The history of Arminia Bielefeld
Milestones and background from the club's history, in chronological order.
More milestones and background for each event.
Categories
Competitions
Nicknames through the years Three names tell a story of near misses, late goals and an unbeaten season. Read the storiesClose the stories
Foundation, predecessors and responsibility
Exclusion and responsibility
Arminia participated in the Nazi exclusion of Jewish members.
Former chairman Julius Hesse was among the club members later murdered. The club’s present-day remembrance work explicitly examines its responsibility.
Returns and setbacks
Back in professional football
A 4–0 win at Borussia Neunkirchen secured Arminia’s return to the 2. Bundesliga.
Ernst Middendorp’s team ended seven years outside the top two divisions.
Cup surprises and new beginnings
Schwolow saves the semi-final dream
Arminia Bielefeld1:1a.e.t. · 5:4 on pens
Borussia MönchengladbachLocation: Bielefeld Stadium: SchücoArenaAfter 120 minutes ended 1–1, the third-division side beat Borussia Mönchengladbach 5–4 on penalties.
Alexander Schwolow saved the final attempt to send Arminia into the DFB-Pokal semi-finals.
Six goals against a promotion contender
Fighting relegation, Arminia stunned promotion contenders Eintracht Braunschweig with a 6–0 win.
Carsten Rump’s emotional dressing-room address and the performance that followed became symbols of Bielefeld’s resilience. Survival was not yet mathematically secured.
The road to Berlin and a hundred years of the Alm
Fabian Klos bows out with a cup
Arminia won the Westphalia Cup final against Verl 3–1.
After 13 years, it was Fabian Klos’s last competitive appearance for the club. The victory also earned entry to the DFB-Pokal campaign that would become so remarkable.
