The Bundesliga has been the top flight of German football since 1963. Until 1991, the league was open only to teams from West Germany until reunification saw East German teams merge into the system run by the Deutsche Football Liga. As of 2024, it is the second-highest-ranked professional football league in the world. It is one of the five major European leagues on the continent, along with the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, and Ligue 1 in France. A total of 56 clubs have competed in the top flight in its 61-year history, and 13 of these teams have won the top flight and lifted the iconic Bundesliga shield. Wintips takes a look at all 13 German champions since 1963.
Bundesliga list of winners
13. Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen, founded in 1904, are nicknamed "Die Schwarzroten" (The Black and Red) and "Die Werkself" (The Company's Eleven). They play at the BayArena, a 30,210-seat stadium. The 2023/24 season was a successful one for the team, as they collected a total of 90 points, the highest total in the club's history.
Bayer Leverkusen first reached the top flight of German football in 1979 and have never been relegated since. They have grown rapidly as a club in that time and have regularly challenged for the Bundesliga title, finishing runners-up five times before finally tasting their greatest success in 2024.
Under Spanish coach Xabi Alonso, in his first senior managerial role, Die Schwarzroten ended Bayern Munich's 11-year dominance of the league and won the title with five games to spare. Leverkusen became the first team in Bundesliga history to go the entire season unbeaten, amassing 90 points, only surpassed by one other club.
12. Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg, founded in 1945, are nicknamed "Die Wolfe" (The Wolves). They play at the Volkswagen Arena, which has a capacity of 30,000. The 2008/09 season was a huge success for the club as they won the title and achieved their highest points total in history with 69 points.
Like Bayer Leverkusen, Wolfsburg are also a side that have slowly risen through the ranks of German football, having originally been founded as a club for Volkswagen workers. Wolves were promoted to the Bundesliga in 1997 and quickly established themselves in the top flight before becoming one of the most unexpected champions in football history in the 2008/09 season.
After recruiting coach Felix Magath following the German's sacking by Bayern Munich, Wolfsburg launched a powerful assault on the Bundesliga summit with the formidable forward combination of Grafite and Edin Dzeko. A 5-1 win over reigning champions Bayern in April 2009 virtually sealed Wolfsburg's place as Bundesliga champions for the first time in their history.
11. Nuremberg
Nuremberg, founded in 1900, are nicknamed "Der Club" (The Club), "Die Legende" (The Legend) and "Der Ruhmreiche" (The Glorious). They play at the Max-Morlock Stadium, which has a capacity of 50,000. The 1967/68 season was a historic one as Nuremberg won the title and achieved their highest points total of 47.
Before the Bundesliga was founded in 1963, Nuremberg were the most successful team in Germany, with eight top-flight titles. After a solid start to the new league, they won their ninth title in 1968, finishing three points clear of second-placed Werder Bremen after a blistering start to the campaign.
In a surprise turn of events, they were relegated the following season for the first time in their history, and did not return to the Bundesliga until 1980. Nuremberg continued to bounce around the top flight without ever making another serious challenge for the title, and they have spent just one season in the Bundesliga since 2014.
10. Eintracht Braunschweig
Eintracht Braunschweig, founded in 1895, are nicknamed "Die Loewen" (The Lions). They play at the Eintracht Stadium, which has a capacity of 23,325. The 1966/67 season was a milestone in the club's history as they won the title and achieved their highest points total of 43.
Eintracht Braunschweig are one of the oldest clubs in German football, having been one of the 86 founding members of the German Football Association in 1900. Their footballing history also saw them selected as one of the 16 founding members of the first Bundesliga in 1963 and becoming one of the inaugural champions of the competition in 1967.
The Lions finished the season two points clear of second-placed 1860 Munich to lift their first national title that season, in no small part due to conceding just 27 goals all season, a Bundesliga record until broken by Werder Bremen in 1988. The club would soon fall into serious decline, returning to the Bundesliga just once since relegation in the 1984/85 season.
9. 1860 Munich
1860 Munich, founded in 1860, are nicknamed "Die Loewen" (The Lions), "Sechzig" (The Sixties) and "Die Sechzger" (The Sixties). They play at the Grunwalder Stadion, which has a capacity of 15,000. The 1965/66 season was a landmark in the club's history as they won the title and achieved their highest points total of 50.
As a sports club, 1860 Munich's history can be traced back to 1848 before being formally founded 12 years later and eventually establishing a football division in 1899. The football club became one of the most successful clubs in its region of Germany and its regional league title in the 1962/63 season earned the club automatic entry into the newly formed Bundesliga that summer, ahead of cross-town rivals Bayern Munich, who had to wait two years to enter the top flight themselves.
1860 Munich would become the third Bundesliga champions in 1966, scoring 80 goals as they finished three points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund. However, they would never reach such heights again, and they have not returned to the top flight since their relegation in 2004.
8. Kaiserlautern (Kaiserlautern)
Kaiserlautern, founded in 1900, are nicknamed "Die Roten Teufel" (The Red Devils). They play at the Fritz-Walter Stadium, which has a capacity of 49,850. Kaiserlautern won titles in the 1990/91 and 1997/98 seasons, with the latter being their highest points total of 68.
Kaiserslautern were founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963 after a highly successful post-war period in which they were crowned German champions twice and won their regional league 11 times. However, it took the Red Devils a long time to transfer that form to the new league, and they eventually won their first Bundesliga title in the 1990/91 season, finishing three points clear at the top.
Kaiserslautern were unexpectedly relegated five seasons later, losing their status as a Bundesliga presence, but they returned to the top flight at the first opportunity and, remarkably, finished top of the table in their first season back. Despite being relegated for a second time in 2006 and not returning to Germany's top flight since, the Red Devils still sit 11th in the all-time Bundesliga standings.
7. FC Koln
FC Koln, founded in 1948, are nicknamed the "Billy Goats". They play at the RheinEnergieStadion, which has a capacity of 50,000. The club won titles in the 1963/64 and 1977/78 seasons, with the latter being their highest points total of 48.
FC Koln were the first Bundesliga champions in the 1963/64 season. Formed after a merger between two other clubs in 1948, Koln were invited to become founding members of the new league in 1963 and easily won the first edition, finishing seven points clear of second-placed Meidericher SV.
FC Koln won their second Bundesliga title in the 1977/78 season, edging Borussia Monchengladbach on goal difference after both teams finished on 48 points, and the Billy Goats became one of only four teams in Bundesliga history to have won the domestic double, as they also lifted the DFB-Pokal in that campaign. They were relegated from the top flight for the first time in 1998 and became a yo-yo club in the following years, suffering another relegation in 2024.
6. Stuttgart
Stuttgart, founded in 1893, are nicknamed "Die Roten" (The Red Devils) and "Die Schwaben" (The Swabians). They play at the MHPArena, which has a capacity of 60,449. Stuttgart won titles in the 1983/94, 1991/92 and 2006/07 seasons, with the 2006/07 season being their highest points total of 70.
Stuttgart are one of the most successful teams in German football. They were invited to become founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963, but never made a serious challenge until 1984, when they won an incredible five-horse title race thanks to their superior goal difference, largely due to conceding just 33 goals all season.
The Swabians won their second league title in 1991/92 in similar fashion, beating Borussia Dortmund on goal difference after once again boasting the best defence in the league, before a hugely strong end to the season saw them win their third Bundesliga title in 2006/07. Their fortunes declined in the following years, and they suffered two relegations in the 2010s, but returned to the top flight at the first attempt on both occasions.
5. Hamburg
Hamburg, founded in 1887, are nicknamed "Die Rothosen" (The Red Shorts) and "Der Dinosaurier" (The Dinosaur). They play at the Volkspark Stadion, which has a capacity of 57,000. Hamburg won the title in the 1978/79, 1981/82 and 1982/83 seasons, with the 1982/83 season being their highest points total of 52.
Hamburg is one of the oldest clubs in Germany and Europe in general. They have won three Bundesliga titles, but most notably they hold the record of being the only team to have been in the top flight of German football from 1919 until they were finally relegated in 2018, an incredible record that has earned them the affectionate nickname of ‘The Dinosaur’.
Armed with Liverpool legend and two-time Ballon d’Or winner Kevin Keegan, Hamburg enjoyed a period of great success in the late seventies and early eighties when they won three Bundesliga titles as well as the European Cup in 1983. The club never reached such heights again and a decline in the 2010s saw them eventually relegated. They have not returned to the top flight since.
4. Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen, founded in 1899, are nicknamed "Die Werderaner" (The River Islanders). They play at the Weser Stadium, which has a capacity of 42,100. Werder Bremen won titles in 1964/65, 1987/88, 1992/93 and 2003/04, with the latter being their highest points total of 74.
Werder Bremen were one of the founding members of the German Football Association in 1900 and were also founding members of the Bundesliga in 1963. They became the league's second champions in 1965, finishing three points clear of champions Koln.
After a period of poor form and a brief spell in the second tier, Werder Bremen enjoyed a resurgence in the 1980s under Otto Rehhagel, one of the greatest German managers of all time, who led them to two more Bundesliga titles in 1987/88 and 1992/93. The manager was then poached by Bayern Munich and Bremen's fortunes faltered, before resurgence again in the 2000s, including a fourth title in 2003/04.
3. Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund, founded in 1899, are nicknamed "Die Borussen" (The Prussian Team), "Die Schwarzgelben" (The Black and Yellow Team), and "BVB". They play at the Signal Iduna Park, which has a capacity of 81,365. Borussia Dortmund won the title in 1994/95, 1995/96, 2001/02, 2010/11 and 2011/12, with the latter being their highest points total of 81.
Borussia Dortmund are considered the second most successful team in German football and their last national championship before the Bundesliga was founded in 1963 earned them an automatic place in the 16 teams that made up the inaugural league. Although often mentioned in the title debate, it was not until 1995 that Dortmund won the league title, led by Ottmar Hitzfeld.
Under Hitzfeld, BVB won back-to-back league titles, as well as the Champions League in 1997, with Matthias Sammer as the team's star player, and the midfielder later became manager and led the team to a third Bundesliga title in 2002. Dortmund won two more consecutive league titles in 2011 and 2012 under Jurgen Klopp and could have won more in the 2010s if not for Bayern Munich's dominance.
2. Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach, founded in 1900, are nicknamed "Die Fohlen" (The Foals) and "Die Borussen" (The Prussians). They play at the Borussia Stadium, which has a capacity of 54,057. Borussia Monchengladbach won the title in the 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1975/76 and 1976/77 seasons, with the 1969/70 season being their highest points total of 51.
Borussia Monchengladbach are one of the few teams on this list who were not founding members of the Bundesliga, but when they were promoted to the top flight in 1965 they quickly took over the league, playing exciting attacking football under coach Hennes Weisweiler. The Foals won back-to-back titles in 1970 and 1971, beating Bayern Munich on both occasions.
In Weisweiler's final season in charge of the club (1974/75) before his move to Barcelona, he brought Monchengladbach a third Bundesliga title and his successor Udo Lattek guided the club to two more league titles, making them one of only two teams to have won three consecutive league titles in Bundesliga history. The club was regularly mentioned in title debates in the following years, but never reached the heights of the Weisweiler or Lattek eras of the 1970s.
1. Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich, founded in 1900, is nicknamed "Die Bayern" (The Bavarians) and "Die Roten" (The Red Devils). The team plays at the Allianz Stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000. Bayern Munich has won many major titles in its history, including the seasons 1968/69, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22 and 2022/23. The 2012/13 season was their highest points total with 91 points.
Despite missing out on the inaugural Bundesliga season to cross-town rivals 1860 Munich, Bayern Munich are still the most successful team in the history of the competition, having won the Bundesliga 32 times. After securing top-flight status in 1965, they won their first league title four years later before becoming the first team to win three consecutive titles between 1971 and 1973.
The Bavarians repeated the feat twice more (1985-1987 and 1999-2001) and have never finished outside the top four since 1995. Bayern Munich embarked on an unprecedented run from 2013 to 2023 when they won 11 consecutive titles, a record for all five of Europe's top leagues.
Conclusion
The list of Bundesliga champions reflects the fierce rivalry and memorable milestones of German football. From the dominance of Bayern Munich to the impressive successes of Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach and others, each name on the list has contributed to the rich and inspiring history of the league.
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