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Dynamo Dresden

Full name	Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e. V.
Nickname(s)	SGD, Dynamo
Founded	12 April 1953; 72 years ago (1953-04-12)
Ground	Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion
Ground Capacity	32,085
President	Holger Scholze
Sporting director	Ralf Becker
Head coach	Thomas Stamm
League	2. Bundesliga
2020–21	3. Liga, 1st of 20 (promoted)
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Sportgemeinschaft Dynamo Dresden e.V., usually called SG Dynamo Dresden or just Dynamo Dresden, is a German soccer club. It is located in the city of Dresden, in Saxony. The club started on April 12, 1953. It was connected to the East German police force, known as the Volkspolizei. Dynamo Dresden quickly became one of the most popular and successful clubs in East German soccer. They won eight league titles during that time.

After Germany became one country again, Dynamo Dresden played four seasons in the top league, the Bundesliga. This was from 1991 to 1995. Since then, the club has moved between the second and fourth levels of German soccer. After being moved down from the 2. Bundesliga at the end of the 2021–22 season, the team now plays in the 3. Liga.

The club's traditional colors are gold and black. These colors come from the official city flag and the coat of arms of Dresden.

History of Dynamo Dresden

Starting Years (1950–1954)

Historical chart of Dynamo Dresden league performance

The city of Dresden was very important in German soccer before and during World War II. A local team, Dresdner SC, won national championships in 1943 and 1944. After the war, the Allied forces in charge dissolved many groups in Germany, including sports clubs like Dresdner SC. This was part of a process to remove Nazi influence. Dresdner SC was restarted in 1946 as SG Friedrichstadt. However, the eastern part of Germany, including Dresden, was controlled by the Soviet Union. The authorities thought SG Friedrichstadt was too old-fashioned.

On April 16, 1950, SG Friedrichstadt played against ZSG Horst Zwickau in Dresden. This game was very important for deciding the East German championship for the 1949–50 season. About 60,000 fans watched the match. ZSG Horch Zwickau won the game 5–1 and became champions. The game was very rough, and the referee made some calls that seemed to favor Zwickau. SG Friedrichstadt players left the field without shaking hands, and many angry fans ran onto the field. East German sports officials used these events as a reason to close down SG Friedrichstadt. Its players were then sent to another club, BSG VVB Tabak Dresden.

Dresden needed a new team that the authorities approved of to play in the DDR-Oberliga. BSG VVB Tabak Dresden was supposed to take SG Friedrichstadt's spot. But most players from SG Friedrichstadt, including player-coach Helmut Schön, did not want to join BSG VVB Tabak Dresden. They left Dresden to play for clubs in West Germany, like Hertha BSC. To keep Dresden's place in the DDR-Oberliga, the spot was given to SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden instead.

SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden was playing in a lower league at the time. So, they were able to join the DDR-Oberliga without having to earn their way up through the divisions. To help them stay in the top league, the team was strengthened with players from all over East Germany.

SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden was first formed as SG Volkspolizei Dresden in 1948. On June 20, 1950, the head of the Volkspolizei, Kurt Fischer, ordered the creation of a central sports group for all Volkspolizei sports teams. This new group was called SV Deutsche Volkspolizei. SG Volkspolizei Dresden became part of this new group and was renamed SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden. Fischer's order also said that the best soccer players from all Volkspolizei teams should be gathered in SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden.

In July 1950, the 40 best players from various Volkspolizei teams in East Germany met for a training session. Coaches Fritz Sack [de] and Paul Döring [de] chose 17 players from 11 different cities to join the Dresden team. SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Potsdam lost five of its best players, including Herbert Schoen and Günter Schröter. SV Deutsche Volkspolizei Dresden quickly became a strong team in East German soccer. They won their first title in the 1951–52 FDGB-Pokal, which was a cup competition.

A new sports group, SV Dynamo, was created on March 27, 1953. SV Dynamo was formed from SV Deutsche Volkspolizei and the sports teams of the Stasi, which was the secret police. The president of SV Dynamo was Erich Mielke, who was also a high-ranking Stasi official. SV Deutsche Volkspolizei became part of SV Dynamo and was renamed Dynamo Dresden on April 12, 1953. This date is now the official founding date of Dynamo Dresden. Soon after, the club won its first league title.

However, this success led to a big change for the club. In November 1954, the Dynamo Dresden team was moved to Berlin. They were to play for a new sports club there, SC Dynamo Berlin, in the DDR-Oberliga. The remaining parts of Dynamo Dresden had to rebuild in the second-tier league, the DDR-Liga. They took over the spot, points, and goals from a team called SC DHFK Leipzig, which was dissolved. This move was likely due to political reasons and pressure from Erich Mielke. He wanted the capital city, Berlin, to have a strong team that could compete with popular West Berlin clubs like Hertha BSC.

Coming Back Strong (1954–1969)

Dynamo Dresden was left with young and reserve players. By 1957, they had dropped to the fourth level of soccer, playing in the local Bezirksliga. But Dynamo Dresden started to climb back up the divisions. By 1962, they were back in the DDR-Oberliga. Although they were moved down again in their first season, they quickly returned to the top league. They also recovered well from another move down in 1968. From 1969 until the league ended in 1991, they stayed in the Oberliga. In 1967, they finished fourth, which allowed Dynamo to play in European soccer for the first time. They entered the 1967–68 Fairs Cup but were eliminated by the Scottish team Rangers in the first round.

East German soccer was reorganized during the 1965–66 season. Ten soccer departments were separated from their sports clubs to create ten special soccer clubs (FC). The goal was to gather the best players in the country in these new clubs. This would make the top league more stable and help develop players for the national team. There had been plans to combine Dynamo Dresden with the soccer department of SC Einheit Dresden. This would bring the best players in the region into one club, similar to what happened in Leipzig. However, there was a disagreement between Erich Mielke and the local political leader in Dresden, Werner Krolikowski. Mielke did not want to give up Dynamo Dresden, while Krolikowski wanted a civilian soccer club. This disagreement lasted for a year and a half. The soccer department of SC Einheit Dresden was reorganized as FSV Lokomotive Dresden on January 12, 1966. Then, on August 5, 1968, Dynamo Dresden was declared a regional center for top performance by the local sports board. This meant the club could now get the best players from the entire region.

Dynamo Dresden received the same funding and benefits as the special soccer clubs, even though it was still called a "Sports Community" (SG). This support was very important for the club's future success.

Years of Glory (1969–1978)

Dynamo plays against Bayern Munich in the 1973–74 European Cup

The team that won the championship in 1975–76

In the 1970s, Dynamo Dresden became one of the best teams in East Germany. This was under the coach Walter Fritzsch. They won five league titles (1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, and 1978). They also won two cup competitions (1971 and 1977). They often competed with 1. FC Magdeburg for the top spot in the league. Dynamo Dresden became the most popular team in the country, often having crowds of 25,000 fans. This was about three times more than other clubs. They also started to make a name for themselves in European soccer. They played in European competitions every year during the 1970s. They defeated big teams like FC Porto, Juventus, and Benfica. They reached the quarter-finals four times.

During this time, Dynamo played against teams from West Germany for the first time. They lost to Bayern Munich 7–6 on total score in the last 16 of the 1973–74 European Cup. Dynamo Dresden lost the first game 4–3 away in Munich. They managed a 3–3 tie at home in the Dynamo-Stadion. The Stasi had secretly listened to the Bayern Munich team's meeting before the second game. Information about Bayern Munich's lineup was quickly sent to Dynamo Dresden's coach, Walter Fritzsch. On three occasions, Dynamo was eliminated by the English team Liverpool. This happened twice in the UEFA Cup and once in the European Cup. Each time, Liverpool went on to win the competition. In 1973, Hans-Jürgen Kreische was the first Dynamo Dresden player to be named East German Footballer of the Year. Hans-Jürgen Dörner received this award in 1977. Kreische was the league's top goal scorer four times. He was also part of East Germany's team for the 1974 World Cup, along with his teammate Siegmar Wätzlich.

Capital City Influence (1978–1991)

Matthias Sammer lifts the FDGB-Pokal trophy in 1990

BFC Dynamo was a very special club within the SV Dynamo sports group. It was located in Berlin, the capital of East Germany, which was important during the Cold War. This meant the club received excellent resources. BFC Dynamo was seen as the favorite club of Erich Mielke, the head of SV Dynamo and the Stasi. With Mielke's support, BFC Dynamo got the best training facilities, equipment, coaches, and players.

East German soccer was generally set up to help the special soccer clubs (FCs). These clubs had access to talented players from specific areas. Dynamo Dresden was a top-performance center in its region, so it also had special access to players there. However, BFC Dynamo could get talented players from almost all parts of East Germany. They had a scouting network across the country, supported by many training centers of SV Dynamo. BFC Dynamo had the best resources in the league and a very strong team. They won ten league titles in a row, from 1979 to 1988. Dynamo Dresden was often the team most affected by BFC Dynamo's success, finishing second six times.

However, Dynamo Dresden also had its own supporters in high places. According to Hans-Jürgen Dörner, three local politicians helped the club stay at the top. One was Hans Modrow, a long-time political leader in Dresden. Another was Manfred Scheler [de], who used his connections to help players get things they needed, like cars or apartments. A third was Lieutenant general Willi Nyffenegger [de], the head of the local police. The club also received support from Stasi Major general Horst Böhm [de]. Böhm was involved in hiring and firing coaches and player contracts. He was also a supporter of the club. According to Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Horst Böhm put local pride first in the rivalry with BFC Dynamo. The rivalry between fans of the two Dynamo clubs even spread to different units within the Stasi Guards Regiment.

Dynamo plays against VfB Stuttgart in the semi-final of the 1988–89 UEFA Cup

Walter Fritzsch retired in 1978. He was followed by coaches like Gerhard Prautzsch, Klaus Sammer, Eduard Geyer, and Reinhard Häfner. The great players of the 1970s were replaced by new talents, including Torsten Gütschow, Ulf Kirsten, Matthias Sammer, and Andreas Trautmann. However, the club lost three important players in 1981: Gerd Weber, Peter Kotte, and Matthias Müller. These players faced difficulties and were banned from the DDR-Oberliga. Weber was sentenced to two years in prison. Kotte and Müller, who had decided to stay in Dresden, were still punished for knowing about Weber's plans. Former political leader Hans Modrow thought the actions against the three were "probably cautious overall," considering what happened to other East German citizens in similar situations. After all, the three were also members of the armed forces with ranks. Dynamo Dresden won the FDGB-Pokal three times (1982, 1984, 1985).

In the 1980s, the club continued to play regularly in European soccer, usually getting good results. In the 1985–86 Cup Winners' Cup, they had a surprising loss against Bayer Uerdingen from West Germany. Dynamo had won the first game 2–0 and was leading 3–1 at halftime in the second game. But their goalkeeper Bernd Jakubowski was injured. A new goalkeeper, Jens Ramme, came in and let in six goals, leading to a 7–3 loss. Also, during this match, striker Frank Lippmann used the opportunity to leave for West Germany. Dynamo had its best European performance in the 1988–89 UEFA Cup. They beat AS Roma before losing in the semi-finals to VfB Stuttgart. Their last European season was the 1990–91 European Cup. This ended in a loss to the eventual winners, Red Star Belgrade. Dynamo fans caused trouble at the second game, which led to the club being banned from European competitions for the next season.

The head of the Volkspolizei in Dresden was also the head of the local SV Dynamo branch. The Volkspolizei was the official supporter of Dynamo Dresden. Players were formally employees of the Volkspolizei. Many players then did their military service with the Stasi Guards Regiment and became formal employees of the Stasi. Some players were also listed as unofficial helpers for the Stasi.

West German chancellor Helmut Kohl privately attended a match between Dynamo Dresden and FC Carl Zeiss Jena on May 28, 1988. This was during a private trip to East Germany. Dynamo Dresden ended BFC Dynamo's ten-year winning streak and won the league title in the 1988–89 season. They celebrated the title after a 5–0 win against 1. FC Union Berlin in front of 27,000 fans on June 3, 1989. Dynamo Dresden also won the league title in the 1989–90 season. They also won a cup, completing a double (winning both the league and cup). The Berlin Wall opened on November 9, 1989. The Stasi then lost its control over soccer in the middle of the season. BFC Dynamo was in fourth place at halftime of the season and finished the 1989–90 season in fourth place. With the fall of the Berlin Wall, many top players in East Germany moved to West German clubs. Dynamo Dresden lost two key players in the summer of 1990: Ulf Kirsten and Matthias Sammer. They joined Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart respectively. As German reunification was happening, many clubs in East Germany changed their names to remove their Soviet connections. Dynamo Dresden changed from SG to the more traditional 1. FC. The DDR-Oberliga also changed its name for its final season to the NOFV-Oberliga. This league decided which spots East German clubs would get in the unified German league. Dynamo Dresden finished second, behind Hansa Rostock, which allowed them to qualify for the Bundesliga.

Bundesliga Years (1991–1995)

Matthias Maucksch played 118 Bundesliga games for Dynamo, more than any other player. He was also a manager for the club from 2009 to 2011.

Dynamo had been a top club in East Germany, but playing in the Bundesliga was much harder. They faced financial difficulties and struggled on the field. They spent four years in this league, constantly fighting to avoid being moved down. Their highest finish was 13th in 1993–94. But the next year, they were moved down, finishing in last place. They had three different managers during that season. On top of this, the club had large debts. They were not allowed to play in the 2. Bundesliga and had to drop to the third-tier league, the Regionalliga Nordost. The club's president faced legal trouble due to financial issues.

Many of the star players from the 1980s had moved to West Germany. But some stayed for Dynamo's time in the Bundesliga, including Torsten Gütschow and Hans-Uwe Pilz. The club also attracted players from other Eastern clubs, such as Olaf Marschall and Heiko Scholz. The fall of the Berlin Wall also brought Dynamo's first international players. The club had players from Australia (Mark Schwarzer), Poland (Piotr Nowak), Russia (Stanislav Cherchesov), and Sweden, among others.

Ups and Downs (1995–2006)

Dynamo tried to rebuild in the Regionalliga. They again looked to former players to manage the team, including Hans-Jürgen Kreische and Hartmut Schade. However, they did not seriously challenge for promotion. In 1998, they finished second but were far behind the champions. The 1999–2000 season brought changes to the Regionalliga. The four leagues were to be reduced to two. Dynamo needed to finish in the top 7 to avoid being moved down. They had finished 11th the season before. They hired Colin Bell, an English coach. But he left in March 2000 after poor results. Cor Pot, a Dutchman, took over. He improved the team, but it was too late. They finished eighth and were moved down to the fourth-tier Oberliga Nordost-Süd. At this point, Dynamo was not even the best team in Dresden. Dresdner SC had returned after reunification and finished second in the Regionalliga Nordost in 2000.

Volker Oppitz was a key player in Dynamo's journey from the Oberliga to the 2. Bundesliga

There was hope after how the last season ended, and the slogan "Wir kommen wieder" (we're coming back) was used. However, the Oberliga was now very competitive. Other strong teams had also been moved down. Dynamo could not play consistently enough to match their main rivals for promotion. A 2–1 loss against Magdeburg in February ended their chances for promotion, and Pot resigned. Dynamo finished fifth. For the next season, Christoph Franke became manager. He led the club to promotion. They won the league with only two losses and beat Hertha BSC's reserve team in a playoff to earn their spot in the Regionalliga Nord. Dynamo's youth system was very successful during this time. Players like Lars Jungnickel and Maik Wagefeld went on to play at higher levels.

Dynamo finished a good 7th in their first season back in the third tier. They followed that with another promotion in 2003–04, finishing second. Life in the 2. Bundesliga started well, with a 3–1 win against MSV Duisburg. But by the middle of their first season, they were facing being moved down, with only 18 points. They recovered strongly in the second half of the season and finished in 8th place. This was partly thanks to new players like Ansgar Brinkmann and Klemen Lavric. The 2005–06 season started similarly. Dynamo climbed to third place with a 2–1 win over 1860 Munich. But this was followed by thirteen games without a win, leading to Christoph Franke being dismissed. Austrian manager Peter Pacult was brought in, and results improved for a while. But Dynamo still could not avoid being moved down, finishing 15th.

Staying Strong (2006–Present)

Dynamo was back in the Regionalliga with the goal of immediate promotion. Despite a good start, Peter Pacult left the club after six games to manage his former club, Rapid Vienna. Norbert Meier replaced him, but Dynamo could not keep up their promotion effort and finished seventh. This was partly due to poor results in away games. Another reorganization of the league structure was coming. Dynamo knew they had to finish in the top 10 to qualify for the new national 3. Liga. Several former star players returned, including Lars Jungnickel and Marek Penksa. But results were not consistent, and Meier was fired. Former coach Eduard Geyer replaced him. Dynamo secured qualification on the last day, finishing eighth. But Geyer was dismissed due to disagreements with the board. In 2007, the club went back to its original name, SG Dynamo Dresden.

The club hired Ruud Kaiser, a Dutchman known for his work with youth teams. They played in the very first match of the 3. Liga, beating Rot-Weiß Erfurt 1–0. But results were not consistent, and they finished in the middle of the table. The 2009–10 season started poorly. With Dynamo in danger of being moved down, Kaiser was fired. Matthias Maucksch, a former player who had success with the reserve team, replaced him. Maucksch helped the team move away from the relegation zone and finished the season in 12th place. Maucksch led the team to compete for a playoff spot during the 2010–11 season. But he was fired in April after five games without a win. Ralf Loose replaced him. Loose finished the season without a loss and secured third place. This led to a playoff against VfL Osnabrück. Dynamo won 4–2 on total score to earn promotion to the 2. Bundesliga.

Dynamo Dresden played well in their first season back in the league. They stayed in the middle of the standings and were never in danger of being moved down. After a memorable 4–3 victory against Bayer Leverkusen in the first round of the 2011–12 DFB-Pokal season, Dynamo faced issues. They were initially excluded from the 2012/2013 DFB-Pokal due to fan behavior during a match against Borussia Dortmund. The punishment was later changed to one game without fans and one away game without their own fan support. The club sold "virtual tickets" to reduce financial losses, which was said to be the first sold-out "ghost game" in history. The 2012–13 season started poorly for Dynamo. Ralf Loose was fired in December 2012 after a 3–0 loss to VfL Bochum. The team was in 15th place. Peter Pacult returned to the club after more than six years. Dynamo's performance improved after Pacult arrived, but the team still finished 16th. Because of this, Dynamo had to play in relegation play-offs again after only two seasons. They met VfL Osnabrück once more, but this time their roles were reversed. Dynamo won 2–1 on total score and stayed in the second tier for the 2013–14 season. Pacult was fired in August 2013 after a poor start and replaced with Olaf Janßen. Jansen could not save the club from being moved down to the 3. Liga. They lost 3–2 at home to Arminia Bielefeld, which put them in 17th place. This result ultimately cost Jansen his job. Dynamo had tied half of their matches, winning only five all season.

Under their new coach Stefan Böger, the club completely changed its team. Their goal was to return to the 2. Bundesliga as soon as possible. In August 2014, the team defeated FC Schalke 04 in the first round of the DFB-Pokal, winning 2–1. The team advanced to the third round after beating VfL Bochum 2–1, but they were eventually knocked out by Borussia Dortmund. Böger was fired in February 2015, and assistant coach Peter Németh took over for the rest of the season. The team finished 6th in the 2014–15 season. Under new manager Uwe Neuhaus, Dynamo had a very successful season. They officially returned to the second-level league after a 2–2 tie in an away match against FC Magdeburg on April 16, 2016.

Season by Season Record

SV Dynamo and the Club

When the club was first formed as SG Volkspolizei, it was supported by the East German police force. In 1953, when they became Dynamo Dresden, they were part of the SV Dynamo. This was the sports organization for the security agencies. Dynamo was the most powerful of all the sports groups, and this gave the club certain advantages. While many clubs connected to former security services have struggled with their image, Dynamo Dresden remains popular and well-supported. The club has come to represent its home city.

Stadium

Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion

Dynamo plays at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. This stadium opened in 1923 and was also originally named after local athlete Rudolf Harbig. The East German authorities renamed the stadium Dynamo-Stadion in 1971. But it went back to its former name after Germany was reunified. The stadium originally held 24,000 spectators. It was rebuilt in the early 1990s to meet new soccer rules. It was also thoroughly modernized between June 2007 and December 2009. The modernized stadium opened on September 15, 2009, with a friendly match against Schalke 04. It now holds 32,066 spectators.

Supporters

The K-Block terrace of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion

Dynamo was one of East Germany's most supported clubs. They regularly had crowds of about 25,000 fans during their most successful period. Since reunification, attendance has changed with the team's performance. They were still one of the most supported teams in the lower leagues, with an average of about 10,000–15,000 fans in the 3. Liga. After their promotion in 2011 to the 2nd League, they were again drawing crowds of 25,000. The average attendance for the 2013–14 season reached 27,004. Dynamo's supporters have very close ties with FK Sarajevo fans. In December 2020, Dynamo fans bought 72,000 tickets for a cup match at home against Darmstadt. This was even though the game was played in an empty stadium, showing support for the club during a difficult time.

Relationships with Other Clubs

The two Dynamos meet in 1988: Andreas Thom of Berlin (left) and Andreas Trautmann of Dresden (right).

Dynamo Dresden has a difficult relationship with BFC Dynamo. BFC Dynamo took over Dynamo Dresden's first team and their spot in the DDR-Oberliga in 1954. BFC Dynamo was their main challenge to success in the 1980s. However, the two clubs rarely play each other these days. 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig was traditionally Dynamo's main rival for dominance in Saxony. This rivalry also extends to other clubs, including Chemnitzer FC, Erzgebirge Aue, and more recently, RB Leipzig. Although these clubs have very different financial situations and have not played in the same division often, their only official match was in the 2016–17 DFB-Pokal season. Dresden won that tough game.

Dynamo's most notable rival in their home city is Dresdner SC. However, they are usually in different leagues, with Dresdner SC playing in local soccer leagues. Another club, SC Borea Dresden, was formed from SG Dynamo Dresden-Heide, which used to be a club that developed players for Dynamo. But there is no longer an official connection between them.

Colors and Crest

Crest of Dynamo Dresden from 1990 - 2002

When the club was formed as SG Volkspolizei Dresden, they wore green and white. These were the colors of the former region of Saxony and also the colors of the Volkspolizei. When the team became part of SV Dynamo, they started using the sports group's wine red color scheme. In 1968, the club was named a regional center for top performance in Dresden. They then adopted their current colors of yellow and black, which are the city colors of Dresden.

The club's first crest was based on the shield of the Volkspolizei, with whom they were connected. In 1953, they adopted the "D" logo of SV Dynamo. This logo was kept until Germany became one country again. At that time, its wine red background was changed to Saxon green. They returned to the red background in the early 2000s.

Players

Current Squad

No. Position Player 1 GK Tim Schreiber 2 DF Park Kyu-hyun 4 DF Dennis Duah 5 MF Vinko Šapina 6 MF Tom Berger 7 MF Oliver Batista Meier 10 FW Jakob Lemmer 14 DF Paul Lehmann 15 DF Claudio Kammerknecht 16 DF Philip Heise 17 MF Aljaž Casar 21 FW Robin Meißner 23 DF Lars Bünning

No. Position Player 24 FW Tony Menzel 25 MF Jonas Oehmichen 26 DF Jan-Hendrik Marx 27 MF Niklas Hauptmann 28 DF Sascha Risch 29 DF Lukas Boeder 30 FW Stefan Kutschke (captain) 31 GK Phillip Böhm 32 MF Jonas Sterner (on loan from Holstein Kiel) 33 FW Christoph Daferner (on loan from Nürnberg) 37 GK Daniel Mesenhöler 39 DF David Kubatta

Dynamo Dresden II (Reserve Team)

The club's reserve team, Dynamo Dresden II, played until 2015 in the fifth-tier NOFV-Oberliga Süd. They had been at this level since 2009, with their best result being fourth place in 2012. In March 2015, the club announced that it would remove the reserve team from league competition. Instead, they would play in a friendly competition with the reserve teams of other clubs. This competition, called the Future League, was meant to be more organized. However, it mostly led to a series of friendly matches between amateur teams. The idea seems to have been largely given up by the clubs involved.

The team also lost in the 1995 Saxony Cup final but won the competition in 2009.

Coaching History

Dynamo had its greatest successes under Walter Fritzsch. He led the team to win the first division DDR-Oberliga title in 1971, 1973, 1976, 1977, and 1978. They also finished as second-place champions four times. The team also won the East German Cup (FDGB Pokal) in 1971 and 1977.

Famous Former Players

Frank Lieberam, Ralf Minge, Jörg Stübner and Andreas Trautmann celebrate the title in 1989

Dynamo Dresden was one of the top clubs in East Germany. They provided 36 players for the East German national team. This includes Hans-Jürgen Dörner, who played the second most games for the country, and Hans-Jürgen Kreische, who was tied for second top scorer. Twelve Dynamo players won Olympic medals, including six gold medalists in 1976. After German reunification, several Dynamo players went on to play for the German national team. These include Jens Jeremies, Ulf Kirsten, Olaf Marschall, and Alexander Zickler.

Five Dynamo Dresden players were named East German Footballer of the Year: Hans-Jürgen Dörner, Hans-Jürgen Kreische, Andreas Trautmann, Ulf Kirsten, and Torsten Gütschow. Dörner won the award three times. Kreische and Gütschow were the top scorers in the DDR-Oberliga seven times between them.

Perhaps the most famous Dynamo Dresden player is Matthias Sammer. He played for the club from 1985 to 1990. During that time, he played 23 games for East Germany. He later played 51 games for Germany, winning the European Championship in 1996. At the club level, he played for VfB Stuttgart, Internazionale, and Borussia Dortmund. With Borussia Dortmund, he won two German titles, the UEFA Champions League, and the Intercontinental Cup. He was named European Footballer of the Year in 1996.

Honors and Achievements

Domestic Titles

• DDR-Oberliga (East German Top League)
  • Champions: 1952–53, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1988–89, 1989–90
  • Second Place: 1951–52, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1981–82 1983–84, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1990–91
• FDGB-Pokal (East German Cup)
  • Winners: 1952, 1970–71, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1989–90 (record, shared with 1. FC Magdeburg)
  • Runners-up: 1971–72, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78
• DFV-Supercup (East German Supercup)
  • Runners-up: 1989
• Deutschland Cup
  • Winners: 1990
• 3. Liga (German Third League)
  • Champions: 2015–16, 2020–21
  • Play-off winners: 2010–11

Regional Titles

• Regionalliga Nord (III)
  • Runners-up: 2003–04 (promoted)
• NOFV-Oberliga (IV)
  • Winners: 2002
• Sachsenliga (VI)
  • Winners: 2009
• Saxony Cup (III–VI)
  • Winners: 2003, 2007, 2009, 2024

Youth Titles

• Next Generation Oberliga
  • Winners: 1979, 1983
  • Runners-up: 1977
• East German Junior Championship
  • Champions: 1962, 1972, 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988 (record)
  • Runners-up: 1975, 1983, 1984, 1987
• East German Youth Championship
  • Champions: 1983, 1988, 1989
  • Runners-up: 1982, 1990
• East German Junior Cup (Junge Welt-Pokal)
  • Winners: 1976, 1985, 1986, 1987 (record, shared with 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig)
• East German Youth Cup (Youth FDGB-Pokal)
  • Winners: 1973, 1989
• U17 NOFV Cup
  • Winners: 2003, 2017
  • Runners-up: 2006

Other Titles

• Indoor-Regio-Cup
  • Winners: 2007

European Titles

• UEFA Cup
  • Semi-finalists: 1988–89
• Intertoto Cup
  • Co-winners: 1993

Doubles

• DDR-Oberliga and FDGB-Pokal
  • Winners: 1970–71, 1976–77, 1989–90 (record)

In European Competitions

Season	Competition	Round	Nation	Club	Score
1967–68	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	1st round		Rangers	1–1, 1–2
1970–71	Inter-Cities Fairs Cup	1st round		Partizan	0–0, 6–0
		2nd round		Leeds United	0–1, 2–1
1971–72	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Ajax Amsterdam	0–2, 0–0
1972–73	UEFA Cup	1st round		VÖEST Linz	2–0, 2–2
		2nd round		Ruch Chorzów	1–0, 3–0
		Last 16		FC Porto	2–1, 1–0
		Quarter–finals		Liverpool	0–2, 0–1
1973–74	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Juventus	2–0, 2–3
		Last 16		Bayern Munich	3–4, 3–3
1974–75	UEFA Cup	1st round		Randers Freja	1–1, 0–0
		2nd round		Dynamo Moscow	1–0, 0–1 (4–3 a.p.)
		Last 16		Hamburger SV	1–4, 2–2
1975–76	UEFA Cup	1st round		ASA Târgu Mureș	2–2, 4–1
		2nd round		Budapest Honvéd	2–2, 3–0
		Last 16		Torpedo Moscow	3–0, 1–1
		Quarter–finals		Liverpool	0–0, 1–2
1976–77	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Benfica	2–0, 0–0
		Last 16		Ferencváros	0–1, 4–0
		Quarter–finals		Zürich	1–2, 3–2
1977–78	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Halmstads BK	2–0, 1–2
		Last 16		Liverpool	1–5, 2–1
1978–79	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Partizan	0–2, 2–0 (5–4 a.p.)
		Last 16		Bohemian	0–0, 6–0
		Quarter–finals		Austria Wien	1–3, 1–0
1979–80	UEFA Cup	1st round		Atlético Madrid	2–1, 3–0
		2nd round		VfB Stuttgart	1–1, 0–0
1980–81	UEFA Cup	1st round		Napredak Kruševac	1–0, 1–0
		2nd round		Twente	1–1, 0–0
		Last 16		Standard Liège	1–1, 1–4
1981–82	UEFA Cup	1st round		Zenit Leningrad	2–1, 4–1
		2nd round		Feyenoord	1–2, 1–1
1982–83	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1st round		B93 Kopenhagen	3–2, 1–2
1984–85	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1st round		Malmö FF	0–2, 4–1
		Last 16		Metz	3–1, 0–0
		Quarter–finals		Rapid Wien	3–0, 0–5
1985–86	UEFA Cup Winners' Cup	1st round		Cercle Brugge	2–3, 2–1
		Last 16		HJK Helsinki	0–1, 7–2
		Quarter–finals		Bayer Uerdingen	2–0, 3–7
1987–88	UEFA Cup	1st round		Spartak Moscow	0–3, 1–0
1988–89	UEFA Cup	1st round		Aberdeen	0–0, 2–0
		2nd round		Waregem	4–1, 1–2
		Last 16		Roma	2–0, 2–0
		Quarter–finals		Victoria Bucuresti	1–1, 4–0
		Semi–finals		VfB Stuttgart	0–1, 1–1
1989–90	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		AEK Athens	1–0, 3–5
1990–91	European Champion Clubs' Cup	1st round		Union Luxembourg	3–1, 3–0
		Last 16		Malmö FF	1–1, 1–1 (5–4 a.p.)
		Quarter–finals		Red Star Belgrade	0–3, 0–3 (match abandoned)

European Record Summary

Images for kids

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  Exterior stadium view

See also

In Spanish: Dinamo Dresde para niños