Sport: Football (soccer)
Founded: 1963
Country: Germany
No. of teams: 18
Current champions: FC Bayern München
Website: Bundesliga - Die offizielle Webseite
Bundesliga list of winners:
2007/2008 FC Bayern München
2006/2007 VfB Stuttgart
2005/2006 FC Bayern München
2004/2005 FC Bayern München
2003/2004 SV Werder Bremen
2002/2003 FC Bayern München
2001/2002 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
2000/2001 FC Bayern München
1999/2000 FC Bayern München
1998/1999 FC Bayern München
1997/1998 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1996/1997 FC Bayern München
1995/1996 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
1994/1995 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
1993/1994 FC Bayern München
1992/1993 SV Werder Bremen
1991/1992 VfB Stuttgart
1990/1991 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1989/1990 FC Bayern München
1988/1989 FC Bayern München
1987/1988 SV Werder Bremen
1986/1987 FC Bayern München
1985/1986 FC Bayern München
1984/1985 FC Bayern München
1983/1984 VfB Stuttgart
1982/1983 Hamburg SV
1981/1982 Hamburg SV
1980/1981 FC Bayern München
1979/1980 FC Bayern München
1978/1979 Hamburg SV
1977/1978 1. FC Köln
1976/1977 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1975/1976 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1974/1975 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1973/1974 FC Bayern München
1972/1973 FC Bayern München
1971/1972 FC Bayern München
1970/1971 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1969/1970 Borussia Mönchengladbach
1968/1969 FC Bayern München
1967/1968 1. FC Nürnberg
1966/1967 Eintracht Braunschweig
1965/1966 TSV 1860 München
1964/1965 SV Werder Bremen
1963/1964 1. FC Köln
1962/1963 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
1961/1962 1. FC Köln
1960/1961 1. FC Nürnberg
1959/1960 Hamburg SV
1958/1959 Eintracht Frankfurt
1957/1958 FC Schalke 04
1956/1957 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
List of German Champions (the competition before the Bundelsiga):
1955/1956 BV 09 Borussia Dortmund
1954/1955 Rot-Weiß Essen
1953/1954 Hannoverscher SV 96
1952/1953 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1951/1952 VfB Stuttgart
1950/1951 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1949/1950 VfB Stuttgart
1948/1949 VfR Mannheim
1947/1948 1. FC Nürnberg
1943/1944 Dresdner SC
1942/1943 Dresdner SC
1941/1942 FC Schalke 04
1940/1941 Rapid Wien
1939/1940 FC Schalke 04
1938/1939 FC Schalke 04
1937/1938 Hannoverscher SV 96
1936/1937 FC Schalke 04
1935/1936 1. FC Nürnberg
1934/1935 FC Schalke 04
1933/1934 FC Schalke 04
1932/1933 Fortuna Düsseldorf
1931/1932 FC Bayern München
1930/1931 Hertha BSC Berlin
1929/1930 Hertha BSC Berlin
1928/1929 SpVgg Fürth
1927/1928 Hamburg SV
1926/1927 1. FC Nürnberg
1925/1926 SpVgg Fürth
1924/1925 1. FC Nürnberg
1923/1924 1. FC Nürnberg
1922/1923 Hamburg SV
1921/1922 Suspended
1920/1921 1. FC Nürnberg
1919/1920 1. FC Nürnberg
1913/1914 SpVgg Fürth
1912/1913 VfB Leipzig
1911/1912 Holstein Kiel
1910/1911 Viktoria Berlin
1909/1910 Karlsruher FV
1908/1909 Phönix Karlsruhe
1907/1908 Viktoria Berlin
1906/1907 Freiburger FC
1905/1906 VfB Leipzig
1904/1905 Union 92 Berlin
1902/1903 VfB Leipzig
Bundesliga history
With a clear majority of 103:26 votes, at 5.14 pm on the 28th of July 1962, the delegates of the DFB general assembly approved the formation of the Bundesliga.
1962 was an eventful year. German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer and French President Charles de Gaulle exchanged official visits to lay the foundations for Franco-German reconciliation, the first James Bond film was shot and the Cuban missile crisis had the world holding its breath.
There may not have been top-level politics on the agenda when the DFB's 14th general assembly convened at Dortmund congress centre, but the men attending also needed a certain amount of courage and tactical skill as German football found itself on the threshold of a new era.
103-26
There was a buzz among the 129 delegates, yet the first proposal on the agenda sounded relatively mundane: "The general assembly will decide whether to introduce a central league on 1.8. 1963 under the patronage of the German Football Association."
At 5.14 pm, the result of the ground-breaking vote was announced. 103 of the 129 delegates had approved the motion.
Important role for Herberger
They included a man who had led Germany to an historic World Cup title in 1954 and, by doing so, had given the entire nation a ray of hope thanks to the game of football: national team coach Sepp
Herberger - "the old man", as he was affectionately known by his players, and the mastermind behind the "Miracle of Bern".
The delegate for the Mannheim region, Herberger was fully aware of the significance of the decision. Germany needed a nationwide league to help players and clubs to develop. Similar set-ups had already been in place in Italy, England and Spain for years.
Many sceptics
Before there could be any celebrations at this dawning of a new era, many doubts had to be conquered. Lots of people feared that the clean image of the amateur game would be sullied. The close associates of Franz Kremer, the president of 1. FC Cologne, were well aware of these reservations.
A staunch supporter of Hermann Neuberger, who would later become DFB president, Kremer gave a fervent speech that managed to win over many of the sceptics. Nevertheless, the Bundesliga's founders did not want to give too much away and they set about the task before them cautiously.
No professionalisation
The proposal concerning the introduction of a single top flight was discussed separately from the motion regarding the introduction of professional football.
This turned out to be a wise move, as the proposed professionalisation of the new Bundesliga was rejected after just 49 votes, less than half of the delegates, backed the "outrageous" notion.
Maximum transfer fees
Instead each player was allowed to earn up to 1,200 deutschmarks, and transfer fees were restricted to a maximum of 50,000 deutschmarks.
In the years that have passed since that historic decision, the Bundesliga has bloomed into the sporting darling of the German people.