Football from behind the wall - A look at East German football part 2

I hope you enjoyed part one of my look into East German football. The first instalment focused on when the wall was up, this one is focused on when the wall was down.

Historians among us will tell you the official fall of the Berlin Wall was 1st July 1990, Germans will tell you it was 9th November 1989, but the DDR Oberliga carried on until the end of the 1990/1991 season, where Hansa Rostock won a league and cup double. Securing their place in the Bundesliga with Dynamo Dresden the only 2 East German representatives in the newly unified Germany's top division for the 91/92 season.

The other top East German clubs were scattered amongst the 2nd and 3rd tiers, which were regionalised. Stahl Brandenberg were the sole GDR club in the 2nd Bundesliga Nord. 1. FC Lok Leipzig, Chenmitzer FC, FC Carl Zeiss Jenam FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt and Hallescher FC were now playing in the 2nd Bundesliga Süd. The rest of the clubs, the likes of BFC Dynamo Berlin, 1. FC Magdeburg and FC Energie Cottbus were sprinkled accross the NOFV-Oberliga's 3 regionalised divisions. 

Dynamo Dresden in action against Bayern Munich in their first game in the Bundesliga.

Hansa Rostock's first season ended in heartbreak, missing survival by a point and finishing in 18th place, Dynamo Dresden faired better and managed a 14th place finish 3 points better off than Rostock. Dynamo were flaying the flag for the former East Germany.

In the 1993/1994 VfB Leipzig made their Bundesliga debut. The season was a disaster and after only 3 wins, they finished bottom.  This season was the beginning of the end for Dynamo Dresden, even though they finished in a club high 13th, they were deducted 4 points for financial irregularities. The following season Dynamo finished bottom of the Bundesliga with 10 millionDM worth of debt, and denied a place in 2. Bundesliga and relegated to the Regionaliga.

The tragic fall of Dynamo Dresden marked the return of Hansa Rostock, who in their first season back finished in 6th place, which was enough for a place in the Intertoto cup. However Hansa never applied for the competition so the place went to Bayer Leverkusen. This season was the start to a ten year stay in Germans top division.

The year 2000 marked the debut Bundesliga season for Energie Cottbus, where they would stay for 3 seasons before finishing bottom of the league in 2003.

In the 2003/2004 season Hansa Rostock finished 9th, qualifying for the Intertoto Cup again, and once again they didn't apply for the competition and their place went to Wolfsburg. The following season Rostock finished 17th and relegated to 2. Bundesliga. The 2004/2005 would be the first season since the unification to not have any East German representative.

Hansa Rostock fans.

The 2006/2007 saw Energie Cottbus return to the Bundesliga, a 13th placed finish, folowed the season after by finishing 14th, and the 2008/2009 saw Cottbus finish 16th and leave the Bundesliga a West German dominated league.

The DFB-Pokal has also proved elusive to East German clubs with Cottbuss (1997) and Union Berlin (2001) making final appearances, Cottbuss losing 2-0 and Union Berlin going down to the same scorline against Shalke. 

The lack of major footballing success in the old GDR could be attributed to the harsh East German economic market, the switch from socialism to the free market has been difficult and the lack of opportunity and tempation for players to go west to where the big hitters are is too much to resist.

The Western domination of the football and economical Germany was there for the whole world to see at the 2006 FIFA World Cup as the old West Germany had 11 of the 12 stadiums used for the tournament, with Leipzig being the sole GDR representative. The ground held 5 games, 4 group games and one round of 16 match (Argentina 2-1 Mexico)

Lionel Messi representing Argentina in Leipzig. 

So where are the old Oberliga clubs now? Dynamo Dresden and Hansa Rostock are now in the newly created 3. Liga (English equivalent League 1)  After going out of business and starting again in the 11th tier of German Football VfB Leipzig - Now 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig ply there trade in the NOFV Oberliga Süd, and BFC Dynamo Berlin in NOFC Oberliga Nord the 5th tier in Germany's footballing ladder. FC Union Berlin and Energie Cottbus are the best placed GDR teams, they both play in 2. Bundesliga.

Look out for part three, where I will take a look at the East German national team.