation in the world. The DFB also has 870,000 female members and 8,600 female teams. The DFB is also the richest single sports federation worldwide.The official mascot is an eagle with black feathers and yellow beak called "Paule" (since 26 March 2006).
Presidents
- Ferdinand HueppeFerdinand HueppeFerdinand Hueppe was, from 1900 to 1904, the first Deutscher Fußball-Bund president....
(1900–1904) - Friedrich Wilhelm Nohe (1904–1905)
- Gottfried Hinze (1905–1925)
- Felix LinnemannFelix LinnemannFelix Linnemann was the fourth Deutscher Fußball-Bund president, serving from 1925 to 1945....
(1925–1945) - Peco BauwensPeco BauwensDr Peter Joseph Bauwens was a German international football player, referee and controversial administrator with the German Football Association...
(1949–1962) - Hermann Gösmann (1962–1975)
- Hermann NeubergerHermann NeubergerHermann Neuberger was a German football official, and from 1975 to 1992 the seventh president of the Deutscher Fußball-Bund DFB.- External links :*...
(1975–1992) - Egidius BraunEgidius BraunEgidius Braun was, from 1992 to 2001, the eighth president of the Deutscher Fußball-Bund . In 1985 he was awarded the Bundesverdienstkreuz.-External links:* at dfb.de...
(1992–2001) - Gerhard Mayer-VorfelderGerhard Mayer-VorfelderGerhard Mayer-Vorfelder , often called "MV", is the current Vice President of the Union of European Football Associations . Prior to his UEFA career, Mayer-Vorfelder was a politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and served in the state cabinet of Baden-Württemberg from 1976 to 1998...
(2001–2004) - Gerhard Mayer-VorfelderGerhard Mayer-VorfelderGerhard Mayer-Vorfelder , often called "MV", is the current Vice President of the Union of European Football Associations . Prior to his UEFA career, Mayer-Vorfelder was a politician of the Christian Democratic Union of Germany, and served in the state cabinet of Baden-Württemberg from 1976 to 1998...
and Theo ZwanzigerTheo ZwanzigerDr. Theo Zwanziger is a German lawyer and sports official. He is the current president of the German Football Association . For his contributions to German football, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2005.- Career :...
(2004–2006) - Theo ZwanzigerTheo ZwanzigerDr. Theo Zwanziger is a German lawyer and sports official. He is the current president of the German Football Association . For his contributions to German football, he received the Bundesverdienstkreuz in 2005.- Career :...
(2006–)
Regional associations
The DFB in turn is sub-divided into five regional associations, which, again, are also divided into sub-associations in total of twenty-one. These associations, in most cases, have their boundaries run along the same lines as the federal German states.Southern Germany
The Southern German Football Association (German: Süddeutscher Fußball-Verband – SFV) covers the three Southern GermanSouthern Germany
The term Southern Germany is used to describe a region in the south of Germany. There is no specific boundary to the region, but it usually includes all of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, and the southern part of Hesse...
states of Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, Hesse
Hesse
Hesse or Hessia is both a cultural region of Germany and the name of an individual German state.* The cultural region of Hesse includes both the State of Hesse and the area known as Rhenish Hesse in the neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate state...
and Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
. The SFV, formed on 17 October 1897 under the name of Verband Süddeutscher Fußball-Vereine, originally administered the Southern German football championship
Southern German football championship
The Southern German football championship was the highest association football competition in the South of Germany, established in 1898...
, until it was dissolved by the Nazis in 1933. Reformed after the Second World War, it operated the Oberliga Süd as its highest league until 1963. In the 2008–09 season, the SFV is in charge of the Regionalliga Süd
Regionalliga Süd
The Regionalliga Süd is currently the fourth tier of the German football league system. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the third tier. It currently is the highest regional league for the southern part of Germany...
(IV) for men and women. The league above, the 3rd Liga
3rd Liga
The 3rd Liga is the third division of football in Germany. The league started with the beginning of the 2008–09 season, when it replaced the Regionalliga as the third tier football league in Germany. In the German football league system, it is positioned between the 2...
, is administered by the DFB, while the leagues below are administered by the SFV's five regional associations.
- Baden Football AssociationBaden Football AssociationThe Baden Football Association , the BFV, is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the DFB, and covers the north-western part of the state of Baden-Württemberg....
(Badischer Fußball-Verband – BFV) - Bavarian Football AssociationBavarian Football AssociationThe Bavarian Football Association , the BFV, is one of 21 regional organisations of the German Football Association, the DFB, and covers the state of Bavaria...
(Bayerischer Fußball-Verband – BFV) - Hessian Football AssociationHessian Football AssociationThe Hessian Football Association , the HFV, is one of 21 state organisations of the German Football Association, the DFB, and covers the state of Hesse....
(Hessischer Fußball-Verband – HFV) - South Baden Football Association (Südbadischer Fußball-Verband – SBFV)
- Württemberg Football Association (Württembergischer Fußball-Verband – WFV)
South Western Germany
The Southwestern German Football Association (German: Fußball-Regional-Verband Südwest – FRVS) was formed after the Second World War in the FrenchFrance
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
occupation zone in Germany. Its highest league until 1963 was the Oberliga Südwest
Oberliga Südwest (1945-63)
The Oberliga Südwest was the highest level of the German football league system in the southwest of Germany from 1945 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the two states of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland.-Overview:...
. It is subdivided into three regional associations covering two states, Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate
Rhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
and Saarland
Saarland
Saarland is one of the sixteen states of Germany. The capital is Saarbrücken. It has an area of 2570 km² and 1,045,000 inhabitants. In both area and population, it is the smallest state in Germany other than the city-states...
with the current highest league in the region, the tier-five Oberliga Südwest
Oberliga Südwest
The Oberliga Südwest is the highest regional football league for the Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland state of Germany. It is the fifth tier of the German football league system. It is one of eleven Oberligas in German Football, the 5th tier of the German football league system...
, administered by the FRVS:
- Rhineland Football Association (Fußball-Verband Rheinland – FVR)
- Saarland Football Association (Saarländischer Fußball-Verband – SFV)
- Southwest Football Association (Südwestdeutscher Fußball-Verband -SWFV)
Western Germany
The Western German Football and Athletics Association (German: Westdeutscher Fußball- und Leichtathletik Verband – WFV) covers the state of North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
and is sub-divided into three football associations. The association used to administer the Western German football championship
Western German football championship
The Western German football championship was the highest association football competition in Western Germany, in the Prussian Province of Westphalia, the Rhine Province, the northern parts of the province of Hesse-Nassau as well as the Principality of Lippe, later to become the Free State of Lippe...
until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league was the Oberliga West and, since 2008, the Nordrhein-Westfalen Liga
Oberliga Nordrhein-Westfalen
The NRW-Liga, or Nordrhein-Westfalen-Liga, is the highest football League in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia. It is one of the eleven Oberliga groups in German football, the 5th tier of the German football league system....
is administered by it. Its three sub-associations are:
- Middle Rhine Football Association (Fußballverband Mittelrhein – FVM)
- Lower Rhine Football Association (Fußballverband Niederrhein – FVN)
- Westphalia Football and Athletics Association (Fußball- und Leichtathletikverband Westfalen – FLVW)
Northern Germany
The Northern German Football Association (German: Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband – NFV) covers the states of BremenBremen
The City Municipality of Bremen is a Hanseatic city in northwestern Germany. A commercial and industrial city with a major port on the river Weser, Bremen is part of the Bremen-Oldenburg metropolitan area . Bremen is the second most populous city in North Germany and tenth in Germany.Bremen is...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony
Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...
and Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein
Schleswig-Holstein is the northernmost of the sixteen states of Germany, comprising most of the historical duchy of Holstein and the southern part of the former Duchy of Schleswig...
and is sub-divided into four football associations. The association used to administer the Northern German football championship
Northern German football championship
The Northern German football championship , operated by Norddeutscher Fußball-Verband , was the highest association football competition in Northern Germany, in the Prussian provinces of Schleswig-Holstein and Hanover and the German states of Hamburg, Lübeck, Mecklenburg-Schwerin,...
until 1933. From 1947 to 1963, its highest league was the Oberliga Nord
Oberliga Nord (1947-63)
The Oberliga Nord was the highest level of the German football league system in the north of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein.-Overview:...
, which, intermidently, existed again from 1974 to 2008. Its four sub-associations are:
- Bremen Football Association (Bremer Fußball-Verband – BFV)
- Hamburg Football Association (Hamburger Fußball-Verband – HFV)
- Lower Saxony Football Association (Niedersächsischer Fußball-Verband – NFV)
- Schleswig-Holstein Football Association Schleswig-Holsteinischer Fußball-Verband – SHFV)
North Eastern Germany
The North Eastern German Football Association (German: Nordostdeutscher Fußball-Verband – NOFV) is the youngest of the five regional associations, having been formed after the German reunion in 1990. It administrates the two tier-five NOFV-Oberligas, NorthNOFV-Oberliga Nord
The NOFV-Oberliga Nord is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the northern states of former East Germany and West-Berlin. Until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier of the league system. It covers the German states of Berlin, Brandenburg and...
and South
NOFV-Oberliga Süd
The NOFV-Oberliga Süd is the fifth tier of the German football league system in the southern states of former East Germany. Until the introduction of the 3rd Liga in 2008, it was the fourth tier of the league system. It covers the German states of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony...
. It covers the federal states of Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Saxony
Saxony
The Free State of Saxony is a landlocked state of Germany, contingent with Brandenburg, Saxony Anhalt, Thuringia, Bavaria, the Czech Republic and Poland. It is the tenth-largest German state in area, with of Germany's sixteen states....
, Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...
and Thuringia
Thuringia
The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....
. Each of these six states has their own football association:
- Brandenburg Football Association (Fußballlandes-Verband Brandenburg – FLB)
- Berlin Football Association (Berliner Fußball-Verband – BFV)
- Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Football Association (Landesfußball-Verband Mecklenburg-Vorpommern – LFVM)
- Saxony Football Association (Sächsischer Fußball-Verband – SFV)
- Saxony-Anhalt Football Association (Fußball-Verband Sachsen-Anhalt – FSA)
- Thuringia Football Association (Thüringer Fußball-Verband – TFV)
See also
- German football league systemGerman football league systemThe German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...
- History of German footballHistory of German footballThe History of German football is one that has seen many changes. Football was a popular game from early on, and the German sports landscape was dotted with hundreds of local sides. Local sports associations or clubs are a longtime feature of the culture of German athletics...
- Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für LeibesübungenNationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für LeibesübungenThe Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen , more rarely "NSRBL", , known as Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen until 1938, was the umbrella organization for sports during the Third Reich.The NSRL was led by the Reichssportführer, who after 1934 was...