# 1956–57 Oberliga

The 1956–57 Oberliga was the twelfth season of the Oberliga, the first tier of the football league system in West Germany and the Saar Protectorate. The league operated in five regional divisions, Berlin, North, South, Southwest and West. The five league champions and the runners-up from the west, south, southwest and north then entered the 1957 German football championship which was won by Borussia Dortmund. It was Borussia Dortmund's second national championship, having won its first in the previous season and thereby becoming the first club to win back-to-back championships since Dresdner SC in 1943 and 1944.
During the season, on 1 January 1957, the Saar Protectorate officially joined West Germany, ending the post-Second World War political separation of the territory from the other parts of Germany, which had also seen the Oberliga Südwest clubs from the Saarland, 1. FC Saarbrücken, Borussia Neunkirchen, Sportfreunde Saarbrücken, Saar 05 Saarbrücken and SV Röchling Völklingen, leave the German league system from 1948 to 1951.
A similar-named league, the DDR-Oberliga, existed in East Germany, set at the first tier of the East German football league system. The 1957 DDR-Oberliga was won by SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt.

## Oberliga Nord

The 1956–57 season saw two new clubs in the league, Heider SV and Concordia Hamburg, both promoted from the Amateurliga. The league's top scorer was Uwe Seeler of Hamburger SV with 31 goals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Hamburger SV | 30 | 16 | 9 | 5 | 86 | 34 | +52 | 41 | Qualification to German championship |
| 2 | Holstein Kiel | 30 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 39 | Qualification to German championship |
| 3 | Hannover 96 | 30 | 15 | 7 | 8 | 58 | 34 | +24 | 37 | |
| 4 | FC St. Pauli | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 33 | |
| 5 | Werder Bremen | 30 | 14 | 3 | 13 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 31 | |
| 6 | VfL Osnabrück | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 31 | |
| 7 | Eintracht Braunschweig | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 61 | 51 | +10 | 30 | |
| 8 | VfR Neumünster | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 35 | 50 | −15 | 30 | |
| 9 | TuS Bremerhaven 93 | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 29 | |
| 10 | Göttingen 05 | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 51 | 61 | −10 | 29 | |
| 11 | FC Altona 93 | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 51 | 51 | 0 | 28 | |
| 12 | Concordia Hamburg | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 36 | 38 | −2 | 28 | |
| 13 | Eintracht Nordhorn | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 37 | 48 | −11 | 26 | |
| 14 | VfL Wolfsburg | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 51 | 71 | −20 | 26 | |
| 15 | Arminia Hannover (R) | 30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 39 | 48 | −9 | 23 | Relegation to Amateurliga |
| 16 | Heider SV (R) | 30 | 6 | 7 | 17 | 28 | 45 | −17 | 19 | Relegation to Amateurliga |

## Oberliga Berlin

The 1956–57 season saw two new clubs in the league, BFC Südring and Rapide Wedding, both promoted from the Amateurliga Berlin. The league's top scorer was Helmut Faeder of Hertha BSC Berlin with 18 goals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Hertha BSC Berlin | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 61 | 32 | +29 | 33 | Qualification to German championship |
| 2 | Tennis Borussia Berlin | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 51 | 31 | +20 | 31 | |
| 3 | Union 06 Berlin | 22 | 12 | 3 | 7 | 46 | 36 | +10 | 27 | |
| 4 | Viktoria 89 Berlin | 22 | 10 | 6 | 6 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 26 | |
| 5 | Blau-Weiß 90 Berlin | 22 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 25 | |
| 6 | Tasmania 1900 Berlin | 22 | 10 | 5 | 7 | 36 | 30 | +6 | 25 | |
| 7 | Spandauer SV | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 50 | 36 | +14 | 23 | |
| 8 | Berliner SV 92 | 22 | 10 | 3 | 9 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 23 | |
| 9 | Hertha Zehlendorf | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 32 | 39 | −7 | 17 | |
| 10 | Minerva 93 Berlin | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 29 | 47 | −18 | 17 | |
| 11 | BFC Südring (R) | 22 | 2 | 7 | 13 | 26 | 49 | −23 | 11 | Relegation to Amateurliga Berlin |
| 12 | Rapide Wedding (R) | 22 | 2 | 2 | 18 | 17 | 67 | −50 | 6 | Relegation to Amateurliga Berlin |

## Oberliga West

The 1956–57 season saw two new clubs in the league, VfL Bochum and Meidericher SV, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga West. The league's top scorer was Alfred Kelbassa of Borussia Dortmund with 30 goals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund (C) | 30 | 17 | 7 | 6 | 73 | 33 | +40 | 41 | Qualification to German championship |
| 2 | Duisburger SV | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 56 | 39 | +17 | 39 | Qualification to German championship |
| 3 | 1. FC Köln | 30 | 14 | 11 | 5 | 67 | 50 | +17 | 39 | |
| 4 | FC Schalke 04 | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 76 | 49 | +27 | 36 | |
| 5 | Alemannia Aachen | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 65 | 54 | +11 | 34 | |
| 6 | Fortuna Düsseldorf | 30 | 15 | 3 | 12 | 65 | 53 | +12 | 33 | |
| 7 | Meidericher SV | 30 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 62 | 42 | +20 | 32 | |
| 8 | Rot-Weiß Essen | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 57 | 51 | +6 | 32 | |
| 9 | Wuppertaler SV | 30 | 13 | 4 | 13 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 30 | |
| 10 | VfL Bochum | 30 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 54 | 54 | 0 | 29 | |
| 11 | Westfalia Herne | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 33 | 38 | −5 | 27 | |
| 12 | Preußen Dellbrück | 30 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 46 | 62 | −16 | 26 | |
| 13 | Preußen Münster | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 48 | 70 | −22 | 25 | |
| 14 | SV Sodingen | 30 | 11 | 3 | 16 | 41 | 44 | −3 | 25 | |
| 15 | Schwarz-Weiß Essen (R) | 30 | 8 | 6 | 16 | 43 | 63 | −20 | 22 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga West |
| 16 | Borussia München-Gladbach (R) | 30 | 3 | 4 | 23 | 39 | 112 | −73 | 10 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga West |
* ↑ At the end of the 1956–57 season Preußen Dellbrück merged with SC Rapid Köln to form Viktoria Köln.

## Oberliga Südwest

The 1956–57 season saw two new clubs in the league, Sportfreunde Saarbrücken and FV Speyer, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga Südwest. The league's top scorer was Otto Hölzemann of TuS Neuendorf with 28 goals.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 30 | 23 | 3 | 4 | 129 | 40 | +89 | 49 | Qualification to German championship |
| 2 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 30 | 19 | 3 | 8 | 91 | 41 | +50 | 41 | Qualification to German championship |
| 3 | VfR Frankenthal | 30 | 16 | 7 | 7 | 59 | 38 | +21 | 39 | |
| 4 | Phönix Ludwigshafen | 30 | 16 | 2 | 12 | 60 | 45 | +15 | 34 | |
| 5 | Borussia Neunkirchen | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 52 | 56 | −4 | 33 | |
| 6 | TuS Neuendorf | 30 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 67 | 60 | +7 | 32 | |
| 7 | Saar 05 Saarbrücken | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 61 | 60 | +1 | 30 | |
| 8 | FK Pirmasens | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 57 | 58 | −1 | 30 | |
| 9 | Wormatia Worms | 30 | 11 | 7 | 12 | 63 | 47 | +16 | 29 | |
| 10 | FSV Mainz 05 | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 38 | 59 | −21 | 28 | |
| 11 | Eintracht Kreuznach | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 27 | |
| 12 | Eintracht Trier | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 41 | 56 | −15 | 26 | |
| 13 | VfR Kaiserslautern | 30 | 7 | 11 | 12 | 37 | 51 | −14 | 25 | |
| 14 | FV Speyer | 30 | 10 | 3 | 17 | 54 | 69 | −15 | 23 | |
| 15 | SpVgg Andernach (R) | 30 | 7 | 4 | 19 | 42 | 98 | −56 | 18 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga Südwest |
| 16 | Sportfreunde Saarbrücken (R) | 30 | 6 | 4 | 20 | 44 | 107 | −63 | 16 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga Südwest |

## Oberliga Süd

The 1956–57 season saw two new clubs in the league, Freiburger FC and FC Bayern Munich, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga Süd. The league's top scorer was Heinz Beck of Karlsruher SC with 34 goals, the highest total for any scorer in the five Oberligas in 1956–57.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 30 | 21 | 5 | 4 | 76 | 33 | +43 | 47 | Qualification to German championship |
| 2 | Kickers Offenbach | 30 | 17 | 9 | 4 | 81 | 35 | +46 | 43 | Qualification to German championship |
| 3 | Karlsruher SC | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 74 | 41 | +33 | 41 | |
| 4 | VfB Stuttgart | 30 | 17 | 5 | 8 | 69 | 44 | +25 | 39 | |
| 5 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 60 | 42 | +18 | 35 | |
| 6 | SpVgg Fürth | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 61 | 57 | +4 | 29 | |
| 7 | VfR Mannheim | 30 | 12 | 5 | 13 | 51 | 54 | −3 | 29 | |
| 8 | Viktoria Aschaffenburg | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 27 | |
| 9 | Jahn Regensburg | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 46 | 73 | −27 | 27 | |
| 10 | FC Bayern Munich | 30 | 12 | 2 | 16 | 52 | 62 | −10 | 26 | |
| 11 | FSV Frankfurt | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 41 | 60 | −19 | 26 | |
| 12 | FC Schweinfurt 05 | 30 | 9 | 6 | 15 | 41 | 68 | −27 | 24 | |
| 13 | BC Augsburg | 30 | 8 | 7 | 15 | 49 | 66 | −17 | 23 | |
| 14 | Stuttgarter Kickers | 30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 46 | 50 | −4 | 22 | |
| 15 | Schwaben Augsburg (R) | 30 | 9 | 4 | 17 | 35 | 64 | −29 | 22 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga Süd |
| 16 | Freiburger FC (R) | 30 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 43 | 66 | −23 | 20 | Relegation to 2. Oberliga Süd |

## German championship

The 1957 German football championship was contested by the nine qualified Oberliga teams and won by Borussia Dortmund, defeating Hamburger SV in the final. The runners-up of the Oberliga Nord and Süd played a pre-qualifying match. The remaining eight clubs then played a single round of matches at neutral grounds in two groups of four. The two group winners then advanced to the final.

### Qualifying

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Kickers Offenbach | 3–2 aet | Holstein Kiel |

### Group 1

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Hamburger SV (Q) | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | +2 | 5 | Qualified to final |
| 2 | Duisburger SV | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 4 | +2 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1. FC Nürnberg | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 2 | |
| 4 | 1. FC Saarbrücken | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 | 1 | |

### Group 2

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion, qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Borussia Dortmund (Q) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 4 | +3 | 6 | Qualified to final |
| 2 | Kickers Offenbach | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 4 | |
| 3 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 8 | +9 | 2 | |
| 4 | Hertha BSC Berlin | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 19 | −16 | 0 | |

### Final

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 4–1 | Hamburger SV |