Through the 1950s, there were continued calls for the formation of a central professional league, especially as professional leagues in other countries began to draw Germany's best players away from the semi-professional domestic leagues.
Pada tahun 1950-an, mulai ada rencana untuk membentuk liga profesional terpadu, terutama karena liga profesional di negara-negara lain mulai menarik pemain terbaik Jerman dari liga semi-profesional domestik.