Promotion to the Bundesliga

When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, the German Football Association established five regional second divisions below it, the Regionalligas, these being:

• Regionalliga Süd
• Regionalliga Südwest
• Regionalliga West
• Regionalliga Berlin
• Regionalliga Nord

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.

In 1974, the five Regionalligas were replaced by two 2. Bundesligas, those being:

• 2. Bundesliga Süd
• 2. Bundesliga Nord

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.

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.

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.

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

From 2009, the promotion series between the 16th-placed Bundesliga club and the third-placed 2. Bundesliga team was reestablished.{{cite web | url = http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/spieltag/tabelle/ | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070825000846/http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/2bundesliga/spieltag/tabelle/ | url-status = dead | archive-date = 25 August 2007 | title = 2. Bundesliga – Spieltag / Tabelle |trans-title=2. Bundesliga – Matchday / Table | publisher = Kicker | language = de | access-date = 7 October 2011}} The Bundesliga follows its own past example{{cite web | url = https://www.dfb.de/index.php?id=80001 | title = 2. Bundesliga – Modus | language = de | publisher = DFB | access-date = 7 October 2011}} as well as the one set by the English Premier League, French Ligue 1, and Italian Serie A, where these games are in place too and quite popular.

• In 1965, Tasmania Berlin was promoted to replace Hertha BSC in the league, without having qualified for it.

• Number in brackets behind club denotes the number of promotion when there was more than one.

The southern clubs:

The northern clubs:

• Bold denotes promoted team.
• In 1964, Wuppertaler SV lost to FK Pirmasens 1–2 and 0–2 in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.
• In 1965, FC St.Pauli lost to SSV Reutlingen 1–0 and 1–4 aet in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.
• In 1966, SC Göttingen 05 lost to 1. FC Saarbrücken 0–3 and 0–4 in the qualifying, missing out on the promotion round.

;1974–75

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|FK Pirmasens {{small|(S)}}||4–10 | Bayer Uerdingen {{small|(N)}}||4–4| 0–6}}

|}

;1975–76

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|1. FC Nürnberg {{small|(S)}}||2–4 | Borussia Dortmund {{small|(N)}}||0–1| 2–3}}

|}

;1976–77

{{TwoLegStart|legs=3}}

{{TwoLegResult|TSV 1860 Munich {{small|(S)}}||4–6 | Arminia Bielefeld {{small|(N)}}||4–0| 0–4| 2–0}}

|}

;1977–78

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|1. FC Nürnberg {{small|(S)}}||3–2 | Rot-Weiss Essen {{small|(N)}}||1–0| 2–2}}

|}

;1978–79

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|SpVgg Bayreuth {{small|(S)}}||2–3 | Bayer Uerdingen {{small|(N)}}||1–1| 1–2}}

|}

;1979–80

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Karlsruher SC {{small|(S)}}||6–4 | Rot-Weiss Essen {{small|(N)}}||5–1| 1–3}}

|}

;1980–81

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Kickers Offenbach {{small|(S)}}||1–2 | Eintracht Braunschweig {{small|(N)}}||1–0| 0–2}}

|}

; 1981–82

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Bayer Leverkusen {{small|(B)}}||3–0|Kickers Offenbach {{small|(2B)}}||1–0| 2–0}}

|}

; 1982–83

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Schalke 04 {{small|(B)}}||2–4 |Bayer Uerdingen {{small|(2B)}}||1–3| 1–1}}

|}

; 1983–84

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Eintracht Frankfurt {{small|(B)}}||6–1 |MSV Duisburg {{small|(2B)}}||5–0| 1–1}}

|}

; 1984–85

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Arminia Bielefeld {{small|(B)}}||1–3 |1. FC Saarbrücken {{small|(2B)}}||0–2| 1–1}}

|}

; 1985–86

{{TwoLegStart|legs=3}}

{{TwoLegResult|Borussia Dortmund {{small|(B)}}||11–3 |Fortuna Köln {{small|(2B)}}||0–2| 3–1| 8–0}}

|}

; 1986–87

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|FC Homburg {{small|(B)}}||4–3 |FC St. Pauli {{small|(2B)}}||3–1| 1–2}}

|}

; 1987–88

{{TwoLegStart|legs=3}}

{{TwoLegResult|Waldhof Mannheim {{small|(B)}}||4–4{{-}}{{pso|5–4}} |Darmstadt 98 {{small|(2B)}}||2–3| 2–1| 0–0{{-}}{{pso|5–4}}}}

|}

; 1988–89

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Eintracht Frankfurt {{small|(B)}}||3–2 |1. FC Saarbrücken {{small|(2B)}}||2–0| 1–2}}

|}

; 1989–90

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|VfL Bochum {{small|(B)}}||1–0 |1. FC Saarbrücken {{small|(2B)}}||1–0| 0–0}}

|}

; 1990–91

{{TwoLegStart|legs=3}}

{{TwoLegResult|FC St. Pauli {{small|(B)}}||3–5 |Stuttgarter Kickers {{small|(2B)}}||1–1| 1–1| 1–3}}

|}

; 2008–09{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2008-2009-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2009 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 5 October 2011 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Energie Cottbus {{small|(B)}}||0–5 |1. FC Nürnberg {{small|(2B)}}||0–3|0–2}}

|}

; 2009–10{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2009-2010-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2010 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 13 May 2012 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|1. FC Nürnberg {{small|(B)}}||3–0 |FC Augsburg {{small|(2B)}}||1–0|2–0}}

|}

; 2010–11{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2010-2011-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2011 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 13 May 2012 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Borussia Mönchengladbach {{small|(B)}}||2–1 |VfL Bochum {{small|(2B)}}||1–0|1–1}}

|}

; 2011–12{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2011-2012-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2012 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 13 May 2012 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Hertha BSC {{small|(B)}}||3–4 |Fortuna Düsseldorf {{small|(2B)}}||1–2|2–2}}

|}

; 2012–13{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2012-2013-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2013 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 20 May 2013 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|1899 Hoffenheim {{small|(B)}}||5–2 |1. FC Kaiserslautern {{small|(2B)}}||3–1|2–1}}

|}

; 2013–14{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2013-2014-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2014 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 13 May 2014 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Hamburger SV {{small|(B)}}||1–1 (a) |Greuther Fürth {{small|(2B)}}||0–0|1–1}}

|}

; 2014–15{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2014-2015-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2015 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 19 May 2015 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Hamburger SV {{small|(B)}}||3–2 |Karlsruher SC {{small|(2B)}}||1–1|2–1 {{aet}}}}

|}

; 2015–16{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2015-2016-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2016 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 6 May 2016 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|Eintracht Frankfurt {{small|(B)}}||2–1 |1. FC Nürnberg {{small|(2B)}}||1–1|1–0}}

|}

;2016–17{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2016-2017-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2017 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 22 April 2018 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|VfL Wolfsburg {{small|(B)}}||2–0 |Eintracht Braunschweig {{small|(2B)}}||1–0|1–0}}

|}

;2017–18{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2017-2018-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2018 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 17 May 2018 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|VfL Wolfsburg {{small|(B)}}||4–1 |Holstein Kiel {{small|(2B)}}||3–1|1–0}}

|}

;2018–19{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2018-2019-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2019 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 18 May 2019 | language = de}}

{{TwoLegStart}}

{{TwoLegResult|VfB Stuttgart {{small|(B)}}||2–2 (a)|Union Berlin {{small|(2B)}}||2–2|0–0}}

|}

;2019–20{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2019-2020-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2020 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 27 June 2020| language = de}}

{{#lst:2019–20 Bundesliga|Details}}

;2020–21{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2020-2021-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2021 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 24 April 2021| language = de}}

{{#lst:2020–21 Bundesliga|Details}}

;2021–22{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2021-2022-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2022 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 15 May 2022| language = de}}

{{#lst:2021–22 Bundesliga|Details}}

;2022–23{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2022-2023-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2023 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 27 May 2023| language = de}}

{{#lst:2022–23 Bundesliga|Details}}

;2023–24{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2023-2024-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2024 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 7 May 2024| language = de}}

{{#lst:2023–24 Bundesliga|Details}}

;2024–25{{cite web | url = http://www.weltfussball.de/spielplan/relegation-bundesliga-2024-2025-spiele/0/ | title = Relegation Bundesliga 2025 | publisher = weltfussball.de | access-date = 17 May 2025| language = de}}

{{#lst:2024–25 Bundesliga|Details}}

• Winner in bold.

• Promotion to the 2. Bundesliga
• Promotion to the 3. Liga

{{Reflist}}

• Deutsche Liga Chronik seit 1945 {{in lang|de}} Historic tables of German football (First, Second and Third Division), publisher: DSFS, published: 2006
• kicker Almanach 1990 {{in lang|de}} Yearbook of German football, publisher: kicker, published: 1989, {{ISBN|3-7679-0297-4}}

• [http://www.bundesliga.de/en/ Official Bundesliga website]

{{Bundesliga}}

{{2. Bundesliga}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Promotion To The Bundesliga}}

Category:German football promotion rounds

Category:Bundesliga