The 1938 German football championship, the 31st edition of the competition, was won by Hannover 96, the club's first-ever German championship, by defeating Schalke 04 4–3 after extra time in the final. The 1938 final had to be replayed because the first game had ended in a three-all draw after extra time. For Hannover 96 it marked the first of two national championships, the second coming in 1954, while, for Schalke, it was a short setback in the club's most successful era, having won the 1934, 1935 and 1937 final and going on to win the 1939, 1940 and 1942 ones as well.(West) Germany -List of champions rsssf.org, accessed: 27 December 2015FC Schalke 04 » Steckbrief Weltfussball.de – FC Schalke 04 honours, accessed: 27 December 2015Hannover 96 » Steckbrief Weltfussball.de – Hannover 96 honours, accessed: 27 December 2015
The 1938 edition was only the second, after 1922, when a replay of the final was required. FC Schalke 04 entered the final as heavy favourites, having won the national championship in the previous season.Fuffzig Mark für die „Deutsche“ Hannoversche Allgemeine, published: 26 June 2013, accessed: 28 December 2015 In the first game Schalke twice took the lead, 2–0 and 3–1 before Erich Meng equalised in the 87th minute. No goals were scored in extra time, making a replay necessary.Deutsche Meisterschaft 1937/1938 » Finale » Hannover 96 - FC Schalke 04 3:3 Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 December 2015 The second game, one week later, saw Hannover take the lead before Schalke went ahead twice again only for Hannover to equalise once again in the 87th minute. In the following extra time Erich Meng scored the decisive goal in the 117th minute, giving Hannover its first national title.Deutsche Meisterschaft 1937/1938 » Finale » Hannover 96 - FC Schalke 04 4:3 Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 December 2015 Erich Meng, who, together with his brother Richard, played a big part in the title win for Hannover, was killed in action less than two years later in the Second World War.
Hamburger SV's Gustav Carstens was the 1938 championships top scorer, with nine goals.
The sixteen 1937–38 Gauliga champions competed in a group stage of four groups of four teams each, with the group winners advancing to the semi-finals. The two semi-final winners then contested the 1938 championship final.German championship 1938 rsssf.org, accessed: 28 December 2015
From the following season, the German championship expanded to eighteen clubs and continued to increase in numbers through a combination of territorial expansion of Nazi Germany and the sub-dividing of the Gauligas. In later years, the number of Gauligas reached a strength of thirty-one in its last completed season, 1943–44.kicker Allmanach 1990, page: 243-245
Qualified teams The teams qualified through the 1937–38 Gauliga season: Club Qualified from VfR Mannheim Gauliga Baden 1. FC Nürnberg Gauliga Bayern Berliner SV 92 Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg FC Hanau 93 Gauliga Hessen SV Dessau 05 Gauliga Mitte Alemannia Aachen Gauliga MittelrheinFortuna Düsseldorf Gauliga NiederrheinHannover 96 Gauliga Niedersachsen Hamburger SV Gauliga Nordmark Yorck Boyen Insterburg Gauliga Ostpreußen Stettiner SC Gauliga Pommern BC Hartha Gauliga Sachsen Vorwärts-Rasensport Gleiwitz Gauliga SchlesienEintracht Frankfurt Gauliga SüdwestSchalke 04 Gauliga WestfalenVfB Stuttgart Gauliga Württemberg SV Beuel 06 was retrospectively awarded the championship in the Gauliga Mittelrhein but this decision was made too late to replace Alemannia Aachen in the German championship.
Competition
Group 1 Group 1 was contested by the champions of the Gauligas Nordmark, Pommern, Südwest and Ostpreußen:
Group 2 Group 2 was contested by the champions of the Gauligas Baden, Brandenburg, Mitte and Westfalen:
Group 3 Group 3 was contested by the champions of the Gauligas Niederrhein, Schlesien, Sachsen and Württemberg:
Group 4 Group 4 was contested by the champions of the Gauligas Bayern, Hessen, Mittelrhein and Niedersachsen:
Semi-finals
|align="center" style="background:#ddffdd" colspan=3|29 May 1938German championship 1938 – Semifinals Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 December 2015
Third place play-off
|align="center" style="background:#ddffdd" colspan=3|26 June 1938
Replay
|align="center" style="background:#ddffdd" colspan=3|3 July 1938German championship 1938 – Third place Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 December 2015
Final
|align="center" style="background:#ddffdd" colspan=3|26 June 1938German championship 1938 – Final Weltfussball.de, accessed: 28 December 2015
Replay
|align="center" style="background:#ddffdd" colspan=3|3 July 1938
References
Sources kicker Allmanach 1990, by kicker, page 164 & 177 - German championship
External links German Championship 1937–38 at weltfussball.de German Championship 1938 at RSSSF