The history of East German football is complex, and that of its clubs particularly so. After World War II, the occupying Allies disbanded most German organisations, including sports clubs.
While some clubs were re-formed, others were not, and many that emerged had been renamed, merged with their neighbours, or even split. The instability continued throughout the East German era, with clubs being moved to new towns, and with very frequent name-changes, Soviet-sounding names like Dynamo and Lokomotive replacing more traditional names.
After re-unification, many clubs reverted to their pre-East German names, but some stuck with them, and others have changed back again. This page lists all prominent East German clubs, along with their original name, their present-day name, and a list of name changes and mergers that they underwent.
GDR namePre-GDR nameCurrent nameOther namesGDR TitlesGDR CupsBSG Wismut AuePneumatik AueFC Erzgebirge AueBSG Pneumatik Aue (1946–49)BSG Zentra Wismut Aue (1949–51)SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt (1954–63)Despite being named Karl-Marx-Stadt for much of their time in the DDR-Oberliga, Wismut continued to play in Aue.FC Wismut Aue (1990–93) 3 1BSG Rotation BabelsbergSG BabelsbergFortuna BabelsbergSG Babelsberg (1946–49)BSG Märkische Volksstimme Potsdam-Babelsberg (1949–50)BSG DEFA Babelsberg (1969–90) - -Berliner FC Dynamo°None (formed 1966)Berliner FC DynamoSC Dynamo Berlin (1954–66)FC Berlin (1990–99) 10 31. FC Union Berlin°SC Union Oberschöneweide 1. FC Union BerlinFC Olympia Oberschöneweide (1906–1906)BTuFC Helgoland (1906-07)BTuFC Union 1892 (1907-09)SC Union Oberschöneweide (1909-45)SG Oberschöneweide (1945–48)SG Union Oberschöneweide (1948–51)BSG Motor Oberschöneweide (1951–55)SC Motor Berlin (1955–57)TSC Oberschöneweide (1957–63)TSC Berlin (1963–66) - 1BSG Chemie BöhlenNone (founded 1969)SV Chemie BöhlenIn 1990 the first team of SV Chemie Böhlen merged with GW Leipzig, forming FC Sachsen Leipzig. The reserve team continued as SV Chemie Böhlen.BSG Brennstoff Böhlen (1949–52)BSG Brennstoff Böhlen were renamed Aktivist Mitte Böhlen in 1951. BSG Benzinwerk Böhlen (1949–52)BSG Benzinwerk Böhlen were renamed Aktivist West Böhlen in 1951. BSG Aktivist Böhlen (1952–68)Aktivist Mitte Böhlen and Aktivist West Böhlen were merged in BSG Chemie Böhlen on 1 January 1969.SV Chemie Böhlen (1990) - -FC Vorwärts Berlin°FC Vorwärts Frankfurt/Oder°None (founded 1951)1. FC FrankfurtSV VP Vorwärts Leipzig (1951–53)SV Vorwärts der HVA Leipzig (1952-52)SV Vorwärts der KVP Leipzig (1952-53)SV Vorwärts der KVP Berlin (1953-53)ZSK Vorwärts der KVP Berlin (1953-54)ZSK Vorwärts Berlin (1954–56)ZASK Vorwärts Berlin (1956-57)ASK Vorwärts Berlin (1957–66)FC Victoria 91 Frankfurt (1991–92)FFC Viktoria 91 (1992–2012) 6 2BSG Stahl BrandenburgNone (founded 1950)FC Stahl BrandenburgBSV Stahl Brandenburg (1990–93)BSV Brandenburg (1993–98) - -BSG Energie CottbusNone (founded 1963)FC Energie CottbusBSG Aktivist Brieske-Ost (1950–54)SC Aktivist Brieske-Senftenberg (1954–63)SC Aktivist Brieske-Senftenberg was being moved from Senftenberg to Cottbus in 1963SC Cottbus (1963–66) - -BSG Motor DessauSV Dessau 05SV Dessau 05FC Adler (1905)Dessauer FC (1905–1919)SV BAMAG Dessau (?–1919)VfR Dessau (1919–21)Dessauer FC and SV BAMAG Dessau merged in 1919, forming VfR Dessau 1905.SpVgg Dessau (?–1921)SpVgg Dessau and VfR Dessau merged in 1921, forming SV Dessau 05Blau-Weiss Dessau (1945–47)Sport-Union Dessau (1947–48)SG Dessau-Nord (1948–49)BSG Waggonbau Dessau (1949)BSG Waggonfabrik Dessau (1949–50)SG Waggonbau 05 Dessau (1990–95) - 1SG Dynamo Dresden°°None (founded 1953)SG Dynamo DresdenSG Volkspolizei Dresden (1948–50)SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden (1950-1953)1. FC Dynamo Dresden (1990–2007) 8 7SG FriedrichstadtDresdner SC Dresdner SC Dresdner SC (1898-1945)None (disbanded 1950–91) - -BSG Stahl EisenhüttenstädtNone (founded 1950)FC EisenhüttenstädtBSG Stahl Fürstenberg Ost (1950–53)BSG Stahl Stalinstadt (1953–59)Eisenhüttenstädter FC Stahl (1990–2016)FC Eisenhüttenstadt absorbed Eisenhüttenstadt FC Stahl in 2016. - -FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt°SG Erfurt WestRot-Weiss ErfurtSG Erfurt West (1946–48)SG Erfurt West encompassed the area of the city once served by SC Erfurt 1895 and VfB Erfurt and drew footballers who had played for these clubs.SG Fortuna Erfurt (1948–49)KWU Erfurt (1949–50)BSG Turbine Erfurt (1950–54)SC Turbine Erfurt (1954–65)SC Turbine Erfurt absorbed Optima Erfurt in 1965, one year before becoming Rot-Weiss Erfurt. 2 -BSG Wismut GeraSG Gera-PfordenBSG Wismut Gera1. VfR Gera (?–1922)Allgemeinen Turngemeinde Gera (?–1922)SpVgg Gera 04ATG Gera and VfR Gera merged in 1922, forming SpVgg Gera 04Concordia Gera-Reuß (?–1936)In 1936, Concordia Gera-Reuss merged with SpVgg Gera to form SV Gera 04.SG Gera-Pforden (1945–49)RFT Gera (?–1950)BSG Mechanik Gera (1950–51)RFT Gera and Gera-Pforden merged in 1950, forming BSG Mechanik Gera.BSG Motor Gera (1951–52)FSV Wismut Gera (1990–93)1. SV Gera (1993–2007)FV Gera Süd (2007–09) - -Hallescher FC Chemie°SG Freiimfelde HalleHallescher FCSG Freiimfelde Halle (1945–49)ZSG Union Halle (1949–50)BSG Turbine Halle (1950–54)SC Chemie Halle-Leune (1954–58)SC Chemie Halle (1958–66) 2 2FC Carl Zeiss Jena°1. SV JenaFC Carl Zeiss Jena FC der Firma Carl Zeiss (1903–11)FC Carl Zeiss Jena (1911–17, 1966–)Ernst-Abbe Jena (1946–48)Stadion Jena (1948–49)BSG Carl Zeiss Jena (1949–51)Mechanik Jena (1951)BSG Motor Jena (1951–54)SC Motor Jena (1954–66) 3 4FC Karl-Marx-Stadt°None (founded 1945)Chemnitzer FCSG Chemnitz Nord (1945–48)BSG Fewa Chemnitz (1948–51)BSG Chemie Chemnitz (1951–53)SC Chemie Karl-Marx-Stadt (1953–56)SC Motor Karl-Marx-Stadt (1956–63)SC Karl-Marx-Stadt (1963–66) 1 -BSG Chemie LeipzigTuRa LeipzigBSG Chemie LeipzigTuRa Leipzig (1938-44)KSG Leipzig (1944-45) SG Leipzig-Leutzsch (1945–49)ZSG Industrie Leipzig (1949–50)Dissolved (1954–63)BSG Chemie Leipzig (1963-90)FC Grün-Weiß Leipzig (1990)FC Sachsen Leipzig (1990-2011)SG Leipzig-Leutzsch (2011-13)SG Sachsen Leipzig (2013-14) 2 11. FC Lokomotive Leipzig°VfB Leipzig1. FC Lokomotive LeipzigVfB Leipzig (1896-98)VfB 1893 Sportbrüder Leipzig (1898-1900)VfB Leipzig (1900-45)SG Probstheida (1946–50)BSG Erich Zeigner Probstheida (1950-53)BSG Einheit Ost (1953-45)SC Rotation Leipzig (1954–63)SC Leipzig (1963–65)1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig (1966-1991) VfB Leipzig (1991–2004 - 41. FC Magdeburg°None (founded 1945)1. FC MagdeburgSG Sudenburg (1945) SG Lemsdorf (1945)SAG Krupp Grusson (1945–50)Eintracht Sudenburg (1945–51)BSG Eintracht Sudenburg were formed from a merger of SG Sudenburg and SG Lemsdorf in 1945. They absorbed SAG Krupp Grusson in 1950.BSG Stahl Magdeburg (1951–52)BSG Motor Mitte Magdeburg (1952–57)SC Aufbau Magdeburg (1957–65)SC Magdeburg (1965) 3 81. FC Magdeburg also won the Cup Winners' Cup in 1974, the only European trophy to go to East Germany.BSG Einheit PankowSG Pankow-NordVfB Einheit zu PankowIn 1991 PSV Einheit Pankow and VfB Pankow were merged in VfB-Einheit zu Pankow.VfB Pankow (1893–1945, 1949–50)SG Pankow Nord (1945–51)PSV Einheit Pankow (1990–91) - -BSG Motor WEMA PlauenVFC PlauenVFC PlauenSG Plauen-West (1946–49)Sachsenverlag Plauen (1949–51)BSG Sachsenring Plauen absorbed SG-Plauen West in 1949 and Zellwolle Plauen in 1950.Rotation Plauen (1951–55)Wismut Plauen (1955–63) - -BSG Stahl RiesaRiesaer SVBSG Stahl RiesaSC Riesa (1903–05)FC Wettin (?–1917)FC Wettin were swallowed up by Riesaer SV in 1917.SG Riesa (1945–48)Riesaer SV (1905–45)Stahlwerk Riesa (1945–48)FC Stahl Riesa (1990–91)Riesaer SV Blau-Weiß (1991–98)Riesaer SV absorbed SC Riesa-Röderau (formerly Chemie Riesa) in 1998.FC Stahl Riesa (1998–2003)FC Stahl Riesa were declared bankrupt in 2003. The same year, they were re-established by fans as TSV Stahl Riesa.TSV Stahl Riesa (2003–12) - -FC Hansa Rostock°SG LauterF.C. Hansa RostockSG Lauter (1946–49)BSG Freihet Wismut Lauter (1950–51)BSG Empor Lauter (1951–54)SC Empor Rostock (1954–65) 1 1BSG Lokomotive StendalViktoria Stendal1. FC Lok StendalSG Stendal-Nord (1945–48)Blau-Weiss Stendal (1948–49)SG Eintracht Stendal (1949)SG Blau-Weiß Stendal (1949)BSG "Hans Wendler" Stendal (1949–50)SG "Hans Wendler" Stendal were formed in 1949 after a merger of Eintracht Stendal with two railway sides, Reichsbahn Stendal and RAW Stendal.FSV Lok Altmark Stendal (1990–2002)FSV Lokomotive Altmark Stendal went bankrupt in 2002, but merged with neighbours 1. FC Stendal, forming 1. FC Lokomotive Stendal. - -BSG Sachsenring ZwickauSG PlanitzFSV ZwickauSC Planitz (-1945)SG Planitz (1945–49)ZSG Horch Zwickau (1949–50)BSG Motor Zwickau (1950–68)BSG Sachsenring Zwickau were formed in 1968, from a merger between BSG Motor Zwickau and Aktivist Karl Marx Zwickau. 1 3 ° Football clubs (FC), which were founded 1965-66 as centers of high-level football in the GDR. °° SG Dynamo Dresden was a sports community with FC status.
See also All-time DDR-Oberliga table List of football clubs in Germany
Footnotes
References