The Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia is the sixth tier of the German football league system and the second-highest league in the German state of Hamburg, together with the Landesliga Hamburg-Hansa. It is named after the Latin word for Hamburg, Hammonia.
Overview 1947 to 1950 The league was formed in 1947, alongside three other divisions on the same level in the city of Hamburg, as the Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Hammonia. The other three leagues were: Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Hansa Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Germania Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Olympia
The four new leagues replaced the 1. Klasse Hamburg as the feeder leagues to the Stadtliga Hamburg, which was now renamed Verbandsliga Hamburg. The 1. Klasse Hamburg had been operating since the end of the Second World War in 1945 and consisted of three divisions. The change in the league system at this level came together with the establishment of the Oberliga Nord as the new tier-one league in Northern Germany. This meant the new Bezirksklasse in Hamburg was now the third tier of the league system, below Oberliga and Verbandsliga.
The league started out with ten clubs, with the league champion being promoted to the Verbandsliga. In its second season, the league expanded to twelve clubs. The league above it was renamed from Verbandsliga Hamburg to Amateurliga Hamburg at the end of this season. The year after, in 1950, the Amateurliga was then reduced to one single division from the two it had been operating at previously.
For the Bezirksklasse, this also meant a change: The four existing divisions were disbanded and replaced by two leagues: Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Alster Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Elbe
For the Hammonia-division (German: Hammonia-Staffel) this meant a temporary end to its operation.
1953 to 1963 In 1953, the league was once more reestablished and the Elbe-Staffel and Alster-Staffel disbanded. Three of the four leagues in existence until 1950 were reformed, the Olympia-Staffel however, was not. The leagues were now named Verbandsligas: Verbandsliga Hamburg-Hammonia Verbandsliga Hamburg-Hansa Verbandsliga Hamburg-Germania
Each of the three divisions had now fourteen clubs and the league champion was again promoted directly to the Amateurliga Hamburg. The leagues were again the third tier of the German league system. In the fourteen-team per division era, usually the bottom two teams of each division were relegated. Additionally, teams would be moved between the three divisions according to geographical necessity, to balance them out.
In 1963, the Bundesliga was established in Germany. The old Oberliga Nord was disbanded and at its stead, the Regionalliga Nord was set as the second tier of the league system. The Amateurliga Hamburg, now renamed Landesliga Hamburg, slipped to third tier in the league system, making the three Verbandsligas the fourth tier now. Otherwise, nothing changed for the three leagues.
1963 to 1974 In the first couple of seasons after 1963, nothing changed for the three leagues.
In 1970, the Germania-Staffel was disbanded, leaving only the Hansa and Hammonia division on this level, as it is today. The two remaining divisions were increased in size, Hansa to seventeen and Hammonia to sixteen. Also, the leagues changed their name from Verbandsliga to Amateurliga. The following season, both divisions operated with sixteen clubs.
In 1974, the Regionalliga Nord was replaced by the 2nd Bundesliga Nord as the second tier in the region. As the new third tier, the Oberliga Nord was re-established. The Landesliga Hamburg, now renamed Verbandsliga Hamburg slipped to fourth tier because of this change and the two Amateurligas below it therefore to fifth tier.
1974 to 1994 In 1978, the Amateurligas in Hamburg were renamed to Landesliga, a name they carry to date. Nothing changed otherwise for the Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia.
The league experienced no change in the two decades from 1974 to 1994, operating on sixteen teams for all but one season. Also, changes in the league system above it did not affect it in this time.
In 1994, however, the Regionalligas were reformed. In the north, this meant a reestablishing of the Regionalliga Nord. The Oberliga Nord was disbanded again and in its stead, the Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein was formed. The Regionalliga becoming the new third tier in the league system meant for the Landesligas that they now fell to sixth tier.
1994 to current The league continued to remain unchanged. The Oberliga Nord was re-formed, again, in 2004, replacing the Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein at this level. This meant no change for the Landesligas.
In 2008, the 3. Liga was established and the Oberliga Nord once more disbanded. Instead of this league, the five northern Verbandsligas were elevated to the status of Oberliga, meaning, the Verbandsliga Hamburg now became the Oberliga Hamburg. The two leagues below it remained as the Landesligas, unchanged in name and tier.
Position of the Hammonia-Staffel in the league system
YearsLeague nameTierPromotion to 1947-48 Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Hammonia III Verbandsliga Hamburg 1948-50 Bezirksklasse Hamburg-Hammonia III Amateurliga Hamburg 1953-63 Verbandsliga Hamburg-Hammonia III Amateurliga Hamburg 1963-70 Verbandsliga Hamburg-Hammonia IV Landesliga Hamburg 1970-74 Amateurliga Hamburg-Hammonia IV Landesliga Hamburg 1974-78 Amateurliga Hamburg-Hammonia V Verbandsliga Hamburg 1978-94 Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia V Verbandsliga Hamburg 1994–2008 Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia VI Verbandsliga Hamburg 2008-current Landesliga Hamburg-Hammonia VI Oberliga Hamburg
League champions
Season Club1947–48TSV Veddel1948–49TSV Langenhorn1949–50Eimsbütteler SV1950–1953no competition1953–54Post SV Hamburg1954–55Hamburger SV Am.1955–56TSV Duwo 081956–57Ahrensburger TSV1957–58Düneberger SV1958–59Ahrensburger TSV1959–60Concordia Hamburg Amateure1960–61TSV Langenhorn1961–62Barmbek-Uhlenhorst1962–63SC Urania Hamburg1963–64TSV Sasel1964–65TSG Bergedorf 18601965–66SV St. Georg1966–67FC Voran Ohe1967–68TSV Duwo 081968–69FC St. Pauli Amateure1969–70SC Poppenbüttel1970–71Blau–Weiß Schenefeld1971–72Eidelstedter SV1972–73VfL 93 Hamburg1973–74Holsatia Elmshorn
Season Club1974–75SV Lurup1975–76Viktoria Wilhelmsburg-Veddel1976–77Harburger TB1977–78FC St. Pauli Amateure1978–79Holstein Quickborn1979–80TuS Güldenstern Stade1980–81SC Pinneberg1981–82FSV Harburg1982–83FC Altona 931983–84Blau–Weiß Schenefeld1984–85FC Süderelbe1985–86Rasensport Elmshorn1986–87VfL Stade1987–88TuRa Harksheide1988–89Komet Blankenese1989–90FC St. Pauli Amateure1990–91SC Langenhorn1991–92SV Halstenbek–Rellingen1992–93Horner TV1993–94Elmshorner MTV1994–95SV Blankenese1995–96Wedeler TSV1996–97Harburger SC1997–98Holstein Quickborn
Season Club1998–99ETSV Altona1999–2000VfL 93 Hamburg2000–01Holstein Quickborn2001–02Örnek Türkspor2002–03 SV Rugenbergen2003–04 SV Eidelstedt2004–05 FC Süderelbe2005–06TSV Buchholz 082006–07 SV Rugenbergen2007–08 SC Egenbüttel2008–09 Wedeler TSV2009–10 Germania Schnelsen2010–11 VfL Pinneberg2011–12 FC Elmshorn2012–13 SV Blankenese2013–14 VfL 93 Hamburg2014–15 SV Lurup2015–16 TuS Osdorf2016–17 FC Teutonia Ottensen2017–18 Hamburg-Eimsbütteler BC2018–19 Hamburger SV III2019–20 Hamburg-Eimsbütteler BC2020–21Season curtailed and annulled2021–22Season played in 3 divisions
References
Sources Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga. DSFS. Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937. Kicker Sports Magazine. Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables. DSFS. 2006.
External links Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables The Hamburg Football Association (HFV)