Promotion to the Bundesliga


The Promotion to the Bundesliga was an end-of-season competition, held annually to determine the clubs that were promoted from the Regionalligas, later the 2. Bundesligas to the Bundesliga. Originally, it was necessary because there were more second division champions than promotion spots available. From 1974 onwards, it involved only two clubs who determined the third possible promotion spot to the Bundesliga.

Leagues

1963–74

When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, the German Football Association established five regional second divisions below it, the Regionalligas, these being:
Because the boundaries of these five leagues went along historical lines, determined by the boundaries of the five German sub-federations, the playing strength of the leagues was not equal. To determine the two teams to be promoted to the Bundesliga each season, a promotion round was held. The number of teams from each Regionalliga qualified for this event was not equal, for the above-mentioned reason.
From 1963, the first two teams in each Regionalliga was qualified for the promotion round, except from Berlin, who would only send the champions. To reduce the number of clubs from nine to eight, a home-and-away decider was played between two of the runners-ups. The origin of the two teams in this altered annually. The eight teams would then play a home-and-away round in two groups of four with the winners qualified for the Bundesliga. Teams from the same Regionalliga would not play in the same group. This system was in place till 1966.
From 1967, the groups were expanded to five clubs and all five Regionalligas send their runners-up to the competition. Otherwise, the modus remained unchanged. This system remained in place until 1974, when the Regionalligas were disbanded.

1974–81

In 1974, the five Regionalligas were replaced by two 2. Bundesligas, those being:
The two league champions would now be directly promoted to the Bundesliga while the two runners-up played a home-and-away round to determine the third promoted team. This system remained in place until the single 2. Bundesliga replaced the two leagues.

1981–91

With the introduction of the single-division 2. Bundesliga in 1981, a promotion round would have become unnecessary as the top-three teams could have been directly promoted. Instead, only the top two teams achieved direct promotion. The third-placed club had to play the 16th placed club from the Bundesliga in a home-and-away round for the last spot in the first division. This series was played until 1991.
With the German reunion in 1991 and the influx of clubs from the former DDR-Oberliga, the promotion round between the two clubs was stopped. In the 1990–91 season, five clubs were promoted to the Bundesliga, three from the west and two from the east.

1991–92

As a transition season due to the integration of the East German clubs, only two clubs were promoted from the second to the first division. Also, the 2. Bundesliga was split into two regional groups for this season.

1992–2008

In this era, the top three teams of the 2. Bundesliga were directly promoted to the Bundesliga.

2008–present

From 2009, the promotion series between the 16th-placed Bundesliga club and the third-placed 2. Bundesliga team was reestablished. The Bundesliga follows its own past example and the one set by the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A, where these games are in place too and quite popular.

Promoted teams

1963–74

1981–90

1990–91

1991–92

1992–present

Participating clubs 1963–74

The southern clubs:
SeasonRL Süd RL Süd RL Südwest RL Südwest
1963–64Hessen KasselBayern MunichBorussia NeunkirchenFK Pirmasens
1964–65Bayern MunichSSV Reutlingen1. FC SaarbrückenWormatia Worms
1965–66Schweinfurt 05Kickers OffenbachFK Pirmasens1. FC Saarbrücken
1966–67Kickers OffenbachBayern HofBorussia Neunkirchen1. FC Saarbrücken
1967–68Bayern HofKickers OffenbachSV AlsenbornTuS Neuendorf
1968–69Karlsruher SCFreiburger FCSV AlsenbornTuS Neuendorf
1969–70Kickers OffenbachKarlsruher SCSV AlsenbornFK Pirmasens
1970–711. FC NürnbergKarlsruher SCBorussia NeunkirchenFK Pirmasens
1971–72Kickers OffenbachBayern HofBorussia NeunkirchenRöchling Völklingen
1972–73Darmstadt 98Karlsruher SCMainz 05Röchling Völklingen
1973–74FC Augsburg1. FC NürnbergBorussia Neunkirchen1. FC Saarbrücken

The northern clubs:
SeasonRL West RL West RL Nord RL Nord RL Berlin RL Berlin
1963–64Alemannia AachenWuppertaler SVFC St. PauliHannover 96Tasmania Berlin—
1964–65Borussia MönchengladbachAlemannia AachenHolstein KielFC St. PauliTennis Borussia Berlin—
1965–66Fortuna DüsseldorfRot-Weiss EssenFC St. PauliSC GöttingenHertha BSC—
1966–67Alemannia AachenSchwarz-Weiß EssenArminia HannoverSC GöttingenHertha BSCTennis Borussia Berlin
1967–68Bayer LeverkusenRot-Weiss EssenArminia HannoverSC GöttingenHertha BSCTennis Borussia Berlin
1968–69Rot-Weiß OberhausenRot-Weiss EssenVfL OsnabrückVfB LübeckHertha ZehlendorfTasmania Berlin
1969–70VfL BochumArminia BielefeldVfL OsnabrückVfL WolfsburgHertha ZehlendorfTennis Borussia Berlin
1970–71VfL BochumFortuna DüsseldorfVfL OsnabrückFC St. PauliTasmania BerlinWacker Berlin
1971–72Wuppertaler SVRot-Weiss EssenFC St. PauliVfL OsnabrückWacker BerlinTasmania Berlin
1972–73Rot-Weiss EssenFortuna KölnFC St. PauliVfL OsnabrückBlau-Weiß BerlinWacker Berlin
1973–74SG WattenscheidRot-Weiß OberhausenEintracht BraunschweigFC St. PauliTennis Borussia BerlinWacker Berlin

;1974–75

Bundesliga versus 2. Bundesliga 1981–91

; 1981–82

Bundesliga versus 2. Bundesliga 2008–present

; 2008–09

Key

SymbolKey
Bundesliga – 16th-placed team
2. Bundesliga – 3rd-placed team
2. Bundesliga North – 2nd-placed team
2. Bundesliga South – 2nd-placed team