left to regroup in the second-tier DDR-Liga, taking over the place in the DDR-Liga, as well as points and goals, from dissolved SC DHFK Leipzig. Political factors and pressure from Erich Mielke were probably the main reasons behind the relocation of Dynamo Dresden to Berlin. The relocation was meant to provide the capital with a competitive team that could rival Hertha BSC, Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin and Tennis Borussia Berlin, which were still popular in East Berlin and drew football fans to West Berlin. Re-emergence (1954–1969) Dynamo Dresden were left with a team composed of youth and reserve players, and had dropped to the fourth tier by 1957, playing in the local Bezirksliga. Dynamo Dresden began to climb the divisions, though, and by 1962 they were back in the DDR-Oberliga, and although this first season ended in relegation, they bounced back immediately. They recovered equally well from another relegation in 1968, and remained in the Oberliga from 1969 until its dissolution in 1991. This relegation came after a fourth-place finish in 1967, which enabled Dynamo's first foray into European football – they entered the 1967–68 Fairs Cup, where they were eliminated by Scottish side Rangers in the first round. East German football was reorganized during the 1965–66 season. Ten football departments were separated from their sports clubs to create ten dedicated football clubs () (FC). The best talents in the country were meant to be concentrated in the new dedicated football cubs, with the object to bring stability to the game at the top level and to develop players for the national team. It had long been planned to merge Dynamo Dresden with the football department of sports club SC Einheit Dresden, in order concentrate the best footballer in the regional district in one club. This had been done in Leipzig. However, a tug of war developed between Erich Mielke and the SED First secretary in Bezirk Dresden Werner Krolikowski. Erich Mielke did not want to give up Dynamo Dresden, while Krolikowski advocated for the establishment of a civil football club. The stalemate continued for one and a half year. The football department of SC Einheit Dresden was reorganized as FSV Lokomotive Dresden on 12 January 1966. Dynamo Dresden was then declared a regional district center of excellence () in Bezirk Dresden by the district board of the DTSB on 5 August 1968. The club could now draw on the best