The East German football champions were the annual winners of the DDR-Oberliga.
The 1948 and 1949 East German Champions were determined in a single elimination tournament of three rounds. A nationwide football league, the DDR-Oberliga, was established for the 1949–50 season. The Oberliga was dissolved after the 1990–91 season.
The 1954–55 season was a transitional season and neither was a championship awarded nor were clubs relegated. Due to the transition from a fall-spring to a spring-fall schedule starting with 1956, teams only met each other once from August to December 1955.
In the 1961–62 season the DDR-Oberliga returned from a spring-fall to fall-spring schedule, the teams thus met each other three times. The third meeting was held on neutral ground.
The performance of various clubs is shown in the following table:
Notes:
1 In 1953, the club was picked up from Leipzig and moved to East Berlin to play as ZSK Vorwärts Berlin, later ASK Vorwärts Berlin and after FC Vorwärts Berlin. In 1971, the club was picked up and moved again, this time from the capital to Frankfurt (Oder), Brandenburg. The team was known as FC Vorwärts Frankfurt.
2 Also known as Motor Jena.
3 Also known as SG Aue, BSG Pneumatik Aue, Zentra Wismut Aue. In 1954 the team moved from Aue to Chemnitz (known from 1953 to 1990 as Karl-Marx-Stadt). After German reunification in 1990, the club was renamed FC Wismut Aue before taking on its current name, FC Erzgebirge Aue in 1993.
4 Also known as BSG KWU Erfurt, Fortuna Erfurt, Turbine Erfurt. In 1966, SC Turbine Erfurt and BSG Optima Erfurt were merged under the name FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt.
5 Also known as FC Sachsen Leipzig and SC Lokomotive Leipzig. (not to be confused with 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig)
6 Also known as SG Planitz, Horch Zwickau, Motor Zwickau and Sachsenring Zwickau.
7 Also known as Union Halle.
8 Also known as Empor Rostock.
9 Also known as SC Rotation Leipzig and SC Leipzig. (not to be confused with SC Lokomotive Leipzig)
10 Also known as SG Freiimfelde Halle and Hallescher FC Chemie.
