1955 German football championship
The 1955 German football championship was the culmination of the football season in West Germany in 1954-55. Rot-Weiss Essen were crowned champions for the first time after a group stage and a final.
| Deutsche Fußballmeisterschaft | |
|---|---|
| Tournament details | |
| Country | West Germany |
| Dates | 4 May – 26 June |
| Teams | 9 |
| Final positions | |
| Champions | Rot-Weiss Essen 1st German title |
| Runner-up | 1. FC Kaiserslautern |
| European Cup | Rot-Weiss Essen |
| Tournament statistics | |
| Matches played | 29 |
| Goals scored | 107 (3.69 per match) |
| Top goal scorer(s) | Franz Islacker (10 goals) |
It was Rot-Weiss Essen's first (and only) appearance in the German final, while Kaiserslautern were making their fifth appearance. It was also the fourth time Kaiserlautern had reached the final in five years, following their championship wins in 1951 and 1953, and their defeat in 1954.
The format used to determine the German champions was different from that which was used in the 1954 season. Nine teams qualified for the tournament, with those who qualified as a runner-up having to play qualifying matches. The remaining eight teams were split into two groups of four, and played two rounds of matches with games played home and away. The two group winners then played the national final.