The 1955–56 Oberliga was the eleventh 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 1956 German football championship which was won by Borussia Dortmund. It was Borussia Dortmund's first-ever national championship and second appearance in the championship final, having previously lost to VfR Mannheim in 1949.(West) Germany -List of champions rsssf.org, accessed: 19 December 2015Borussia Dortmund » Steckbrief Weltfussball.de – Borussia Dortmund honours, accessed: 19 December 2015
A similar-named league, the DDR-Oberliga, existed in East Germany, set at the first tier of the East German football league system. The 1956 DDR-Oberliga was won by SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt.East Germany 1946-1990 rsssf.org, accessed: 15 December 2015
Oberliga Nord The 1955–56 season saw two new clubs in the league, VfR Neumünster and Eintracht Nordhorn, both promoted from the Amateurliga. The league's top scorer was Uwe Seeler of Hamburger SV with 32 goals, the highest total for any scorer in the five Oberligas in 1955–56.
Oberliga Berlin The 1955–56 season saw two new clubs in the league, Tasmania 1900 Berlin and Hertha Zehlendorf, both promoted from the Amateurliga Berlin. The league's top scorer was Manfred Dommasch of Hertha Zehlendorf with 18 goals.
Oberliga West The 1955–56 season saw two new clubs in the league, Sportfreunde Hamborn and Wuppertaler SV, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga West. The league's top scorer was Alfred Niepieklo of Borussia Dortmund with 24 goals.
Oberliga Südwest The 1955–56 season saw two new clubs in the league, FV Speyer and Sportfreunde Saarbrücken, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga Südwest. The league's top scorer was Horst Schmutzler of TuS Neuendorf with 30 goals.
Oberliga Süd The 1955–56 season saw two new clubs in the league, TSV 1860 München and Viktoria Aschaffenburg, both promoted from the 2. Oberliga Süd. The league's top scorer was Ernst-Otto Meyer of VfR Mannheim with 30 goals, six less than the previous season when he also finished as the league's top scorer.100 Jahre Süddeutscher Fußball-Verband, page: 165
German championship
The 1956 German football championship was contested by the nine qualified Oberliga teams and won by Borussia Dortmund, defeating Karlsruher SC in the final. The runners-up of the Oberligas, except Berlin, played pre-qualifying matches to determine which three of the four would go on to the group stage. The remaining eight clubs then played a home-and-away round of matches in two groups of four. The two group winners then advanced to the final.Das Finale der Deutschen Meisterschaft 1955/1956 Fussballdaten.de, accessed: 16 December 2015
Qualifying
First round
Second round
Replay
Group 1
Group 2
Final
References
Sources 30 Jahre Bundesliga 30th anniversary special, publisher: kicker Sportmagazin, published: 1993 kicker-Almanach 1990 Yearbook of German football, publisher: kicker Sportmagazin, published: 1989, DSFS Liga-Chronik seit 1945 publisher: DSFS, published: 2005 100 Jahre Süddeutscher Fußball-Verband 100 Years of the Southern German Football Federation, publisher: SFV, published: 1997
External links The Oberligas on Fussballdaten.de