Lower Saxony derby


The Lower Saxony derby usually refers to a match between the two Lower Saxonian association football clubs Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig. As of October 2025, 159 such matches have taken place: Eintracht Braunschweig won 69, Hannover 96 won 59, and 31 matches ended in a draw.

Description

The cities of Hanover and Braunschweig are apart. In the media, matches of the two teams against VfL Wolfsburg and in part also against VfL Osnabrück are called Lower Saxony derbies; this view is not shared by many supporters and club officials.

History

The beginnings (1905–1963)

Eintracht Braunschweig was founded in 1895, Hannover 96 one year later as Hannoverscher Fußball-Club. The first match between the two teams took place in the first decade of the 1900s. Hannover 96 won the German championship in 1938 and 1954. Until the 1962–63 season, Braunschweig won 54 matches, with Hannover winning 38 matches and 14 matches ending in a draw.

Foundation of the Bundesliga in 1963: Birth of the sports rivalry

After the decision to create a nationwide Bundesliga, three clubs from the Oberliga Nord were permitted to participate in the Bundesliga. Since Hamburger SV and Werder Bremen were directly admitted to the Bundesliga, only one free spot remained. Since Hannover 96 had the larger stadium, the higher average attendance and better financial prerequisites and was also ranked higher than Braunschweig in the German Football Association's twelve-year ranking, Hannover's officials were sure that they would receive the spot in the Bundesliga. Still, Braunschweig was awarded the spot on 6 May 1963, for which the only criterion was their final position in the 1962–63 season: while Hannover 96 finished in ninth place, Braunschweig had come in third. In Hanover, the decision was met with incomprehension and provoked major protests. However, the official lawsuit against the licensing was dismissed. Many see the circumstances of the Bundesliga foundation as the cause or at least as a reinforcement of the rivalry between the clubs and their supporters.
Eintracht Braunschweig won the German championship in the 1966–67 season, but lost both season matches against Hannover 96.

Present day

In the recent past, the duels between Hannover and Braunschweig have become a rarity due to league affiliation. In the 1996–97 and 1997–98 seasons, when Hannover 96 was relegated to the third-tier Regionalliga, both clubs played for the championship and the promotion play-offs until the end of the season; Hannover 96 won the championship in the Regionalliga Nord both seasons. In 1998, the championship was decided through a win in the direct duel on the second-to-last matchday. A similar situation also occurred in the 2016–17 season, when Hannover was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga after 14 years in the Bundesliga and duelled Eintracht Braunschweig for a direct promotion spot until the last matchday. Hannover's win in the match against Braunschweig on the 29th matchday was co-deciding in this season. Braunschweig's last win against Hannover dates back to the 29th matchday of the 2013–14 Bundesliga season. However, the club was relegated at the end of the season, while Hannover remained in the Bundesliga.
In recent years, matches between the two clubs are always classified as high-risk matches by the police and extensive security measures are taken to contain the always massive riots of the fans during the derby.

Other Lower Saxony derbies

The matches of Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig against VfL Wolfsburg are also occasionally called Lower Saxony derbies, since VfL Wolfsburg is also based in Lower Saxony and has played in the Bundesliga since 1997. However, in public perception these matches are only seen as "real" derbies to a lesser extent, since especially the fan scenes of the other two clubs do not view Wolfsburg as a "real" club that is rich in tradition. The 2017 Bundesliga promotion/relegation play-offs between Braunschweig and Wolfsburg, both cities only apart, were an exception as they were unusually charged due to the high stakes.
SV Meppen, which played in the 2. Bundesliga for a while in the 1990s, also played a few derbies against the Lower Saxonian northwestern rivals VfL Osnabrück and VfB Oldenburg as well as the then second-tier clubs Hannover 96 and Eintracht Braunschweig. Other teams that have played second-tier Lower Saxony derbies since the 1970s were Olympia Wilhelmshaven, Göttingen 05, Arminia Hannover, OSV Hannover and TSV Havelse.

Trivia

Before the match in Hanover during the first half of the 2013–14 Bundesliga season, Braunschweig supporters provoked the home fans with a pig that ran through the Hanover city centre wearing a Hannover club scarf and with the number 96 painted onto its side. Also, crosses were put up in the Braunschweig area and supporters of both clubs initiated vigilante groups in front of their stadiums. Furthermore, a brewery from Braunschweig was Hannover's shirt sponsor in the 1980s. Eintracht Braunschweig supporters avoid saying the club name "Hannover 96" and also the number 96, which is replaced with "95+1".

Head-to-head

List of matches

;League
#SeasonDateCompetitionStadiumHome TeamResultAway TeamAttendanceH2H
11947–4821 September 1947Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionTSV Braunschweig5–0Hannover–+1
21947–4811 January 1948Oberliga NordRadrennbahnHannover3–1TSV Braunschweig–0
31949–502 October 1949Oberliga NordRadrennbahnHannover2–1Braunschweig10,000+1
41949–5026 March 1950Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–1Hannover8,0000
51950–5119 November 1950Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig5–2Hannover6,000+1
61950–5128 January 1951Oberliga NordRadrennbahnHannover0–0Braunschweig10,000+1
71951–529 October 1951Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–3Hannover10,000+1
81951–5216 March 1952Oberliga NordRadrennbahnHannover3–1Braunschweig8,0000
91953–546 September 1953Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–5Hannover25,000+1
101953–5414 February 1954Oberliga NordRadrennbahnHannover0–2Braunschweig23,0000
111954–5512 December 1954Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0Hannover25,000+1
121954–5530 January 1955Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–2Braunschweig27,000+2
131955–5611 December 1955Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–2Hannover15,000+3
141955–568 January 1956Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–1Braunschweig18,000+2
151956–5714 October 1956Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–0Braunschweig21,000+1
161956–5724 February 1957Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–1Hannover16,0000
171957–5817 November 1957Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover6–2Braunschweig15,000+1
181957–582 March 1958Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–0Hannover18,0000
191958–597 December 1958Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig18,0000
201958–5925 January 1959Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–1Hannover15,000+1
211959–6030 August 1959Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0Hannover30,000+2
221959–603 April 1960Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–0Braunschweig20,000+1
231960–6118 September 1960Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover21Braunschweig7,0000
241960–611 April 1961Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0Hannover6,000+1
251961–6215 October 1961Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–2Hannover16,000+1
261961–624 March 1962Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover3–3Braunschweig6,500+1
271962–6314 October 1962Oberliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–0Hannover10,000+2
281962–6310 February 1963Oberliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover0–1Braunschweig12,000+3
291964–6526 September 1964BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–2Braunschweig57,000+3
301964–6513 February 1965BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–2Hannover30,000+3
311965–6611 September 1965BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–1Hannover33,000+4
321965–667 April 1966BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig41,000+4
331966–6712 November 1966BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover4–2Braunschweig43,000+3
341966–6729 April 1967BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–1Hannover35,000+2
351967–6814 October 1967BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig48,000+2
361967–6816 March 1968BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–1Hannover18,000+1
371968–6916 November 1968BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig21,000+1
381968–6923 May 1969BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–3Hannover13,000+1
391969–7023 August 1969BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–1Hannover30,000+1
401969–703 March 1970BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover0–2Braunschweig22,000+2
411970–7131 October 1970BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–0Braunschweig22,000+1
421970–718 May 1971BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–4Hannover17,0000
431971–721 September 1971BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–0Hannover26,000+1
441971–7219 February 1972BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover3–0Braunschweig18,0000
451972–7325 November 1972BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–1Braunschweig15,500+1
461972–7326 May 1973BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–2Hannover30,0000
471975–7625 October 1975BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–2Hannover34,000+1
481975–7617 April 1976BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–0Braunschweig36,0000
491980–8126 September 19802. Bundesliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig35,0000
501980–8121 April 19812. Bundesliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–0Hannover20,000+1
511986–8712 September 19862. BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–0Braunschweig52,000+1
521986–874 April 19872. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–0Hannover26,237+1
531989–9029 July 19892. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0Hannover25,0000
541989–9025 November 19892. BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover3–0Braunschweig25,000+1
551990–915 September 19902. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–1Hannover13,300+2
561990–9128 March 19912. BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover3–0Braunschweig11,500+2
571991–9221 September 19912. Bundesliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–3Hannover9,000+3
581991–928 December 19912. Bundesliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig10,400+3
591992–931 August 19922. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–2Hannover12,000+2
601992–9328 February 19932. BundesligaNiedersachsenstadionHannover0–1Braunschweig7,600+1
611996–9730 August 1996Regionalliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–2Hannover0
621996–9712 February 1997Regionalliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover4–0Braunschweig–+1
631997–989 November 1997Regionalliga NordNiedersachsenstadionHannover1–1Braunschweig–+1
641997–987 May 1998Regionalliga NordEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–1Hannover+2
652013–148 November 2013BundesligaHDI-ArenaHannover0–0Braunschweig47,200+3
662013–146 April 2014BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig3–0Hannover22,867+2
672016–176 November 20162. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–2Hannover23,000+2
682016–1715 April 20172. BundesligaHDI-ArenaHannover1–0Braunschweig42,700+3
692020–213 October 20202. BundesligaHDI-ArenaHannover4–1Braunschweig7,300+4
702020–216 February 20212. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–2Hannover0+5
712022–2310 September 20222. BundesligaHeinz von Heiden ArenaHannover1–1Braunschweig42,000+5
722022–2319 March 20232. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0Hannover20,995+4
732023–245 November 20232. BundesligaHeinz von Heiden ArenaHannover2–0Braunschweig42,000+5
742023–2414 April 20242. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–0Hannover21,660+5
752024–256 October 20242. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–0Hannover19,919+4
762024–259 March 20252. BundesligaHeinz von Heiden ArenaHannover1–1Braunschweig32,100+4
772025–2626 October 20252. BundesligaEintracht-StadionBraunschweig0–3Hannover22,098+5
---2. Bundesliga------

;Cup
#SeasonDateCompetitionStadiumHome TeamResultAway TeamAttendanceRound
119059 April 1905FußballmeisterschaftVictoria 96-Platz, MagdeburgFC Braunschweig3–2Hannoverscher FC2nd round Q
2194113 July 1941DFB-PokalEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–3Hannover2,0001st round
31972–735 July 1972DFL-LigapokalEintracht-StadionBraunschweig1–0HannoverGroup stage
41972–7326 July 1972DFL-LigapokalNiedersachsenstadionHannover2–3BraunschweigGroup stage
52003–0429 October 2003DFB-PokalEintracht-StadionBraunschweig2–0Hannover23,0002nd round

Statistics

All-time top goalscorers

RankNationPlayerClubYearsOberliga NordBundesligaOverall
1

All-time most appearances

RankNationPlayerClubYearsOberliga NordBundesligaOverall
1

Literature

  • Werner Balhauff: Hannover 96 – von Tradition und Herzblut für den Fußball. Fakten, Mythen Wissen und Meilensteine. E-Book at Neobooks, 2015.
  • Volker Bergmeister, Erich Scheck: Was für ein Tag!: 366 Kalendergeschichten rund um den Fußball. Norderstedt 2016, S. 351.