in the country. In the era that followed, the clubs from Western Germany saw a fast improvement in their performance, taking out twelve national championships until 1963. After the end of the Second World War, Germany remained divided until 1991 and the new Oberliga West, formed in 1947, covered most of the heartland of the old Western German championship, being considered the successor to the later. The region of northern Hesse became part of the new Oberliga Süd instead, while the southern parts of the Rhine province became part of the new state of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Oberliga Südwest. Western German football champions German champions in bold: 1 From 1950 onwards, München-Gladbach was spelled as Mönchengladbach. 2 From 1920 onwards, Cöln was spelled as Köln. 3 From 1926 onwards, Cassel was spelled Kassel. 4 Not an official championship. Winners and runners-up of the Oberliga West (1947–63) The Oberliga West, formed in 1947, is considered to be a continuation of the Western German football championship. It only included teams from the newly formed state of North Rhine-Westphalia and was disbanded with the introduction of the Fußball-Bundesliga in 1963. This event marked the end of the Western German football championship. Bold denotes team went on to win German championship. Further reading Stürmen für Deutschland: Die Geschichte des deutschen Fussballs von 1933, publisher: Campus Verlag References Sources Fussball-Jahrbuch Deutschland (8 vol.), Tables and results of the German tier-one leagues 1919–33, publisher: DSFS Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine External links The Gauligas Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv German league tables 1892-1933 Hirschi's Fussball seiten Germany - Championships 1902-1945 at RSSSF.com Defunct football competitions in Germany German football championship 1903 establishments in Germany 1933 disestablishments in Germany Football competitions in North Rhine-Westphalia Football competitions in Hesse