Oberliga Hamburg


The Oberliga Hamburg, sometimes referred to as Hamburg-Liga, is the highest league in the German state of Hamburg, incorporating some of its surrounding districts. It is one of fourteen Oberligen in German football, the fifth tier of the German football league system.

Overview

1945–1963

The league was re-formed in 1945 as Stadtliga Hamburg by thirteen clubs, in the newly recreated state of Hamburg which was then part of the British occupation zone in Germany. The very first league in the Hamburg & Altona area had been inaugurated as early as 1895.
In its first two seasons, the league was actually the first tier of the German league system for Hamburg, holding clubs like the Hamburger SV and FC St. Pauli in its ranks.
From 1947, the Hamburg-Liga was a feeder league to the Oberliga Nord which its champion had the option of promotion to. Promotion had to be achieved through a play-off with teams from the Amateurligen of Lower Saxony, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. As such, the league was by then the second tier of the northern German league system. The league was renamed Verbandsliga Hamburg, and split into two groups of ten teams, the Alsterstaffel and Elbestaffel, named after the two main rivers in Hamburg. The top four clubs of the 1946–47 season left the league for the new Oberliga Nord, those clubs being the Hamburger SV, FC St. Pauli, Concordia Hamburg and Victoria Hamburg. Traditionally, the league also accommodated clubs from neighboring Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, like Lüneburger SK and VfL Stade.
The two divisions were increased in strength to twelve clubs each in 1949. The year after, the league was reunited in one single division with sixteen clubs. It received the new name of Amateurliga Hamburg. The league operated on a strength of sixteen for most of the coming seasons.

1963–1974

In 1963, with the introduction of the Bundesliga, the disbanding of the Oberliga Nord and the formation of the Regionalliga Nord, the league fell to tier three and was again renamed, now Landesliga Hamburg, but remained unchanged otherwise, with sixteen clubs as its strength. The champion of Hamburg continued to have to play-off for promotion, now to the Regionalliga, with the same opposition as before.
From 1970, the number of leagues below the Hamburg–Liga was reduced from three to two, resulting in the Hammonia-Staffel and Hansa-Staffel which still exist today, first at the name of Verbandsliga, then, from 1978, as Landesliga.

1974–1994

After the 1973–74 season, the Regionalliga Nord was disbanded in favor of the 2nd Bundesliga Nord. The new Oberliga Nord was now introduced in northern Germany, as the third tier of the league system, below the 2nd Bundesliga. This meant for the Landesliga a slip to tier four. The top two teams of the league were however promoted to the new Oberliga. The system for promotion from the league remained mostly unchanged with an ongoing play-off system that saw the top two teams from Hamburg qualified for it.
In 1978, the league went through another name change, this time reverting to Verbandsliga Hamburg.

1994–2008

In 1994, the Regionalliga Nord was re-established, now as the third tier of the league system. The Oberliga Nord was in turn replaced by two parallel Oberligen, Niedersachsen/Bremen and Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein. For the Verbandsliga Hamburg, this meant a further slip, now to tier five, but also, for the first time in its history, direct promotion for the league champion. Along with its champion being promoted to the new Regionalliga, the league also saw the clubs placed two to eight elevated to the Oberliga.
The 1999–2000 season saw another league system change with the reduction of numbers of Regionalligen, this however had only one effect on the Verbandsliga, no promotion was available this year.
In 2004, it was decided to restore the Oberliga Nord in favor of the two separate Oberligen.
The 2006–07 league winner, SC Victoria Hamburg, did not apply for an Oberliga licence and was not promoted.

2008–present

At the end of the 2007–08 season, the new 3rd Liga was established and the Oberliga Nord disbanded, again. The four northern German states were then the only region without an Oberliga and the five Verbandsligen sit right below the Regionalliga Nord, parallel to the two NOFV-Oberligen. At the end of this season, the five winners of the northern Verbandsligen played with the sixth placed team from the Oberliga Nord for one last spot in the Regionalliga. In the future seasons, promotion for the Hamburg champion will only be available through a set of play-off matches with the league winners from Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein. These three teams will compete for one promotion spot to the Regionalliga.
The Verbandsliga Hamburg however maintained its status as a tier five league, but now under the name of Oberliga Hamburg, reflecting the fact that it has been on the same level as the Oberligas. Breaking with a long tradition, the league now operates with eighteen clubs, not sixteen which it had throughout most of its history.

Position of the Hamburg-Liga in the league system

YearsTierPromotion to
1945-47IIndependent league
1947-63IIOberliga Nord
1963-74IIIRegionalliga Nord
1974-94IVOberliga Nord
1994-2004VOberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein
2004-08VOberliga Nord
2008-VRegionalliga Nord

Founding Members of the Stadtliga Hamburg

The league was formed in 1945 from thirteen clubs from Hamburg, these being:

League champions

The league champions:
SeasonClub
1945–46Hamburger SV
1946–47FC St. Pauli
1947–48Eimsbütteler TV
1947–48Altona 93
1948–49ASV Bergedorf 85
1948–49Harburger TB
1949–50Post SV Hamburg
1949–50Altona 93
1950–51SC Victoria Hamburg
1951–52Harburger TB
1952–53SC Victoria Hamburg
1953–54SC Concordia Hamburg
1954–55SC Victoria Hamburg
1955–56SC Concordia Hamburg
1956–57TSV Uetersen
1957–58ASV Bergedorf 85
1958–59Eimsbütteler TV
1959–60SC Victoria Hamburg
1960–61Harburger TB
1961–62SC Victoria Hamburg
1962–63HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst
1963–64VfL Pinneberg
1964–65SC Sperber Hamburg
1965–66HSV Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst
1966–67SV St. Georg
1967–68VfL Pinneberg
1968–69TSV Langenhorn
1969–70TSV Langenhorn

SeasonClub
1970–71VfL Pinneberg
1971–72ASV Bergedorf 85
1972–73VfL Pinneberg
1973–74SC Victoria Hamburg
1974–75VfL Pinneberg
1975–76ASV Bergedorf 85
1976–77VfL Pinneberg
1977–78ASV Bergedorf 85
1978–79VfL Stade
1979–80Hummelsbüttler SV
1980–81SV Lurup
1981–82Hummelsbüttler SV
1982–83SV Lurup
1983–84Hummelsbüttler SV
1984–85Holstein Quickborn
1985–86Hamburger SV II
1986–87Hamburger SV II
1987–88Meiendorfer SV
1988–89Hamburger SV II
1989–90VfL Stade
1990–91VfL 93 Hamburg
1991–92SV Lurup
1992–93SC Concordia Hamburg
1993–94SC Concordia Hamburg
1994–95SC Victoria Hamburg
1995–96SC Condor Hamburg
1996–97Vorwärts/Wacker 04 Billstedt
1997–98Rasensport Elmshorn

SeasonClub
1998–99TuS Dassendorf
1999–2000ASV Bergedorf 85
2000–01SC Concordia Hamburg
2001–02Meiendorfer SV
2002–03Harburger TB
2003–04HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst
2004–05TSV Sasel
2005–06VfL 93 Hamburg
2006–07SC Victoria Hamburg
2007–08SC Victoria Hamburg
2008–09SC Victoria Hamburg
2009–10SC Victoria Hamburg
2010–11FC St. Pauli II
2011–12SC Victoria Hamburg
2012–13FC Elmshorn
2013–14TuS Dassendorf
2014–15TuS Dassendorf
2015–16TuS Dassendorf
2016–17TuS Dassendorf
2017–18TuS Dassendorf
2018–19Altona 93
2019–20TuS Dassendorf
2020–21-
2021–22TuS Dassendorf
2022–23TSV Sasel
2023–24Altona 93
2024–25Altona 93

  • bold denotes club gained promotion.
  • In 1951, the runner–up Lüneburger SK was also promoted.
  • In 1952, the runner–up Altona 93 was also promoted.
  • In 1963, the runner–up SC Victoria Hamburg was also promoted.
  • In 1964, fourth–placed Rasensport Harburg gained promotion instead.
  • In 1966, the runner–up SC Sperber Hamburg was also promoted.
  • In 1970, the runner–up SC Sperber Hamburg gained promotion instead.
  • In 1973, the runner–up SC Concordia Hamburg was also promoted.
  • In 1974, the runner–up SC Poppenbüttel was also promoted.
  • In 1984, the runner–up Altona 93 was also promoted.
  • In 1987, the runner–up 1. SC Norderstedt gained promotion instead.
  • In 1992, the runner–up VfL 93 Hamburg was also promoted.
  • In 1994, clubs placed second to eighth also gained promotion.
  • In 1995, the runner–up Meiendorfer SV was also promoted.
  • In 1996, the runner–up Rasensport Elmshorn was also promoted.
  • In 1997, the runner–up ASV Bergedorf 85 was also promoted.
  • In 1999, the runner–up Eimsbütteler TV was also promoted.
  • In 2001, the runner–up ASV Bergedorf 85 was also promoted.
  • In 2002, the runner–up Altona 93 was also promoted.
  • In 2003, Harburger TB declined promotion; SC Victoria Hamburg, TSV Sasel and Wedeler TSV were promoted instead.
  • In 2009, the fifth–placed FC St. Pauli II was promoted instead.
  • In 2013, the fourth-placed Eintracht Norderstedt successfully took part in the promotion round to the Regionalliga as champions FC Elmshorn declined.
  • In 2014 and 2015, no club applied for a Regionalliga licence from the league or took part in the promotion round.
  • In 2016, only sixth-placed Altona 93 applied for a Regionalliga licence.
  • In 2017, third-placed Altona 93 applied for a licence and successfully took part in the promotion round.
  • In 2020, only the runner-up Teutonia Ottensen applied for a licence and was eventually promoted.
  • In 2021, there were no champions or promotions after deciding to curtail and annul the season during the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany.
  • In 2023, third-placed Eimsbütteler TV were promoted.

League placings

The complete list of clubs and placings in the league since elevation to Oberliga status :
Club0910111213141516171819202122232425
FC St. Pauli II5R1RRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Eintracht Norderstedt810664RRRRRRRRRRRR
FC Teutonia Ottensen322RRRRR
Altona 93R35923763R1RRR411
TuS Dassendorf111113111222
Eimsbütteler TV3R3
USC Paloma11714151614171356674
ETSV Hamburg35
Niendorfer TSV121112813781214456112546
HEBC Hamburg16128957
Vorwärts-Wacker Billstedt1617188
TSV Buchholz 0842253565279166914109
FC Süderelbe1241513101215117910
SC Victoria Hamburg1191RR2342442410811
TSV Sasel18575831612
FC Türkiye Wilhelmsburg151116121513
TuRa Harksheide111114
SV Halstenbek-Rellingen141611710510161215
Wandsbeker TSV Concordia11591394581316
FC Alsterbrüder1417
Hamburger SV III18
SV Rugenbergen11141089885121410121516
FC Union Tornesch1519141317
Düneberger SV18
Hamm United1071516
Hamburger SV III177141317
TuS Osdorf61188171018
SV Curslack-Neuengamme643362139121011119719
VfL Lohbrügge171616
HSV Barmbek-Uhlenhorst7131511133213863317
Bramfelder SV181518181318
Meiendorfer SV25812912101614171819
Wedeler TSV121671515
Condor Hamburg1094756117101417
VfL Pinneberg1014441391218
Klub Kosova Hamburg17
Buxtehuder SV151418
SV Lurup9151718
SC Vier- und Marschlande13121516
Germania Schnelsen10481417
FC Elmshorn1918
Oststeinbeker SV6131611-
SC Alstertal-Langenhorn16
SV Blankenese17
FC Bergedorf 85387218
Concordia Hamburg131417-
TSV Uetersen18
VfL 93 Hamburg15
FC Voran Ohe17
SC Egenbüttel18