Oberliga

The Oberliga is Germany’s fifth-tier men’s football league, organized by the German Football Association (DFB). Founded in 1945, it served as the fourth-tier division from 1994 until 2008, when it was demoted due to the creation of the 3. Liga.

The Oberliga includes several regional divisions, currently numbering 12 or 14, depending on the classification — the Bayernliga and Oberliga Nordost both comprise a north and south division. The existing Oberligas are Baden-Württemberg, Bayernliga (Nord and Süd), Bremen League, Hamburg, Hessenliga, Mittelrheinliga, Niederrhein, Niedersachsen, Nordost (Nord and Süd), Rheinland-Pfalz/Saar, Schleswig-Holstein, and Westfalen.

The league features a promotion and relegation system, where the champion of each regional division is typically promoted to the Regionalliga, Germany’s fourth division. However, a reserve team that wins its Oberliga cannot be promoted if its senior team competes in or has been relegated to the Regionalliga; in such cases, promotion is awarded to the next highest team in the standings.

Many teams, including reserve sides, have found success in the Oberliga. These include the likes of Holstein Kiel II, TuS Dassendorf, Werder Bremen III, FC Schalke 04 II, Hoffenheim II, and Eintracht Frankfurt II. Notably, RB Leipzig, now a Bundesliga powerhouse, lifted the Nordost Süd title in 2009-10 during its ascent through the German football pyramid.