Berliner FC Dynamo

BFC Dynamo began as a football department of SC Dynamo Berlin. SC Dynamo Berlin was founded as a sports club in East Berlin on 1 October 1954.[1][nb 1] As all clubs bearing the name Dynamo, it was part of SV Dynamo, the Sports Association for the security agencies. The president of SV Dynamo was Erich Mielke, at the time Deputy State Secretary of the State Secretariat for State Security, commonly known as the Stasi. Erich Mielke was a huge football enthusiast, who saw football as a way of aggrandizing East Germany and socialism.[4][5]

In order to establish a competitive side in Berlin, the first team of SG Dynamo Dresden and its place in the DDR-Oberliga was transferred to SC Dynamo Berlin. The team played its first match for SC Dynamo Berlin on 21 November 1954 against BSG Rotation Babelsberg. Political factors and pressure from Erich Mielke were probably the main reasons behind the relocation.[6][7][3][8][nb 2] The relocation was designed to provide the capital with a team that could rival Hertha BSC, Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin and Tennis Borussia Berlin, which were still popular in East Berlin and drew football fans to West Berlin.[14][7][3][8]

Among the players delegated from SG Dynamo Dresden were Johannes Matzen, Herbert Schoen and Günter Schröter. The trio had only a few years earlier been delegated from SG Volkspolizei Potsdam to SG Volkspolizei Dresden. SG Volkspolizei Dresden had been chosen as an ideologically acceptable replacement for the popular SG Friedrichstadt. SG Friedrichsstadt had been dissolved by the authorities after the 1949-50 DDR-Oberliga season and its place in the DDR-Oberliga was transferred to SG Volkspolizei Dresden.[15][12][16][nb 3] SG Volkspolizei Dresden soon became a dominant side in East German football and was reformed as SG Dynamo Dresden in 1953. The city of Dresden had two sides in the DDR-Oberliga in the 1953–54 season, as BSG Rotation Dresden (then BSG Sachsenverlag Dresden) had qualified for the league in 1950. Berlin had no representation in the DDR-Oberliga at the time, and this did not please the president of SV Dynamo Erich Mielke.[12] Berlin was the capital of the republic, and he thought it needed a strong football team to represent it.[5]

The team of SC Dynamo Berlin after winning the 1959 FDGB-Pokal, at the Bruno-Plache-Stadion in Leipzig.

SC Dynamo Berlin finished its first season on seventh place. The team was successful in the transitional 1955 season, but suffered relegation to the DDR-Liga in the 1956 season. SC Dynamo Berlin immediately secured promotion back to the DDR-Oberliga and won its first trophy in the 1959 FDGB-Pokal, defeating SC Wismut Karl-Marx-Stadt in the final.[19] The first leg ended 0–0, but the second leg was won 3–2, with two goals scored by Christian Hofmann and one penalty goal scored by Günter Schröter. Günter Schröter was a key-player of SC Dynamo Berlin during the 1950s and early 1960s. He became second placed league top goal scorer in the 1955 and 1959 season. Günter Schröter scored all five goals for SC Dynamo Berlin in the 5–0 victory over SC Lokomotiv Leipzig on 10 May 1959.[20]

SC Dynamo Berlin had difficulties establishing itself in football in Berlin.[6] The team rarely drew crowds larger than 5,000 spectators at the Walter-Ulbricht-Stadion.[6] SC Dynamo Berlin had some success in the first seasons of the 1960s, with a second place in the 1960 season and an appearance in the 1961 FDGB-Pokal final. But the club found itself owershadowed by the army sponsored ASK Vorwärts Berlin, who had captured the league title in the 1958 and 1960 DDR-Oberliga and would go in to capture several more titles in the coming years.[10][11][21] SC Dynamo Berlin moved its home matches to the Dynamo-Sportforum after the construction of the Berlin Wall in 1961.[6] The average attendance dropped to 3,000 at the Sportplatz Steffenstraße in the 1962-63 season.[6]

The team of SC Dynamo Berlin in the 1960s was relatively weak.[21] The former Dresden players had started to age and the capable replacements were few.[22] The team was joined by Romanian-born forward Emil Poklitar from BSG Rotation Babelsberg in 1960. Emil Poklitar proved to be a very promising goal scorer during the 1960 DDR-Oberliga season, scoring 14 goals in 19 matches.[23] However, Emil Poklitar and teammate Rolf Starost defected to West Berlin in connection to a friendly match against Boldklubben af 1893 in Copenhagen on 13 August 1961.[23][24] SC Dynamo Berlin became a lower table side by the 1962-63 DDR-Oberliga season and a second relegation would later occur.[22]

Günter Schröter (left), Horst Kohle of ASK Vorwärts Berlin (center) and Martin Skaba (right) during a match between ASK Vorwärts Berlin and SC Dynamo Berlin at the Walther-Ulbricht-Stadion in 1959.

A bitter dispute erupted between SC Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Schwerin in 1965 over the delegation of three players from SG Dynamo Schwerin to SC Dynamo Berlin. The disparity between SC Dynamo Berlin and SG Dynamo Schwerin was significant. The wage bill of officials and players was 315,559 Marks at SC Dynamo Berlin in the 1964–65 season, compared to 19,428 Marks at SG Dynamo Schwerin in the same season. Local SED politicians and local SV Dynamo functionaries in Bezirk Schwerin aspired to transform Schwerin into a major footballing center. When SC Dynamo Berlin tried to exercise its right as a sports club to draw talented players from SG Dynamo Schwerin, they put up stern resistance. Erich Mielke and SV Dynamo were conscious of the mass appeal of football and the role of SC Dynamo Berlin in the reputation of the Stasi.[21] The delegation was eventually canceled, but the dispute caused antipathy between the two Dynamo clubs.[25][26][27]

East German football was reorganized in 1965–1966, when some football departments were made independent from their multi-sports clubs to create ten football clubs. These ten football clubs and SG Dynamo Dresden were designated as focus clubs, so-called Schwerpunktclubs. They were key clubs, forming the elite of East German football. These clubs were meant to provide stability to the game at the top level and to supply the national team with talent. Promising players would be ordered to play for them. As part of this re-organization, the football department of SC Dynamo Berlin was separated from the Sports Club in 1966 and reorganized into football club Berliner FC Dynamo.[28][29][3][30][8] The football department of SG Dynamo Hohenschönhausen was also disbanded, and joined with BFC Dynamo. The team of SG Dynamo Hohenschönhausen was made the reserve team of BFC Dynamo, the BFC Dynamo II.

Berliner FC Dynamo was founded on 15 January 1966. The new club was presented by the president of SV Dynamo Erich Mielke in a ceremony before 1,400 guests in the Dynamo-Sporthalle in Hohenschönhausen in Berlin. Manfred Kirste was made club president and Erich Mielke was elected as honorary president.[6][31][32] The last part of the founding motto of the club read: "Berliner Fußballclub Dynamo - Our goal: Top performance - worthy representation of the capital of the GDR".[33]

The club was formed as an elite club and would be developed inte the figurehead and flagship of East German football. The players were meant to become socialist heroes and the team was destined to compete on European level, boosting East German self-confidence and international prestige.[34][35][36][21] This was to be achieved through concentration of sports performance. The most influential sponsor association behind SV Dynamo was the Stasi.[37] Under the patronage of Erich Mielke and the Stasi, BFC Dynamo would get access to the best training facilities, equipment, coaching staff and talents.[34][38][3]

Delegation of football players and concentration of the best players in one team was common practice in East Germany and the Eastern Bloc.[nb 4] This was part of a sports system where talents and the best players were concentrated in centers of excellence or delegated to focus clubs.[39][34] The upper tier of elite clubs in East Germany had privileged access to talents within designated geographical and administrative areas and were able to establish structured programs for their development in special training centers and sports schools.[3][40] However, BFC Dynamo would be able to draw on talents from all parts of East Germany.[40][3][41]

The backing of a sponsor was crucial to the development of a team.[9] FC Vorwärts Berlin was sponsored by the National People's Army and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig was sponsored by the Deutsche Reichsbahn.[42] 1. FC Union Berlin was sponsored by the large state-owned combine VEB Kabelwerk Oberspree and initially also supported by the state controlled national trade union FDGB.[43][44] BFC Dynamo would receive personal, organizational and financial support from the Stasi.[45]

Football in East Germany was also a contested sphere. Many political leaders took a keen interest in football and used their connections and resources to promote their favorite team and boost the prestige of their region or organization.[46] Teams had been relocated and renamed, and players were delegated from one team to another, in accordance with political criteria, or due to machinations of powerful political leaders or interest groups at regional or central level.[47] FC Hansa Rostock was patronaged by the chairman of the FDGB and Politburo member Harry Tisch.[13][48] SG Dynamo Dresden would be helped to remain a top club by long term SED First secretary in Bezirk Dresden Hans Modrow and the head of the Regional administration of the Stasi in Bezirk Dresden Horst Böhm.[26][25] BFC Dynamo was considered the favorite club of the president of SV Dynamo and the head of the Stasi Erich Mielke.[49][36][50]

BFC Dynamo stood out among other clubs within SV Dynamo. The club was located at the frontline of the Cold war and was a representative of the capital of East Germany. This meant that the club had to be well equipped.[37] Erich Mielke would manage to ensure that some of the most promising talents in East Germany were concentrated in Hohenshönhausen.[39][34][8][50] BFC Dynamo would get access to 38 training centers (TZ) across East Germany, for the recruitment of talents. As a comparison, 1. FC Union Berlin had only access to six training centers, all of which were located in the Berlin area.[51] The club would also get access to a permanent training camp at Uckley in Königs Wusterhausen.[52]

BFC Dynamo finished the 1966-67 season on 13th place and was relegated to the second tier DDR-Liga. A match between SG Dynamo Schwerin and BFC Dynamo in Schwerin during the 1967–68 DDR-Liga season ended with disorder among home fans. Going back to the dispute over player delegations in 1965, feelings between the two clubs had been tense. But the decisive factor causing the riots was perceived manipulation of the game by the referee. BFC Dynamo would win the match narrowly by 2–1. A Stasi investigation revealed that a sense of injustice was shared also by members of the regional Stasi and that some members attending the game had either left the ground or followed the events passively.[21][27][25]

BFC Dynamo would dominate the 1967–68 DDR-Liga and immediately bounce back to the DDR-Oberliga. The club would initially struggle to reach the top of the league, before it finally captured a second place in 1971–72 season. But this period also saw SG Dynamo Dresden return to dominance. SG Dynamo Dresden had been severely weakened by the establishment of SC Dynamo Berlin in 1954 and also suffered relegation the same year. The club managed to return to the DDR-Oberliga in 1962 and won the championship in 1971. SG Dynamo Dresden would become one of the main rivals of BFC Dynamo, and the 1970s would largely belong to SG Dynamo Dresden, followed by 1. FC Magdeburg. But another rival would at the same time disappear when the Stasi outmaneuvered the army and FC Vortwärts Berlin was relocated to Frankfurt an der Oder in 1971. Erich Mielke regarded FC Vortwärts Berlin as a competitor to BFC Dynamo in the capital, while his fellow Politburo member and SED First Secretary in Bezirk Frankfurt Erich Mückenberger anticipated a boost for the Frankfurt and der Oder region.[2]

BFC Dynamo reached the final of the 1970–71 FDGB-Pokal, but lost 2–1 to SG Dynamo Dresden at the Kurt-Wabbel-Stadion in Halle. The club then made its first appearance in the European Cup Winners' Cup in the following season. BFC Dynamo reached the semi finals of the 1971–72 European Cup Winners' Cup, but was eliminated by Dynamo Moscow on a penalty shootout.

Wolf-Rüdiger Netz (center) and Rainer Wroblewski (right) during a match against 1. FC Magdeburg in 1975.

BFC Dynamo finished runners up in the 1971–72 DDR-Oberliga, and qualified for the UEFA Cup for the first time. The club reached the third round of the 1972–73 UEFA Cup, where it faced Liverpool F.C. The team managed a 0–0 draw in front of 20,000 spectators at the Dynamo-Stadion im Sportforum, but suffered a 3–1 defeat at Anfield, with a single goal scored by Wolf-Rüdiger Netz.[53] The club managed only a sixth place in the following two seasons, but captured a second place in the 1975–76 DDR-Oberliga season. The team of BFC Dynamo was the youngest in the league with an average age of only 22,8 years.[54][6] The young team under head coach Harry Nippert managed a goal difference of 67-24 during the 1975-76 DDR-Oberliga season.[6] Among the top performers were Reinhard Lauck, an attacking midfielder who had come from the then relegated 1. FC Union Berlin in 1973, and the highly talented Lutz Eigendorf who had moved up from the youth academy.[6] BFC Dynamo qualified for the 1976–77 UEFA Cup but was eliminated by Shakhtar Donetsk in the first round.

BFC Dynamo opened the 1976-77 DDR-Oberliga season away against city rivals 1. FC Union Berlin.[55] The match was played at the Stadion der Weltjugend in front of 45,000 spectators.[56] BFC Dynamo lost the match 0–1. The return match was played on 19 February 1977 and BFC Dynamo once again lost 0–1. These two losses would be the last defeats to 1. FC Union Berlin in the East German era.[55] BFC Dynamo would come to win 19 of the next 21 matches against 1. FC Union Berlin in the DDR-Oberliga and FDGB-Pokal.[57]

Jürgen Bogs became new head coach on 1 July 1977. He had a background in the academy of BFC Dynamo and had led the junior team to a second place in the 1974 and 1976 East German junior championships (de).[58]

SG Dynamo Dresden would capture their third league title in a row at the end of the 1977–78 season. What happened after is subject to various rumors. Formal title celebrations took place in June 1978 at the hotel and restaurant Bastein at Prager Straße in Dresden. Erich Mielke paid a visit on behalf of SV Dynamo to congratulate the team to the title, and SG Dynamo Dresden player Reinhard Häfner recalls how Erich Mielke held a speech where he said that he would be happier if the BFC was champions. And according to other versions of the same event, he proclaimed that everything will be done so that in the coming year, the champion will come from Berlin, and that it was now the turn of the BFC.[59][60][61][62][nb 5]

The team of BFC Dynamo with club president Manfred Kirste, seen standing second from the left, after winning its first league title on 6 June 1979.

The 1978-79 DDR-Oberliga marked a change in East German football. BFC Dynamo opened the season with ten consecutive wins and finally captured its first league title in 1979. The title was secured after a 3–1 win against SG Dynamo Dresden in the 24th match day in front of 22,000 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark.[65] The team had managed an astounding 21 wins, four draws and only one loss. Hans-Jürgen Riediger became second placed league top goal scorer with 20 goals.

During a shopping tour in the city of Gießen in Hesse after a friendly match against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on 20 mars 1979, midfielder Lutz Eigendorf broke away from the rest of the team and defected to West Germany.[66][67] Lutz Eigendorf was one of the most promising players in East German football.[68] He was a product of the elite Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) "Werner Seelenbinder" in East Berlin and had come through the youth academy of BFC Dynamo.[67][69] He was often called "The Beckenbauer of East Germany" and was considered the figurehead and great hope of East German football.[70] Lutz Eigendorf was nicknamed "Iron Foot" by the supporters of BFC Dynamo and was said to be one of the favorite players of Erich Mielke.[64][70] His defection was a slap in the face of the East German regime and allegedly taken personally by Erich Mielke.[70][68][71] Due to his talent and careful upbringing at BFC Dynamo, it was considered a personal defeat of Erich Mielke.[69] Afterwards, his name would disappear from all statistics and annals of East German football.[64] All fan merchandise with the name or image of Lutz Eigendorf were also removed from the market.[68] Lutz Eigendorf would later die in mysterious circumstances in Braunschweig in 1983.[67][72]

Winning the league title in the 1978–79 season, BFC Dynamo qualified for its first appearance in the European Cup. BFC Dynamo eliminated Ruch Chorzów and Servette FC in the first two rounds of the 1979-80 European Cup. The team reached the quarter finals, where it faced Nottingham Forest led by Brian Clough. BFC won the first leg 1–0 away, with a single goal scored by Hans-Jürgen Riediger, but was eliminated on aggregate goals, after a 1–3 loss in front ot 30,000 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark.[73] Nottingham Forest would later go on and become champions. The win against Nottingham Forest away, made BFC Dynamo the first German team to defeat an English team in England in the European Cup.

Hans-Jürgen Riediger during the match between BFC Dynamo and Hamburger SV in the 1982–83 European Cup at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark.

The success continued and BFC Dynamo won the league also in the following years. BFC Dynamo was set for a prestigious encounter with the West German champions Hamburger SV in the first round of the 1982-83 European Cup. The first leg was to be played at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn Sportpark and many fans were looking forward towards the match. But fearing riots, political demonstrations and spectators expressing sympathies for West German football stars such as Felix Magath, the Stasi imposed restrictions on ticket sales. Only 2,000 tickets were allowed for carefully selected fans. Most seats were instead allocated to Stasi employees, Volkspolizei officers and SED functionaries.[74][75][76] BFC Dynamo managed a draw, but was eliminated after a 0–2 loss in Hamburg.

The players of BFC Dynamo had political training and were held under a strict discipline, demanding both political reliability, obedience and a moral lifestyle. No contacts with the West was allowed.[77][78][79] The players were also under surveillance by the Stasi. They would have their telephones tapped, their rooms at their training camp tapped and be accompanied by personnel from the Stasi during international trips.[80] The Ministry of Interior and the Stasi had employees integrated in the club and it is likely that some individual players were recruited as informants, so called Unofficial collaborators (IM), with the task of collecting information about other players.[81][80] During an away trip to Belgrade for a match against Partizan Belgrade in the second round of the 1983-84 European Cup, players Falko Götz and Dirk Schlegel defected to West Germany. With help from the West German Consulate general in Zagreb, they received false passports and managed to escape to Munich.[82][83][84][85] East German state news agency ADN reported that Falko Götz and Dirk Schlegen had been "wooed by West German managers with large sums of money" and "betrayed their team".[84] Although Falko Götz and Dirk Schlegen were labeled as "sports traitors", their defection had little effect on the team. According to Christian Backs, the team only received more political training, and there were no reprisals.[77] However, the loss of two regular players before the match against Partizan Belgrade was a challenge. Head coach Jürgen Bogs decided to give then 18-year old Andreas Thom a chance to make his international debut, in replacement of Falko Götz. Andreas Thom would make a terrific debut.[84][83] BFC Dynamo won the match 2-0 and would eventually advance to the quarter finals.

BFC Dynamo faced Italian champions AS Roma in the quarter finals of the 1983-84 European Cup. Andreas Thom would be selected to the starting eleven in both legs. BFC Dynamo lost the first match 3–0 away at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. The team came back and won the return leg 2–1 in front of 25,000 spectators at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark. Andreas Thom and Rainer Ernst scored one goal each.[86] However, BFC Dynamo lost the round on aggregate goals and was eliminated.

The team of BFC Dynamo celebrating the title after the 1983–84 season.

BFC Dynamo had a run of 36 league matches without defeat in 1982–1984, including the entire 1982-83 season. Only after one and a half years of dominance did FC Karl-Marx-Stadt manage to defeat the team in the seventh match day of the 1983-84 season. The last defeat had occurred against SG Dynamo Dresden in the 22nd match day of the 1981–82 season. Rainer Ernst became league top goalscorer in the 1983–84 and 1984-85 DDR-Oberliga seasons. BFC Dynamo managed to score 90 goals in total during the 1984–85 season, which stands as a record for the DDR-Oberliga.

BFC Dynamo had the best material conditions in the league and the best team by far.[87] But there had been controversial refereeing decisions in favor of BFC Dynamo in the league, which gave rise to speculations that the dominance of BFC Dynamo was not solely due to athletic performance, but also due to manipulation.[8] Allegations of referee bias was nothing new in East German football, and was not isolated to matches involving BFC Dynamo. Alleged referee bias as a source of unrest was a thread that ran from the very first matches of the DDR-Oberliga, and had caused unrest already back in 1950, when ZSG Horch Zwickau defeated SG Dresden-Friedrichstadt 5–1 in a match which decided the title in the 1949–50 DDR-Oberliga. Another example occurred when ASK Vorwärts Berlin defeated SC Chemie Halle away in Halle in 1960.[88][89][90] The home ground of 1. FC Union Berlin was closed for two match days as a result of crowd trouble over the performance of referee Günther Habermann during a match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Vorwärts Frankfurt in 1982. The police had been forced to come to the rescue of referee Günther Habermann.[47] German sports historian Hanns Leske claims that referees throughout the history of East German football had a preference for the teams sponsored by the armed and security forces.[90]

BFC Dynamo and its predecessor, SC Dynamo Berlin, was deeply unpopular in Dresden since the relocation of SG Dynamo Dresden in 1954.[91] And the club came to be widely disliked and even hated around the country for its privileges, and for being a representative of the capital and the Stasi. Because of this, BFC Dynamo was viewed with more suspicion than affection.[92][8] The sense that BFC Dynamo benefited from referee bias did not, as popularly believed, arise first after 1978. It had already existed for years, as shown by the riots among fans of SG Dynamo Schwerin during a match between the two teams in 1968. The disapproval was kept in check as long as the club was relatively unsuccessful, but complaints increased and feelings became inflamed as the club grew successful.[93][94] A turning point was the fractious encounter between BFC Dynamo and SG Dynamo Dresden at the Dynamo-Stadion in Dresden on 2 December 1978. The match was marked by crowd trouble, with 35 to 38 fans of both teams arrested. BFC Dynamo won the match 3-1 and Hans Modrow, then SED First secretary in Bezirk Dresden, blamed the unrest on "inept officiating".[93][95][91] Fans of SG Dynamo Dresden complained: "We are cheated everywhere, even on the sports field".[47]

The privileges of BFC Dynamo and its overbearing success in the 1980s made fans of opposing teams easily aroused as to what they saw as manipulation by bent referees, especially in Saxon cities such as Dresden and Leipzig.[93] Petitions to authorities were written by citizens, fans of other teams and local members of the SED, claiming referee bias and outright match fixing in favor of BFC Dynamo.[93][96] Animosity towards the club had been growing since its first league titles.[97][98] The team was met at away matches with aggression and shouts such as "Bent champions!" or "Stasi swine!".[91][98] Fans of BFC Dynamo would even be taunted by fans of opposing teams with "Jews Berlin!".[97][49][64]

Complaints due to alleged referee bias accumulated.[87] The scandal surrounding alleged referee bias in East German football had so undermined the credibility of the national competitions by the mid-1980s, that Egon Krenz, the head of the Department of Physical culture and Sport of the SED Central Committee Rudolf Hellmann and the German Football Association of the GDR (DFV) Secretariat would be forced to restructure the referee commission and impose penalties on referees for poor performance.[93] The DFV under its General Secretary Karl Zimmermann commissioned a secret study on the problems with referee performance and behavior in relation to the matches involving BFC Dynamo, SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in the 1984–85 season.[87][99][100][nb 6] The study came to the conclusion that BFC Dynamo was favored and had gained at least 8 points due to clear referee errors during the 26 matches of the season.[101][102][103][104] The study here spoke of "targeted influence from other bodies".[101][102][103] The study found six referees that were suspected of having favored BFC Dynamo, including Adolf Prokop, Klaus-Dieter Stenzel and Reinhard Purz. It also found referees that were suspected of having disadvantaged SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, including Klaus-Dieter Stenzel, Wolfgang Henning and Klaus Scheurell.[100] The study found a direct advantage of BFC Dynamo in ten matches and a disadvantage of its two closest competitors, SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, in eight matches together.[90][87] The study showed that 45 yellow cards had been handed out to SG Dynamo Dresden and 36 to 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig, compared to 16 yellow cards for BFC Dynamo, and that yellow cards had been handed out to key players in SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig prior matches against BFC Dynamo, so that they were banned from the next match.[105][106][87] DFV General Secretary Karl Zimmermann called for a suspension of Adolf Prokop for two international matches and recommended that several referees, including Adolf Prokop, Klaus-Dieter Stenzel and Gehard Demme, should no longer be used in matches involving BFC Dynamo, SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig. Karl Zimmerman also spoke out against the head of the referee commission Heinz Einbeck, who was a sponsoring member of BFC Dynamo.[100] The study even ended end up with Egon Krenz, who by that time was the Secretary for Security, Youth and Sports of the SED Central Committee.[100] Referee Reinhard Purz later received a suspension for the rest of 1985 and linesman Günter Supp received a suspension for three match days for their performance during a controversial match between BFC Dynamo and FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt on 26 October 1985.[107][100][102] Reinhard Purz had allegedly given BFC Dynamo an irregular goal and denied FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt a clear penalty. BFC Dynamo won the match 2–3.[100] A special review was also made of the final between BFC Dynamo and SG Dynamo Dresden in the 1984–85 FDGB-Pokal.[102] As a result of that review, referee Manfred Roßner received a one-year ban from refereeing matches above second tier.[108][102][109]

1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig - BFC Dynamo on 22 March 1986.

The general disillusionment about BFC Dynamo stood at its peak during the 1985-86 season.[110] One of the most controversial situations occurred during a match between 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig and BFC Dynamo on 22 March 1986. 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig led the match 1-0 into extra time, when BFC Dynamo was awarded a penalty by referee Bernd Stumpf in the 94th minute. Frank Pastor converted the penalty and equalized. The episode, which was later known as "The shameful penalty of Leipzig", caused a wave of protests.[99][8] The DFV, under its General Secretary Karl Zimmerman, took action and Bernd Stumpf received a lifetime ban from refereeing. Two SV Dynamo representatives in the referee commission, Heinz Einbeck and Gerhard Kunze, were also replaced. The sanctions against Bernd Stumpf were approved by Erich Honecker and Egon Krenz in the SED Central committee.[111][87][99][90] However, Bernd Stumpf sent a new video recording of the match to Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in 2000. The video recording had originally been filmed by BFC Dynamo for training purposes and showed the situation from a different angle. The video recording showed that the decision by Bernd Stumpf was correct and that the sanctions against him were unjustified.[112][64]

It was later known that Adolf Prokop had been a Stasi officer, employed as an officer in special service (OibE), and that several referees, including Bernd Stumpf, had been Stasi informants.[102][113][46][93] But there is no proof that referees stood under direct orders from the Stasi and no document has been found in the archives that gave the Stasi a mandate to bribe referees.[46][114][115][95] The benefit of controlling important matches in Western Europe, gift to wives and other forms of patronage, might have put indirect pressure on referees to take preventive action, in so called pre-emptive obedience.[115][114][92][116][90] In order to pursue an international career, a referee would need a travel permit, confirmed by the Stasi.[90][100][117] The German Football Association (DFB) has concluded that "it emerged after the political transition that Dynamo, as the favorite club of Stasi chief Erich Mielke, received many benefits and in case of doubt, mild pressure was applied in its favor".[118] Adolf Prokop protests against having manipulated matches.[100] He was never banned from refereeing.[119] He points out that top teams are viewed with scepticism and claims to have never received threatening letters from angry fans.[100] Adolf Prokop was still invited to nostalgia matches for the East German national football team in the 2010s.[100]

The picture that the success of BFC Dynamo relied upon referee bias has been challenged by ex-coach Jürgen Bogs, ex-goalkeeper Bodo Rudwaleit, ex-forward Andreas Thom and others associated with the club. Some of them admit that there might have been cases of referee bias. But they insist that it was the thoroughness of their youth work and the quality of their play that earned them their titles.[109][8][120][121] Jörn Lenz said in an interview with CNN: "Maybe we had a small bonus in the back of referees' minds, in terms of them taking decisions in a more relaxed way in some situations than if they'd been somewhere else, but one can't say it was all manipulated. You can't manipulate 10 league titles. We had the best team in terms of skill, fitness and mentality. We had exceptional players".[34] Also former referee Bernd Heynemann, who has testified that he was once greeted in person by Erich Mielke in the locker room at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark with the words "Welcome to the capital of the GDR. As football champions, the BFC also welcomes the referees and is looking forward to a high-quality game management", said in an interview with the Leipziger Volkszeitung in 2017: "The BFC is not ten times champions because the referees only whistled for Dynamo. They were already strong as a bear."[122][123][124]

Although speculations on manipulation in favor of BFC Dynamo could never be completely eliminated, it is a fact that BFC Dynamo achieved its sporting success much on the basis of its successful youth work, which is still recognized today.[125][95][50][126] Its top performers of the 1980s came mainly from its own youth academy and junior team, such as Andreas Thom, Frank Rohde, Rainer Ernst, Bernd Schulz, Christian Backs, Bodo Rudwaleit and Artur Ullrich. These players would influence the team for years. The only major transfers to BFC Dynamo from other clubs during its most successful period in the 1980s, were Frank Pastor from then relegated HFC Chemie in 1984 and Thomas Doll from then relegated FC Hansa Rostock in 1986.[39][127][128] These transfers would often be labeled delegations by fans of other teams, but Thomas Doll left Hansa Rostock to ensure a chance to play for the national team, and had the opportunity to choose between BFC Dynamo and SG Dynamo Dresden, but wanted to go to Berlin to be able to stay close to his family and because he already knew players in BFC Dynamo from the national youth teams.[129]

Andreas Thom during a match against SG Dynamo Dresden in 1988.

BFC Dynamo won its tenth league title in a row in the 1987–88 season. The club also reached the final of the 1987–88 FDGB-Pokal and defeated Carl Zeiss Jena 2–0 in front of 40,000 spectators at the Stadion der Weltjugend, securing the double and winning its first cup title since SC Dynamo Berlin captured the title in 1959. The duo Andreas Thom and Thomas Doll, paired with sweeper Frank Rohde, were one of the most effective goal scorers in the late 1980s of East German football. Andreas Thom became league top goalscorer during the 1987–88 season.

The club was drawn against West German champions Werder Bremen in the first round of 1988–89 European Cup. BFC Dynamo won a surprising 3–0 victory home at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in the first leg, but was eliminated after an equally surprising 5–0 loss in Bremen. The return match would be known in West Germany as the "Second miracle at the Weser".

It has been rumoured that doping might explain the surprising results in the meeting. Researcher Giselher Spitzer claims that players of BFC Dynamo had been given amphetamies before the first leg.[130][50] The Stasi allegedly did not want to take this risk in the return leg in Bremen for fear of controls.[50] However, a more likely explanation for the surprising loss in Bremen is that the players of BFC Dynamo could not cope with the tremendous media pressure following their home win.[130] Roles had changed during the five weeks long break before the return leg. BFC Dynamo was pushed into the role of favorites, while Werder Bremen was given enough time to build motivation.[80][131] The match had high political significance. Erich Mielke had made it clear to the team before the return leg that "this was about beating the class enemy".[132] Players of BFC Dynamo had also been distracted from their match-day preparations by shopping opportunities.[130]

Head coach Jürgen Bogs wanted to travel to Bremen two days in advance. This was denied by the Stasi and the player bus was only allowed to leve East Berlin on Monday morning.[131][132] The player bus then got stuck in West German morning traffic.[132][131] Instead of arriving at around 12:00 PM, the bus arrived at 3:00 PM in Bremen. The schedule of Jürgen Bogs could no longer be held, so the planned shopping tour was cancelled.[131][132] Werder Bremen General Manager Willi Lemke stopped by the hotel and instead offered a shopping tour for the next day, where players of BFC Dynano were given the opportunity to buy West German consumer goods at a "Werder discount".[131][133][134][135][136][137] Some sources suggest that he actually organized a sale at the player hotel were all kinds of goods were sold.[130][132] According to Jürgen Bogs, the player bus was completely stocked up with home appliances, televisions and consumer electronics when it arrived at the Weser-Stadion 90 minutes before kick-off.[131][132] There are allegations that this was purposely done by Willi Lemke for players of BFC Dynamo to lose their concentration.[133][136] Jürgen Bogs was forced to justify himself to the DFV the day after the defeat and would receive a reprimand. BFC Dynamo won the next match 5–1 against FC Karl-Marx-Stadt.[131]

Celebrations after the final of the 1988–89 FDGB-Pokal.

Average home attendance fell from 15,000 to 9,000 during the 1980s.[87] Many fans grew disillusioned by the alleged Stasi involvement. Notably aggravating were the restrictions on tickets sales imposed by the Stasi at international matches, were only a small number of tickets were allowed for ordinary fans, with the vast majority instead allocated to a politically handpicked audience.[138] BFC Dynamo saw the emergence of a well organized hooligan scene during the 1980s, which came to be increasingly associated with skinheads and far-right tendencies in the middle of the 1980s.[97][8][64]

BFC Dynamo saw a decline in the 1988-89 DDR-Oberliga season and finished runners-up behind SG Dynamo Dresden. The team defeated FC Karl-Marx-Stadt 1–0 in the final of the 1988–89 FDGB-Pokal and secured its third cup title. As cup winners, BFC Dynamo was set to play the DFV-Supercup against league champions SG Dynamo Dresden. Jürgen Bogs was removed as head coach after the 1988–89 season, and replaced by Helmut Jäschke, who had previously served as head coach of the reserve team. The DFV-Supercup was played on 5 August 1989 at the Stadion der Freundschaft in Cottbus. BFC Dynamo defeated SG Dynamo Dresden 4–1, with two goals scored by Thomas Doll, and won the title.

Starting with Andreas Thom being transferred to Bayer Leverkusen in December 1989, BFC Dynamo lost its best players to West German sides in the course of 1990–91. In 1990, the side was renamed FC Berlin in an attempt to distance it from its past. In the early 1990s a number of Dynamo clubs across East Germany, such as the professional ice hockey club SC Dynamo Berlin (today Eisbären Berlin) in 1992, eliminated its Dynamo names. However, due to the supporters' desire, in 1999 the club again took up its traditional name BFC Dynamo. Having lost financial and political support as well as its best players, the side fell to tier III play and later to IV or V division leagues. BFC Dynamo had to file for insolvency in 2001 but was eventually rescued by its supporters. The insolvency proceedings were successfully closed in 2004.

Historical chart of BFC Dynamo league performance

Following its insolvency, BFC recovered to win the Verbandsliga Berlin (V) championship in 2004 and return to fourth division play in the Oberliga Nordost-Nord (IV, now V) where they settled in as upper-table side.

On 12 June 2013, BFC Dynamo won the Berlin Cup (Berlin Pokal) for a third time, beating SV Lichtenberg 47 1–0, thus qualifying for the national cup of the DFB, the DFB-Pokal.[139] The crowd of 6,381 set a new record for a Berlin Cup final.

The subsequent DFB-Pokal match against VfB Stuttgart took place on 4 August 2013 in front of 9,227 spectators. The stadium capacity of the Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark had been limited and ticket prices had been increased due to requirements by the DFB. While Dynamo's Christoph Köhne came close after hitting the inner post in the 31st minute, Vedad Ibišević won the game for Stuttgart with goals in the 40th and 75th minutes (a penalty), resulting in a 0–2 defeat.

In the 2013–14 Oberliga season, BFC Dynamo won 15 out of the initial 16 games (while drawing against SV Lichtenberg 47). After 21 season matches, the streak was extended to 20 wins and one draw, effectively securing promotion to Regionalliga Nordost with a 25-point lead.[140] The club subsequently extended contracts with its key players and announced to move back to the Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark for its Regionalliga matches starting with the 2014–15 season.[141]

Following promotion, BFC Dynamo finished the 2014–15 Regionalliga season in fifth place. During the season, coach Volkan Uluc was replaced by former Hamburger SV player and coach of SSV Jahn Regensburg, Thomas Stratos. Under Stratos, BFC Dynamo secured yet another Berlin Cup trophy, thus qualifying again for the DFB-Pokal. The crowd of 6,914 spectators during the 2015 cup final against Tasmania Berlin (1–0 victory) at the Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Sportpark set another record for a Berlin Cup final.

The 2014–15 season marked the return of the club to live television (the DFB-Pokal cup matches against 1. FC Kaiserslautern in 2011 and VfB Stuttgart in 2013 were shown by German pay TV) with its Regionalliga matches against Carl Zeiss Jena and 1. FC Magdeburg being broadcast by Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk television.

The 2015 DFB-Pokal match was lost 0:2 against 2. Bundesliga side FSV Frankfurt. Rockenbach da Silva missed a penalty for BFC.[142]

René Rydlewicz, a former Bundesliga player who had started his career at the club, took over as BFC coach in May 2016. The Regionalliga seasons 2015–16 and 2016–17 brought mixed results. However, BFC secured another Berlin Cup trophy in 2017, thus qualifying for DFB-Pokal season 2017–18. FC Schalke 04 was drawn as first-round opponent for the match scheduled 14 August 2017. 14,117 spectators watched a 0–2 loss against Schalke 04.

BFC Dynamo finished the Regionalliga season 2017–18 4th and once again qualified for the DFB-Pokal. The club was drawn to play 1. FC Köln in the first round. Due to the loss of key players such as Kai Pröger, Denis Srbeny and Rufat Dadashov in 2017 and 2018 the BFC squad was significantly weakened and eventually lost 1–9.

In January 2019, Matthias Maucksch replaced coach René Rydlewicz but stepped down after the end of the 2018–19 season. He was replaced by Christian Benbennek.

Many clubs in East Germany rushed to drop their East German names during the Peaceful revolution. BFC Dynamo was among the clubs to do so, in an attempt to distance the club from the Stasi.[149][157] The club was rebranded as FC Berlin on 13 February 1990 and consequently abandoned its East German crest.

Pepe Mager was a famous fan of Hertha BSC and fan souvenir trader.[150] He had organized away trips for the fans Hertha BSC already in the early 1960s, was one of the founders of the notorious supporter group "Hertha-Frösche" and sold his own fan merchandise from a mobile stand outside the Olympiastadion.[150][158][159] Pepe Mager inquired with the register of associations in Charlottenburg in 1991 about all deleted names of East German clubs.[150] He immediately found BFC Dynamo and saw business opportunities.[150][149] Pepe Mager claimed that he secured the former crest of BFC Dynamo for 80 Marks in 1992.[146][153]

The name FC Berlin never became popular with the fans.[157] Fans continued to identify themselves with the former name and crest.[149] An overwhelming majority voted for the club to revert to its original name at the general meeting on 3 May 1999.[146] BFC Dynamo thus reclaimed its East German crest, but found out that the rights now belonged to Pepe Mager.[149] Pepe Mager had registered the crest in his name at the German Patent and Trademark Office on 13 May 1997.[149][160][147]

BFC Dynamo contacted Pepe Mager for a co-operation.[150] An agreement could not be reached.[160] Pepe Mager held the opinion that the club should buy its merchandise from him, or simply buy the rights to the crest.[149] And he later informed the club that he had received interest from foreign buyers and offered the club to buy the rights.[160] He claimed that the crest was worth 200,000 Marks.[149] BFC Dynamo on the other hand claimed that the crest should legally belong to the club and sued Pepe Mager in court, but eventually lost the case.[149][147] Pepe Mager was repeatedly exposed to minor threats from the environment around BFC Dynamo and eventually sold the crest to Rayk Bernt and his company RA-BE Immobilien- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH in 2002 for a price of 50,000 Marks.[151][152][155][161]

Rayk Bernt was a close associate of André Sommer.[162] Both were long time fans of BFC Dynamo.[163][151][152] The duo was controversial for their connections to Hells Angels.[163][162] André Sommer and Rayk Bernt had assisted the club during the insolvency crisis in 2001.[162][164][151] André Sommer had his own child in the club and continued to sponsor the club for a few years, with personal financial contributions and minor sponsorship deals through his various establishments.[165][166] One such minor sponsor was the shop Odins Klinge, which belonged to the restaurant Germanenhof in Neu-Hohenschönhausen.[165] BFC Dynamo ended these sponsorship deals in 2006.[164]

Rayk Bernt and André Sommer were almost as restrictive towards the club when it came to the crest as Pepe Mager had been. Rayk Bernt organized the production of fan merchandise in his own regime.[152] The club would have to ask his company every time it wanted to have a pennant made.[151] Rayk Bernt and André Sommer usually agreed, manufactured the pennant and then sold it at their own fan merchandise stand at the stadium.[151] BFC Dynamo would at times be given ten percent of the revenues from the sales.[164][151][152][153] The club eventually offered 5,000 Euros for the crest, but was turned down.[164] Rayk Bernt demanded a seven-digit sum, according to former club president Mario Weinkauf.[164]

Rayk Bernt sold parts of the rights to the former crest to Thomas Thiel in 2007. The price was allegedly a six-digit sum.[151][153] Thomas Thiel was the owner of company Treasure AG and had been presented as a possible new major sponsor by then club president Mario Weinkauf.[151] However, Mario Weinkauf was ultimately rejected by club members in a vote of no-confidence at the general meeting on 23 June 2007.[167] He became club president at Tennis Borussia Berlin and Treasure AG instead became a sponsor of that club.[168]

Thomas Thiel sold his rights to the crest back to Rayk Bernt in 2009. The rights to the old crest are divided between companies RA-BE Immobilien- und Handelsgesellschaft mbH and BFC Dynamo Vermarktungsgesellschaft mbH as of 2020.[169][170] Both companies are controlled by Rayk Bernt, who sells his various items with the former crest at his own webpage. The club sells its official fan merchandise with the new crest at its official fan shop.

The German Football League (DFL) introduced a system of championship stars in the 2004–05 season. The system was meant to honor the most successful teams in the Bundesliga by allowing teams to display stars on their shirts for the championships they have won. The system awarded one star for three titles, two stars for five titles, and three stars for ten titles.[171] However, the system only counted titles won in the Bundesliga since the 1963-64 season.[172][52][173]

BFC Dynamo submitted an application to the DFL and the DFB on 9 August 2004 to receive three stars for it ten titles in the DDR-Oberliga. The club asked for equal rights and argued that the DFB had absorbed the German Football Association of the GDR (DFV) with all its statistics, international matches and goal scores.[171][174][175][172] BFC Dynamo received support from SG Dynamo Dresden and 1. FC Magdeburg in its attempts to achieve recognition for East German titles.[174][172]

The DFL responded that it was not the responsible body, but the DFB remained silent for a long time.[52] The DFB eventually declared itself responsible and recommended BFC Dynamo to submit a formal application for a new title symbol in accordance with a relevant paragraph.[172][52] BFC Dynamo sent a new letter to the DFB in January 2005. The DFB announced that the application of BFC Dynamo was going to be negotiated in DFB executive committee.[52] The DFB presidium decided on 18 March 2005 that all titles won in East Germany, as well all others titles won in Germany since the first recognized championship in 1903, should qualify for stars.[176] However, there was not yet any final decision in the DFB executive committee.[177][178][179]

BFC Dynamo is allowed to wear one star inscribed with the number ten for its ten East German championships.

BFC Dynamo took matters in its own hands and unilaterally emblazoned its shirts with three stars.[177] The team displayed the three stars for first time in the match against FC Energie Cottbus II on 25 March 2005.[177] The claim by BFC Dynamo was controversial because the club had been the favorite club of Erich Mielke and had a connection to the Stasi during the East German era.[177][178][103][173] Critics in the DFB environment pointed to politically influenced championships in East Germany. BFC Dynamo had been sponsored by the Stasi and was given advantages.[52] The club had privileged access to talents and a permanent training camp at Uckley in Königs Wusterhausen. However, also other clubs in East Germany had enjoyed similar advantages, which put the DFB in a difficult situation.[52]

The DFL rejected the application from the DFB and recommended the DFB to only honor clubs that were champions in the Bundesliga.[180] However, the DFB chose to not follow the recommendation. The DFB presidium instead decided on a compromise solution on 19 July 2005 and adopted a new regulation for the 2005–06 season which gave all clubs the right to wear one single star for the championships they have won in the former East Germany and in Germany since 1903. Clubs were also allowed to indicate the number of championships they have won in the center of the star.[181][182][183] The regulation only applies to clubs playing in a league under the DFB umbrella. It does not apply to clubs playing in the 2. Bundesliga and Bundesliga, which are organized by the DFL.[182]

The new regulation meant that BFC Dynamo was finally allowed to emblazon its shirts with a championship star. The regulation also affected other former East German teams including SG Dynamo Dresden with its eight titles, 1. FC Frankfurt with its six titles and 1. FC Magdeburg with its three titles in the DDR-Oberliga.[52][183] BFC Dynamo has since then used the championship star in accordance with DFB graphic standards, displaying a star inscribed with the number ten for its ten East German titles.[184]

The Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadion is planned to be demolished during the 2020–21 season for a complete redevelopment.[223] BFC Dynamo is planned to become one of the main tentants of the new stadium. The new Fredrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is going to be multi-sports facility with 20,000 seats. The stadium will be designed as an inclusive sports facility and offer second division fit.[224][225] The new Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadion is planned to be opened in 2025.[226]

BFC Dynamo played only a minor role in football in Berlin until the relocation of FC Vorwärts Berlin to Frankfurt an der Oder in 1971.[210] The club initially had modest support. But with its growing successes in the 1970s, the club began to attract young fans, primarily from the central areas around the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, such as Prenzlauer Berg and Mitte.[8] One of the first big supporter groups of BFC Dynamo was Black Eagle. The fan club was founded in 1972 and was one of the earliest fan clubs in East German football. Fans of BFC Dynamo were the first to sew their embroidered fan club badges on their jackets. This was a novelty among football supporters in East Germany in the 1970s.[227]

The supporter scene became a focal point for various subcultures in the late 1970s and beginning of the 1980s.[228][229][230] There were punks, rockers, hippies and a few early skinheads.[228][210][231][232][76] Some were left-leaning and others were right-leaning.[228][232] Football and stadium life offered free spaces that were difficult for the authorities to control.[76] For some fans, being part of the supporter scene was an opportunity to rebel against the East German regime.[228] Most supporters of BFC Dynamo had little to do with the state. It was more important for them to protest, do their own thing and break out from everyday life.[210] Despite cheering for a club connected to the Stasi, supporters of BFC Dynamo were not true to the line.[228] Many active fans in the 1980s were against the regime.[49][232]

Young people were gradually attracted by the provocative image of the club: its reputation as a Stasi club, its successes and the hatred of opposing fans.[229][230] Some fans of BFC Dynamo found delight in the unpopularity of their club and took pride in the hatred they met.[232][234][235] One fan recalled that that 1980s "were my greatest years, as we always had glorious success in provoking other fans" and another one that "we were really hated by everyone".[234] Fans of BFC Dynamo would sometimes respond to the hatred they met by singing chants in praise of Erich Mielke as a provocation.[25] They could also throw bananas, that were only available in East Berlin, at home fans during away matches in Saxony.[64][231]

BFC Dynamo came to be associated with areas such as Prenzlauer Berg, Pankow, Weißensee, Hohenschönhausen and certain cafés and restaurants in vicinity of Alexanderplatz.[236] The supporter scene included groups such as Black Eagle, Norbert Trieloff, Bobbys, Iron Fist, Die Ratten and Berliner Wölfe in the 1980s. Fashion played a big role in the BFC Dynamo supporter scene.[235][232]

Football related violence spread in East Germany in the 1970s.[76][237] The supporter scene of BFC Dynamo was still young at the time, while clubs such 1. FC Union Berlin and BSG Chemie Leipzig had large followings.[235] A trip to Leipzig or Dresden was a difficult task.[210] Supporters of BFC Dynamo responded to the hostile environment, and learned to compensate their smaller numbers, by being more aggressive and better organized.[238][8][235][239] One fan of BFC Dynamo recalled: "It was really rumbling at away trips, and only then you felt your own strength. When we went with 200 people against 1,000 Unioners and you noticed: If you stick together, you have an incredible amount of violence."[240] Supporters of BFC Dynamo would eventually gain a reputation for being particularly violent and organized.[8] One fan of 1. FC Union Berlin recalled: "There was hardly an enemy mob against us, we were just too many. But the people who stood in the way of the violence-seeking BFC:ers were very few. The BFC:ers were completely organized. These hundred and fifty people, everyone knew each other. They stood as a block like a wall." [241] A saying among the supporters of BFC Dynamo was "We are few, but awesome!".[235]

The development in the supporter scene would eventually catch the attention of the authorities. The Stasi assigned a group of two full-time officers from the district administration to the supporter scene during 1982-83 season.[242] From then, supporters were accompanied, observed and documented.[243] This was a measure that had previously also been applied to the supporter scene of 1. FC Union Berlin.[64] The authorities had allegedly been particularly alarmed when supporters of BFC Dynamo unfurled a poster in memory of Lutz Eigendorf with the text "Iron Foot, we mourn you!" during a match at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark in April 1983.[244][243][8] Supporters had also started a fan club in honour of Lutz Eigendorf.[231] The Stasi would try to control the supporter scene with a broad catalogue of measures: persistent talks, intimidation attempts, reporting requirements and arrests.[210][228] It would also attempt to infiltrate the fan clubs by unofficial collaborators (IM).[242] All football fan clubs in East Germany had to undergo registration.[76] According to Stasi information, BFC Dynamo had six registered fan clubs and 22 unauthorized fan clubs in 1986. Unauthorized fan clubs were those that were unregistered or did not meet DFV guidelines.[245]

The dislike against BFC Dynamo in stadiums around the country and the hatred of opposing fans welded its supporters together.[246] A unique hooligan scene with groups, structures and training rooms would emerge at the end of the 1980s.[239] A group of 500 hooligans of BFC Dynamo raided a gas station in Jena and attacked the Volkspolizei in connection to an away match in November 1989.[247][248] The disorder at the stadium would not cease and the match was eventually abandoned.[235] The riots in Jena caught rare attention by East German state media, which until then had been relatively silent about football related disorder.[235][228]

The supporter scene of BFC Dynamo came to be increasingly associated with skinheads and far-right tendencies from the mid-1980s.[8] More and more supporters of BFC Dynamo began to embrace skinhead fashion in the early 1980s.[228][210] Skinhead fashion was now considered the most provocative outfit.[228] The club had become particularly popular in the growing skinhead movement by the mid-1980s.[235] The reputation of BFC Dynamo as the hated Stasi club attracted skinheads, who used the club as a stage for their provocations.[229] Nationalist chants and Nazi slogans were considered the most challenging provocations, as anti-fascism was state doctrine and Nazism officially did not exist in East Germany.[249][76][8][228][250][148] For young people, being a Nazi was sometimes considered the sharpest form of opposition.[251] One fan of BFC Dynamo said: "None of us really knew anything about politics. But to raise your arm in front of the Volkspolizei was a real kick. You did that and for some of them, their whole world just fell apart".[252][210][8] A network of far-right skinhead and hooligan groups would form around the club in the late 1980s.[251]

Stadium attendance collapsed in 1990. Average attendance had dropped from 8,385 in the 1988-89 season to 1,076 in the 1990-91 season.[253][254][255] Many supporters stopped attending matches after the Peaceful revolution, as the best players were sold off to clubs in West Germany, sports performance slumped, tickets prices rose, mass unemployment spread and hooligans had come to dominate the stands.[64][256][148][257] Some shifted their focus to ice hockey instead.[258] Only young supporters remained in the stadium in the beginning of the 1990s.[64] The average league attendance of the 1990–91 NOFV-Oberliga was by far the lowest in the league history.[256]

Hooligans who had left East Germany for different reasons in recent years returned to East Berlin after the opening of the Berlin Wall and rejoined the hooligan scene.[259][260] Some were former skinheads who had been deported by the Stasi to West Germany in the late 1980s. Now they chanted "Mielke, we love you!" and "Who should be our Führer? Erich Mielke!" as a provocative fun, to the dismay of the club.[259][261] Supporters who returned from West Germany also brought back a new fashion based on designer clothing labels and expensive sportswear, which was adopted by the supporter scene.[259][246] While combat boots and bomber jackets were now common at many places in East Germany, some supporters of BFC Dynamo wanted to differentiate themselves. Expensive sneakers was now the new fashion.[210][260]

A wave of football hooliganism swept through East Germany in 1990.[64] The collapse of the East German regime resulted in a security vacuum.[262][256][263] The Volkspolizei was overwhelmed by the amount of disorder and often reluctant to use enough force, due to the political situation.[64][261][264] Supporters of FC Berlin, the name of BFC Dynamo since February 1990, rioted in central Jena before an away match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena in April 1990. They smashed shop windows and windscreens of police vehicles with stones, and left a trail of destruction in the city center.[265] Supporters of FC Berlin stormed the home block armed with sticks during a match against 1. FC Union Berlin at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei in September 1990.[266]

Supporters of FC Berlin during an away match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena in April 1990.

The situation peaked during a match between FC Sachsen Leipzig and FC Berlin on 3 November 1990. Supporters of FC Berlin travelled in large numbers to Leipzig for the match.[263] There were clashes at the Leipzig main railway station, with one police officer injured and 50 supporters taken into custody.[264][267] A first group of around 100 supporters of FC Berlin entered the Georg-Schwarz-Sportpark in time for kick-off.[263] Supporters of both teams tried to attack each other in the stadium and the Volkspolizei had difficulties in maintaining a buffer zone.[264] A second group of around 400 supporters of FC Berlin arrived later at the nearby Leipzig-Leutzsch S-Bahn station at Am Ritterschlößchen street.[263][264] Fireworks were fired as they made their way to the stadium.[268] The group was blocked from entering the stadium by police equipped with helmets and shields, despite showing valid tickets.[269][270][259] They were then pushed back by the police using tear gas and truncheons.[263][264][269] The group returned to the S-Bahn station and made an attempt to reach the stadium from the Pettenkofer Straße instead.[263] They were again blocked by police who immediately used truncheons.[263][268]

Riots broke out at the S-Bahn station.[263] The station building was vandalized and numerous cars were smashed or burned, including at least one W 50 police truck and one police car.[263][264][268][267] The police was allegedly outnumbered, although the high number of supporters of FC Berlin at the scene claimed by the police has been disputed.[268] Cobblestones were thrown at the police waiting at the Pettenkofer Straße.[263] The Volkpolizei now decided to use their firearms.[263] 18-year old supporter Mike Polley (de) from the locality of Malchow in Berlin was hit by several bullets and instantly killed.[259][260] Several others were injured and at least another three people were seriously injured.[256][264][269] One supporter of FC Berlin was hit in the head and suffered critical injuries, but survived.[259] Reports and sources vary on what happened on the scene and how the situation was.[264] The Volkspolizei had fired between 50 and 100 shots in about a minute, from 11 different police pistols.[264][269] Shots had been fired from distances as long as 30–40 meters.[264][268] The Volkspolizei had also fired at fleeing supporters.[268] Not every injured had come with the supporters of FC Berlin. Also an uninvolved woman was shot in the leg.[264]

After the shootings, some supporters of FC Berlin left the S-Bahn station by train.[271] Many were shaken.[268] Other wanted to take revenge.[268] A group of supporters stopped a tram, kicked the driver out and maneuvered it down town.[259][263] Riots now continued in central Leipzig, where policed presence was low.[268] The riots in central Leipzig continued for several hours and the damage was extensive.[259][263][272] Supporters of FC Berlin devastated entire streets.[271] All shop windows on the Nikolaistraße opposite the main railway station were smashed.[267] There was rampage at the Park Hotel.[273][274] The ground floor of a department store on Brühl was destroyed.[274] Numerous cars were demolished and up to 31 shops were smashed and looted.[274][271][264] Supporters clashed with transport police at the main railway station. New shots were fired by the police, but no one was injured.[271][259][264]

Supporters of FC Berlin commemorate Mike Polley at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, during a match against HFC Chemie on 10 November 1990.

Mike Polley was considered a beginner in the supporter scene.[271] A demonstration against police violence with 1,000 participants was arranged in Prenzlauer Berg by supporters of FC Berlin after the match against HFC Chemie on 10 November 1990.[235][264][272] The demonstration was supported by the recently founded Fanprojekt Berlin.[264] The friendly match between East Germany and West Germany that was planned to be held on the Zentralstadion in Leipzig on 21 November 1990 was cancelled for security reasons and due to the tense situation among football supporters after the shootings.[259][264] An investigation against ten police officers was opened, but closed in April 1992.[264][272] The exact circumstances around the death of Mike Polley were never fully clarified.[270][275]

Matches involving FC Berlin were all security matches and the violent faction of FC Berlin would come to shape the entire 1990–91 season.[264][259] A group of 500-600 supporters of FC Berlin travelled with a special train to Rostock for an away match against F.C. Hansa Rostock in March 1991.[259][276] The police did not manage to control the situation despite a record strong presence of more than 600 officers.[276][277] Riots broke out in central Rostock, where supporters smashed shops, demolished cars and attacked people.[259][246][276] Supporters without tickets stormed the Ostseestadion and there were fights with supporters of F.C. Hansa Rostock around the stadium.[276] Riots at the train station after the match had to be suppressed with tear gas and water cannons.[276][259] The damage was again extensive. Up to 17 shops at the Wismarischen Straße were smashed and looted, the train station was devastated and the special train was vandalized.[277] Two police officers were injured in the turmoil.[276]

The hooligans of FC Berlin were the most notorious for years in Germany.[64] The youth television programme Elf99 on Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF) ran a special story on the hooligans of FC Berlin in August 1991. The story was called "Elf-Spezial: Das randalierende Rätsel – Der Berliner Hooligans zwischen Wahn und Scham?" and can be found on YouTube as of 2020.[278] An asylum shelter in Greifswald was attacked during an away match against Greifswalder SC 1926 on 3 November 1991.[248][279] This caused SV Hafen Rostock 61 to postpone its upcoming match at home against FC Berlin for security reasons.[280][279] Playing for meager crowds in regional leagues, the club also became a meeting place for individuals from the Berlin far-right, hooligan and criminal underground.[148][281] One of those involved in the assault on French policeman Daniel Nivel during the 1998 FIFA World Cup had connections to the hooligan scene of BFC Dynamo.[148]

BFC Dynamo had the highest number of violent supporters in Germany in 2005.[282] Police made a controversial razzia against the discotheque Jeton in Friedrichshain where supporters of BFC Dynamo and other people had gathered to celebrate in connection to a fan tournament in memory of Mike Polley on the night of 20 August 2005. The fan tournament had been visited by numerous teams, including teams from FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig.[283][284] The large-scale police operation involved 300 officers, including 100 members of the SEK.[285][286][287] 158 persons were arrested. Among the detainees were 19 Category C-supporters and 22 Category B-supporters.[288][286] Supporter filed numerous complaints against the police for the use of excessive violence.[289] 39 people at the discotheque were injured.[290] Also bystanders were affected.[290] Police initially claimed they had been pelted with bottles and furnishings, but later corrected their statement and admitted that there had been no resistance.[285][290][288]

Police stated that the razzia was a preventative measure on short notice to prevent hooligans from organizing for the upcoming match against 1. FC Union Berlin on 21 August 2005.[290][286] There were speculations that police also took revenge for riots during the match between BFC Dynamo and SV Yeşilyurt at the opening of the season, when supporters of BFC Dynamo had attacked the police with 13 police officers injured.[290][288] More than 1,000 police offiers were deployed to the derby and the match was played without crowd trouble.[286][287] The second match between BFC Dynamo and 1. FC Union in the 2005–06 NOFV-Oberliga season was played at the Stadion im Sportforum on 13 May 2006. The standing was 1-1 when supporters of BFC Dynamo invaded the pitch in an attempt to storm the block of 1. FC Union Berlin around the 75th minute. The match was abandonned and 1. FC Union Berlin was awarded a 2–0 win.[291][292]

BFC Dynamo has also attracted hooligans from outside, who are otherwise not affiliated with the club, to certain matches.[229][293][294] Polish fans of Pogoń Szczecin were allegedly linked to riots during a match against Berliner AK 07 in the final of the 2009-10 Berlin Cup.[295][293] Stewards and players of BFC Dynamo threw themselves in to prevent further riots. Goalkeeper Nico Thomaschewski later received an award from the Berlin Football Association (BFV).[293] Large scale riots occurred during a match between BFC Dynamo and 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the 2011-12 DFB-Pokal on 3 July 2011, when supporters of BFC Dynamo stormed the block of 1. FC Kaiserslautern at the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark.[296][297] Club officials openly expressed their embarrassment and disappointment over the behavior of some of its supporters and publicly apologized.[294] While the police stated that most of those arrested were from Berlin, the club claimed it had never seen most of them before.[229]

The contemporary supporter scene contains various subcultures and categories of supporters. It ranges from older supporters to younger ultras.[298] Older supporters constitute an essential part of the supporter scene.[230] Many are active in the supporter group 79er.[293] The group is credited for its commitment to the club, notably the youth teams. Its members have been supporters of BFC Dynamo since the late 1970s.[293][210] But also new groups of younger ultra-oriented supporters have emerged in the 2000s. The contemporary supporter scene includes groups such as 79er, Mythos BFC, Fraktion H, Piefkes, Ultras BFC, East Company, Riot Sport, Black Boys Dynamo, Bärenbande and Gegengerade.[293][299][210][300] Gegengerade is a left wing-oriented fan club.[300]

The supporter scene played an important part in saving the club from bankruptcy in 2001. Supporters threw parties and organized collections, made donations and travelled to countries such as Austria and Switzerland to convince creditors to accept smaller pay-offs. This remains a defining moment for older supporters.[148] The supporter scene annually arranges the Mike-Polley-Gedenkturnier, which is a football fan tournament in memory of Mike Polley.[270][301] A march in memory of Mike Polley in Leipzig in 2018 was attended by 850 supporters of BFC Dynamo.[302]

BFC Dynamo is affiliated with Fanprojekt Berlin, which is an independent organization that engages in socio-pedagogical fan work.[230][303] Fanprojekt Berlin supports young fans in various aspects of life and aims at promoting a positive supporter culture.[303] BFC Dynamo engages in active fan work and has taken measures to control violent elements, exclude known violators and to distance itself from radical supporters.[230][294][304] Far-right symbols and slogans are not tolerated by the club.[230] A large number of stadium bans has been issued by the club since the mid-2000s.[305][294] 40 stadium bans was issued only in 2006.[305] The last riot occurred in 2011.[230]

Supporter group Fraktion H was founded in 2006 by younger supporters who wanted to create more atmosphere in the stadium.[293][210] A minor ultras scene then emerged in 2011. The ultras of BFC Dynamo have initiated campaigns such as "Brown is not Claret" and have also engaged in football tournaments for refugees.[281][210][304] The club has encouraged the new groups of younger supporters and club management has taken a stand against racism and right-wing extremism.[306][304] BFC Dynamo had 100 Category C-supporters and 190 Category-B supporters in 2019.[307] Younger hooligans of BFC Dynamo have contacts with supporter group Kaliber 030 at Hertha BSC.[148][308] 20-25 supporters of BFC Dynamo joined Hertha BSC in the guest block of the Stadion an der Alten Försterei during the derby between 1. FC Union Berlin and Hertha BSC on 2 November 2019.[309]

One of the most well-known books in Germany about the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo is "Der BFC ist schuld am Mauerbau" by German author, and fan of BFC Dynamo, Andreas Gläser (de). The book was first published in 2002 and describes the supporter scene from the late 1970s and forward. The club, its reputation and supporter scene, was also the theme of stage play "Dynamoland" by Gudrun Herrbold. The play was set up in 2007 and involved young football players from BFC Dynamo as well as Andreas Gläser.[250][229][310]

Musicians from German rock band Klaus Renft Combo composed the anthem "Auf, Dynamo!" for BFC Dynamo in 1999.[311] German rap musician Joe Rilla (Hagen Stoll) (de) has also dedicated a song to BFC Dynamo. The song is called "Heb die Faust Hoch (BFC Dynamo Straßenhymne)" and was released in 2008. The clothing store Hoolywood on Schönhauser Allée in Prenzlauer Berg, founded in the beginning of the 1990s, is associated with the supporter scene of BFC Dynamo.[230][310][312]

As of 27 July 2020 [313][314][315]

As of 9 January 2021[330]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  GER Damian Schobert 2 DF  GER Tyson Richter 4 DF  GER Michael Blum 5 MF  GER Marcel Stutter 7 MF  GER Philip Schulz 8 MF  GER Andreas Pollasch 10 MF  GER Ronny Garbuschewski 11 FW  KVX Valentin Zalli 13 DF  GER Chris Reher 14 MF  GER Joey Breitfeld 17 DF  GER Marvin Kleihs

No. Pos. Nation Player 18 MF  GER Alexander Siebeck 19 MF  KVX Erolind Krasniqi 23 FW  GER Benjamin Förster 24 MF  GER Jonas Zickert 27 FW  HUN Andor Bolyki 37 FW  GER Matthias Steinborn 79 GK  GER Kevin Sommer

Goalkeeper Bodo Rudwaleit played 313 professional league matches for BFC Dynamo between 1976 and 1990.

Many players of BFC Dynamo of the 1970s and 1980s played for the East German national football team. Some would later become players or coaches in the Bundesliga and play for German national football team.

The list includes players with 100 appearances for SC Dynamo Berlin and BFC Dynamo at professional level and who have also played for the national team. The flag inficates the national team they last played for. The players are sorted chronologically.

As of 29 August 2020[331][332]

Coaching staff
Christian Benbennek	Head coach
Christof Reimann	Assistant coach
Thorsten Wiese	Goalkeeping coach
Medical department
Adrian Marklowski	Physiotherapist
Sport management and organisation
Jörn Lenz	Team manager
Frank Radicke	Kit manager
Stefan Malchow	Kit manager
Thomas Hayn	Kit manager

Jürgen Bogs was head coach from 1 July 1977 to 30 June 1989 and led BFC Dynamo to ten consecutive league titles.

SC Dynamo Berlin had six different head coaches until the founding of BFC Dynamo in 1966. The first head coach was Helmut Petzold, who was delegated along with the team of SG Dynamo Dresden to SC Dynamo Berlin and took office on 21 November 1954. Other head coaches of SC Dynamo Berlin were Istvan Orczifalvi, Fritz Bachmann, János Gyarmati and Fritz Gödicke. Fritz Bachmann served as head coach of SC Dynamo Berlin during the successful 1959 season.

No.	Coach	Period	Notes
1	Karl Schäffner	1965-1966
2	Bela Volentik	1966-1967
3	Karl Schäffner	1967-1969
4	Hans Geitel	1969-1971
5	Günter Schröter	1972-1973
6	Harry Nippert	1973-1977
7	Jürgen Bogs	1977-1989
8	Helmut Jäschke	1989-1990
9	Peter Rohde	1990-1990
10	Jürgen Bogs	1990-1993
11	Helmut Koch	1993-1995
12	Dieter Fuchs	1995-1996
13	Werner Voigt	1996-1998
14	Ingo Rentzsch	1998-1998
15	Henry Häusler	1998-1999
16	Ingo Rentzsch	1999-1999	[lower-alpha 1]
17	Norbert Paepke	1999-1999	[lower-alpha 1]
18	Klaus Goldbach	1999-1999
19	Jürgen Bogs	1999-2001
20	Mario Maek	2001-2002
21	Dirk Vollmar	2002-2003
22	Sven Orbanke	2002-2004
23	Christian Backs	2004-2005
24	Rajko Fijalek	2005-2005	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
24	Bodo Rudwaleit	2005-2005	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
25	Jürgen Piepenburg	2005-2005
26	Rajko Fijalek	2005-2005	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
26	Bodo Rudwaleit	2005-2005	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2]
27	Rajko Fijalek	2006-2006
28	Nico Thomaschewski	2006-2006	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
28	Jörn Lenz	2006-2006	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
29	Ingo Rentzsch	2006-2007
30	Nico Thomaschewski	2007-2007	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
30	Jörn Lenz	2007-2007	[lower-alpha 1][lower-alpha 2][lower-alpha 3]
31	Volkan Uluç	2007-2009
32	Hakan Pinar	2009-2009
33	Christian Backs	2009-2010
34	Heiko Bonan	2010-2011
35	René Gritschke	2011-2011
36	Igor Lazić	2011-2011
37	René Gritschke	2011-2012
38	Volkan Uluç	2012-2014
39	Thomas Stratos	2014-2016
40	René Rydlewicz	2016-2018
41	Matthias Maucksch	2019-2019
42	Christian Benbennek	2019-

• East German Champions
  • Winners: (10) 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88 (record)
  • Runners-up: (4) 1960,[lower-alpha 1] 1971–72, 1975–76, 1988–89
• FDGB-Pokal
  • Winners: (3) 1959,[lower-alpha 1] 1987–88, 1988–89
  • Runners-up: (6) 1961–62,[lower-alpha 1] 1970–71, 1978–78, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85
• DFV-Supercup
  • Winners: 1989
• Fuwo-Pokal (de)
  • Runners-up: 1972[lower-alpha 2]
• DDR-Liga (II)
  • Winners: 1957,[lower-alpha 1] 1967–68

• European Cup
  • Quarter-finals: 1979–80, 1983–84
• European Cup Winners' Cup
  • Semi-finals: 1971–72

• DDR-Oberliga and FDGB-Pokal
  • Winners: 1988

• NOFV-Oberliga Nord (III-V)
  • Winners: 1991–92, 2000–01, 2013–14
  • Runners-up: 2008–09, 2009–10
• Berlin-Liga (V)
  • Winners: 2003–04
• Berlin Cup (III-VII)
  • Winners: (6) 1998–99, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2017–18
  • Runners-up: 1999–00, 2009–10

BFC Dynamo had a very successful youth academy during the East German era.[340][8][95] The youth department had full-time trainers available for all youth classes and access to the best material conditions in the Dynamo-Sportforum.[50] Youth coaches were highly qualified and training in the Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) was extensive.[341][342] The youth work at BFC Dynamo during the East German era was described as "absolutely leading" by former head coach Jürgen Bogs, who had a background as head coach of the junior team.[50]

The upper tier of elite clubs in East Germany had privileged access to talents within designated geographical and administrative areas.[3][40] However, BFC Dynamo was able to recruit its talents from training centers (TZ) in all parts of East Germany, except those in Bezirk Dresden.[50][3][28] The club benefited from a nation-wide scouting system, including 33 training centers (TZ) of SV Dynamo and a partnership with Bezirk Cottbus.[343][344][345] In total, BFC Dynamo had access to 38 training centers (TZ) across East Germany for the recruitment of talents. As a comparition, 1. FC Union Berlin had only access to 6 training centers (TZ), all of which were located in the Berlin area.[51]

As a focus club (German: Schwerpunktclubs), BFC Dynamo had the privilege to accommodate twelve students in the district Children and Youth Sports Schools (KJS) every year.[28] The elite Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) "Werner Seelenbinder" provided boarding and schooling for talented players in the Dynamo-Sportforum.[69][346][347] The Children and Youth Sports School (KJS) "Werner Seelenbinder" was affiliated to sports club SC Dynamo Berlin.[348]

Several former players of SC Dynamo Berlin and BFC Dynamo became youth trainers in the club after ending their playing careers, such as Herbert Schoen, Günter Schröter, Hartmut Pelka and Hans-Jürgen Riediger.[127][349][350] The youth academy produced stars such as Lutz Eigendorf, Falko Götz and Andreas Thom.[69][340][341][230] Most of the top performers of BFC Dynamo in the 1980s came through the club's own youth academy or junior team, including Norbert Trieloff, Bodo Rudwaleit, Ralf Sträßer, Artur Ullrich, Rainer Ernst, Bernd Schulz, Christian Backs, Frank Rohde, Jan Voß, Andreas Thom, Jörg Fügner, Hendrik Herzog and Marco Köller.[127][39][128]

• East German Junior Championship (de)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Winners: (4) 1960,[lower-alpha 2] 1978, 1979, 1987
  • Runners-up (6): 1967, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1988, 1989
• Junior Oberliga of the NOFV (de)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Winners: 1991[lower-alpha 3]
• East German Youth Championship (de)[lower-alpha 4]
  • Winners: (4) 1967, 1972, 1975, 1987
  • Runners-up: 1983, 1989
• East German Junior Cup (Junge Welt-Pokal) (de)[lower-alpha 1]
  • Winners: (3) 1966, 1967, 1989
• East German Youth Cup (Youth FDGB-Pokal)[lower-alpha 4]
  • Winners: (5) 1965,[lower-alpha 2] 1968, 1971, 1972, 1976 (record)