The Bundesliga is the top-division tournament in German football.
The competition was founded in 1962, while the first season began in 1963. The Bundesliga replaced the German national championship, which was the first tournament in German football history.
The German national championship, which was founded in 1903 and ran for a period of 60 years, was a knockout competition contested between winners of each of the country's top regional leagues.
The founding member teams of the Bundesliga are 1860 Munich, Cologne, Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Braunschweig, Eintracht Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hertha Berlin, Kaiserslautern, Karlsruhe, Preußen Munster, MSV Duisburg, Nuremberg, Saarbrücken, Schalke, VfB Stuttgart and Werder Bremen.
Besides the Bundesliga which operated in West Germany, the DDR-Oberliga was the top-level football league in Soviet-controlled East Germany. Following the reunification of Germany, the Bundesliga became the national league of the country.
The Bundesliga started out as a 16-team tournament but would soon expand to 18 teams from 1965. In a one-off event, the league played the 1991-92 season with 20 teams following the reunification but would return to its 18-side format in the following campaign.
There has been 12 different winners of the Bundesliga since its inception in 1963.
Who won the first Bundesliga?
FC Koln, or FC Cologne in English, won the first-ever Bundesliga season in 1963-64. The Billy Goats maintained a six-point advantage over second-placed Meidericher SV (39) and scored in each of the 30 league games played in the inaugural edition.
Karl-Heinz Thielen (16 goals) and Christian Müller (15 goals) finished as the top-scorers for the team in the championship-winning season.
Who has won the most Bundesliga titles?
Bayern Munich lead the Bundesliga winners list with 31 titles. The Bavarians won their maiden Meisterschale in the 1968-69 season, with an eight-point cushion and legendary forward Gerd Muller contributing 30 goals.
The Bavarians recently claimed the Bundesliga 2021-22 title, with two matches to spare. In doing so, Bayern have now won the German championship a record 10 times in a row. The run began in 2012-13 under the management of Jupp Heynckes.
Bundesliga winners list
2021–22: Bayern Munich
2020–21: Bayern Munich
2019–20: Bayern Munich
2018–19: Bayern Munich
2017–18: Bayern Munich
2016–17: Bayern Munich
2015–16: Bayern Munich
2014–15: Bayern Munich
2013–14: Bayern Munich
2012–13: Bayern Munich
2011–12: Borussia Dortmund
2010–11: Borussia Dortmund
2009–10: Bayern Munich
2008–09: VfL Wolfsburg
2007–08: Bayern Munich
2006–07: VfB Stuttgart
2005–06: Bayern Munich
2004–05: Bayern Munich
2003–04: Werder Bremen
2002–03: Bayern Munich
2001–02: Borussia Dortmund
2000–01: Bayern Munich
1998–99: Bayern Munich
1997–98: 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1999–2000: Bayern Munich
1996–97: Bayern Munich
1995–96: Borussia Dortmund
1994–95: Borussia Dortmund
1993–94: Bayern Munich
1992–93: Werder Bremen
1991–92: VfB Stuttgart
1990–91: 1. FC Kaiserslautern
1989–90: Bayern Munich
1988–89: Bayern Munich
1987–88: Werder Bremen
1986–87: Bayern Munich
1985–86: Bayern Munich
1984–85: Bayern Munich
1983–84: VfB Stuttgart
1982–83: Hamburger SV
1981–82: Hamburger SV
1980–81: Bayern Munich
1979–80: Bayern Munich
1978–79: Hamburger SV
1977–78: 1. FC Köln
1976–77: Borussia Mönchengladbach
1975–76: Borussia Mönchengladbach
1974–75: Borussia Mönchengladbach
1973–74: Bayern Munich
1972–73: Bayern Munich
1971–72: Bayern Munich
1970–71: Borussia Mönchengladbach
1969–70: Borussia Mönchengladbach
1968–69: Bayern Munich
1967–68: 1. FC Nürnberg
1966–67: Eintracht Braunschweig
1965–66: 1860 Munich
1964–65: Werder Bremen
1963–64: 1. FC Köln
Author: William Paul
Featured photo: AFP / CHRISTOF STACHE
