From 1949 until 1991 East Germany had its own football league system.
It had its own nationwide league called Oberliga that existed through the whole GDR history and since 1954 consisted of 14 teams, whose two worst-placed were relegated to the Liga, that was introduced in 1950. Following the resolution of the five federal states the five old Landesliga divisions were replaced by 15 Berzirksliga divisions at the third level of the league system. But already 1955 there was a new change in the system as the meanwhile three Liga divisions were merged into the nationwide I. Liga and the other former Liga teams played at the II. Liga, now at the third level. 1962 the I. Liga was once more divided into two divisions and the II. Liga was abandoned. 1971 the Liga was divided into five Divisions (and for that reason was now similar to the Landesliga of the 1940's). The five division champions played a qualification round by league mode. Since 1984 it consisted of two divisions, whose champions were directly promoted, again.
Below the Bezirksliga there were (descending) Bezirksklasse, Kreisliga and at the lowest level several Kreisklasse divisions as they actually are today.
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