Hessenliga

Hessenliga
Founded
1945
Nation
Germany
State
Hesse
Promotion To
Regionalliga Süd/Südwest
Relegation To
Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord
Verbandsliga Hessen-Mitte
Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd
Number of Teams
18
Level on Pyramid
Level 5
Domestic Cups
Hessenpokal
Current Champions 2010–11
FC Bayern Alzenau

The Hessenliga (until 2008 Oberliga Hessen) is the highest football league in the state of Hesse and the Hessian football league system. It is one of eleven Oberligas in German football, the 5th tier of the German football league system. It was, until the introduction of the 3. Liga in 2008, the 4th tier.

Overview

The league was formed in 1945 and except for its first two seasons it has always played as one single division. As such, it is the longest continuously operating Oberliga in Germany. The league was called Landesliga-Hessen until 1950 and actually formed the second tier of southern German football. With the introduction of the 2nd Oberliga Süd in 1950, the Landesliga-Hessen was renamed Amateurliga Hessen. From 1978, it was called Amateur Oberliga Hessen and finally, in 1994 it was renamed Oberliga Hessen.

Since introduction of the Regionalliga Süd in 1994, the winner of the Oberliga Hessen is automatically promoted to this league, till 1994 the winners of the Oberligas had to play-off for the four promotion spots to the 2. Bundesliga with the other Oberliga winners.

In 1994, with the introduction of the Regionalliga, six clubs from Hessen were qualified for the new league, based on their performance over the last three seasons, these clubs being:

• Kickers Offenbach
• SV Wehen Wiesbaden
• SG Egelsbach
• Rot-Weiss Frankfurt
• KSV Hessen Kassel
• SV Darmstadt 98

Originally, FSV Frankfurt, champions of 1994, would have also been qualified but gained promotion to the 2. Bundesliga instead.

The Oberliga Hessen still remained below the Regionalliga Süd after the reduction of the number of Regionalligas from four to two in 2000 but this reduction meant that the Oberliga champions in that year were not promoted.

With the changes in the league system in 2008, four clubs from the Hessenliga were promoted to Regionalliga Süd after the 2007–08 season, nominally the top four teams, however, there was also financial requirements to receive a Regionalliga license. The four clubs were:

• SV Darmstadt 98
• SV Wehen II
• Viktoria Aschaffenburg
• Eintracht Frankfurt II

The Hessenliga is fed by the three Verbandsligen. The winners of those are directly promoted to the Hessenliga, the three runners-up play-off with the 15th club from the Hessenliga for one more promotion spot.

• Feeder leagues to the Hessenliga:
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Mitte
  • Verbandsliga Hessen-Süd

The Hessenliga also, at times, accommodated teams from Bavaria, Viktoria Aschaffenburg and FC Bayern Alzenau. In the 2011-12 season, Viktoria will play in the league while Alzenau plays one level above in the Regionalliga.

From 2012 onwards, the league will become a feeder league to the new Regionalliga Süd/Südwest, together with the Oberliga Baden-Württemberg and the Oberliga Südwest. The previous league the Hessenliga was set below at, the Regionalliga Süd, will be disbanded after the 2011-12 season.

Champions of the Hessenliga

Season Club 1945–46 SV Wiesbaden Viktoria Aschaffenburg 1946–47 1. Rödelheimer FC 02 Rot-Weiss Frankfurt 1947–48 1. Rödelheimer FC 02 1948–49 KSV Hessen Kassel 1949–50 SV Darmstadt 98 1950–51 Olympia Lampertheim 1951–52 Olympia Lampertheim 1952–53 FC Hanau 93 1953–54 Borussia Fulda 1954–55 SpVgg Bad Homburg 1955–56 SpVgg Neu-Isenburg 1956–57 Borussia Fulda 1957–58 VfB Friedberg 1958–59 VfL Marburg 1959–60 Borussia Fulda 1960–61 FC Hanau 93 1961–62 SV Darmstadt 98 1962–63 VfB Gießen 1963–64 SV Darmstadt 98 1964–65 Opel Rüsselsheim 1965–66 Germania Wiesbaden

Season Club 1966–67 SV Wiesbaden 1967–68 Rot-Weiss Frankfurt 1968–69 FSV Frankfurt 1969–70 Eintracht Frankfurt II 1970–71 SV Darmstadt 98 1971–72 VfR Bürstadt 1972–73 FSV Frankfurt 1973–74 Viktoria Aschaffenburg 1974–75 FSV Frankfurt 1975–76 KSV Baunatal 1976–77 VfR Bürstadt 1977–78 FC Hanau 93 1978–79 VfR Bürstadt 1979–80 KSV Hessen Kassel 1980–81 Viktoria Griesheim 1981–82 FSV Frankfurt 1982–83 VfR Bürstadt 1983–84 VfR Bürstadt 1984–85 Viktoria Aschaffenburg 1985–86 Kickers Offenbach 1986–87 Kickers Offenbach 1987–88 Viktoria Aschaffenburg

Season Club 1988–89 KSV Hessen Kassel 1989–90 Rot-Weiss Frankfurt 1990–91 KSV Hessen Kassel 1991–92 Viktoria Aschaffenburg 1992–93 Kickers Offenbach 1993–94 FSV Frankfurt 1994–95 SC Neukirchen 1995–96 Borussia Fulda 1996–97 SV Wehen 1997–98 FSV Frankfurt 1998–99 SV Darmstadt 98 1999–00 KSV Klein-Karben 2000–01 Borussia Fulda 2001–02 Eintracht Frankfurt II 2002–03 1. FC Eschborn 2003–04 SV Darmstadt 98 2004–05 1. FC Eschborn 2005–06 KSV Hessen Kassel 2006–07 FSV Frankfurt 2007–08 SV Darmstadt 98 2008–09 SC Waldgirmes 2009–10 FSV Frankfurt II 2010–11 FC Bayern Alzenau

• The record number of league championships is held by FSV Frankfurt, with eight titles to their name (including one won by their reserve team, FSV Frankfurt II).

References

Sources

• Deutschlands Fußball in Zahlen, (German) An annual publication with tables and results from the Bundesliga to Verbandsliga/Landesliga, publisher: DSFS
• Kicker Almanach, (German) The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine
• Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988 (German) History of Southern German football in tables, publisher & author: Ludolf Hyll
• Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005 (German) History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables, publisher: DSFS, published: 2006

External links

• (German) Das deutsche Fussball Archiv Historic German league tables
• (German) Weltfussball.de Round-by-round results and tables of the Oberliga Hessen from 1994 onwards
• (German) The Hesse football leagues on Fussball.de
• (German) Hessian Football Association (HFV)