The German top flight produces some of the biggest clubs and most electric football in not just Europe but indeed the entire world. Bayern Munich have regained their place at its summit.
The Bavarians have dominated German football over the past two decades, but they haven't always been in control of the Bundesliga narrative.
In fact, German football existed long before the Bundesliga was even established, and it survived through the post-World War turmoil twice.
The Sporting News brings you an overview of who has the most Bundesliga titles, when they were won, and how the country's football history has evolved.
MORE: The Harry Kane 'curse' explained
Who has the most Bundesliga titles?
As you might imagine, Bayern Munich have won the most German league titles by a distance.
The Bavarians have won 34 total championships, the only club in double digits. Of those, 33 have come since the inception of the Bundesliga, with one additional title before that in the 1932 season.
FC Nurnberg's dominance back in the old setup of the league has them second all-time with nine titles, while modern challengers Borussia Dortmund are third with eight.
When was the Bundesliga established?
The German Football Association (DFB) was established in 1900, but it did not have enough control over the nation's game to hold an officially recognized league until 1903. VfB Leipzig, now known as Lokomotiv Leipzig, won the very first German league title that year.
From 1903-1944, the league title was awarded to the winner of a knockout competition contested between the winners of the nation's regional champions.
Following World War II, German football was disorganized, but the Bundesliga was officially established in 1963. This saw the knockout competition abolished and a pyramid structure established throughout the country, with the national title awarded to the league winner.
FC Koln won the first Bundesliga title in 1963/64, with a new winner each season until 1970/71 when Borussia Monchengladbach won back-to-back titles. Bayern won their first Bundesliga title in 1968/69, and with three straight from 1970/71-1973/74, their dominance began.
List of all-time German league champions
German league titles prior to Bundesliga inception in 1963. Bundesliga titles after inception of the league in 1963.
| Club | Total championships won | German league titles (before 1963) | Seasons | Bundesliga titles | Bundesliga seasons |
| Bayern Munich | 34 | 1 | 1932 | 33 | 1968/69, 1971/72, 1972/73, 1973/74, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1984/85, 1985/86, 1986/87, 1988/89, 1989/90, 1993/94, 1996/97, 1998/99, 1999/00, 2000/01, 2002/03, 2004/05, 2005/06, 2007/08, 2009/10, 2012/13, 2013/14, 2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20, 2020/21, 2021/22, 2022/23, 2024/25 |
| FC Nurnberg | 9 | 8 | 1920, 1921, 1924, 1925, 1927, 1936, 1948, 1961 | 1 | 1967/68 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 8 | 3 | 1956, 1957, 1963 | 5 | 1994/95, 1995/96, 2001/02, 2010/11, 2011/12 |
| Schalke 04 | 7 | 7 | 1934, 1935, 1937, 1939, 1940, 1942, 1958 | 0 | — |
| Hamburger SV | 6 | 3 | 1923, 1928, 1960 | 3 | 1978/79, 1981/82, 1982/83 |
| Stuttgart | 5 | 2 | 1950, 1952 | 3 | 1983/84, 1991/92, 2006/07 |
| Gladbach | 5 | 0 | — | 5 | 1969/70, 1970/71, 1974/75, 1975/76, 1976/77 |
| Werder Bremen | 4 | 0 | — | 4 | 1964/65, 1987/88, 1992/93, 2003/04 |
| FC Kaiserslautern | 4 | 2 | 1951, 1953 | 2 | 1990/91, 1997/98 |
| FC Koln | 3 | 1 | 1962 | 2 | 1963/64, 1977/78 |
| Lokomotiv Leipzig | 3 | 3 | 1903, 1906, 1913 | 0 | — |
| Greuther Furth | 3 | 3 | 1914, 1926, 1929 | 0 | — |
| Hertha BSC | 2 | 2 | 1930, 1931 | 0 | — |
| Viktoria 1889 Berlin | 2 | 2 | 1908, 1911 | 0 | — |
| Dresdner SC | 2 | 2 | 1943, 1944 | 0 | — |
| Hannover 96 | 2 | 2 | 1938, 1954 | 0 | — |
| Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 2023/24 |
| VfL Wolfsburg | 1 | 0 | – | 1 | 2008/09 |
| Eintracht Braunschweig | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 1966/67 |
| 1860 Munich | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 1965/66 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 1 | 1 | 1959 | 0 | — |
| Rot-Weiss Essen | 1 | 1 | 1955 | 0 | — |
| VfR Mannheim | 1 | 1 | 1949 | 0 | — |
| Fortuna Dusseldorf | 1 | 1 | 1933 | 0 | — |
| Holstein Kiel | 1 | 1 | 1912 | 0 | — |
| Karlsruher FV | 1 | 1 | 1910 | 0 | — |
| Karlsruher SC | 1 | 1 | 1909 | 0 | — |
| Freiburger FC | 1 | 1 | 1907 | 0 | — |
| SpVg Blau-Weiss 90 Berlin | 1 | 1 | 1905 | 0 | — |
| Rapid Wien* | 1 | 1 | 1941 | 0 | — |
*Vienna was part of Germany and included in the German league in 1941 when Austrian club Rapid Wien won the title