60 years of Bundesliga
Club-by-club historical guide: Hertha Berlin
A total of 58 clubs have had the honour of competing in the Bundesliga since its inception in 1963 - Hertha Berlin have been the biggest force from the German capital in the Bundesliga, welcoming teams for 40 seasons to their iconic Olympiastadion home.
bundesliga.com is taking you through all the teams to have graced Germany’s first division over the last 60+ years.
Hertha Berlin
Years in Bundesliga: 40 (1963-65, 1968-80, 1982/83, 1990/91, 1997-2010, 2011/12, 2013-2023)
Most appearances: Pal Dardai (286)
Most goals: Michael Preetz (84)
Youngest player: Lennart Hartmann (17 years, four months, 14 days)
No city has produced more Bundesliga clubs than Berlin, with Hertha the capital’s maiden representative in the inaugural season and also the longest serving by some considerable margin. The club itself is named after a steamboat that had recently been used by two of the founding members on the river Havel.
Watch: The founding of Hertha Berlin explained
They were champions in 1930 and 1931, founding Bundesliga members in 1963, but were relegated in 1965 despite finishing 14th due to financial irregularities. A consequence of that decision was that the league was expanded from 16 to 18 teams for the ensuing seasons. Die Alte Dame (Old Lady) have yo-yoed up and down the divisions over the years, being relegated seven times – most recently in the 2022/23 season – and coming up on six occasions, with their longest absence a seven-year stretch in the 1980s when they sank as low as the third tier.
Hertha introduced Berlin-born brothers Jerome and Kevin-Prince Boateng to the world of professional football. The club also holds a place in Bundesliga history with the division’s attendance record of 88,075, set when they hosted Cologne on 26 September 1969 at their Olympiastadion home – the stadium built to host the 1936 Summer Olympics, is the location of the DFB Cup final every year, hosted the 2015 UEFA Champions League final, the 2006 FIFA World Cup final and the final of UEFA Euro 2024. There are, however, ongoing discussions about the club moving into a smaller stadium, perhaps still in the city's Olympic park.