Sportbrüder Leipzig, founded on November 11, 1893, form one of the club tradition’s two early strands. The separately founded VfB Leipzig of 1896 merged with them on July 1, 1898.
Historical club names of VfB Leipzig
- 1893–1897Sportbrüder LeipzigOfficial name: Radfahr- und Athletikverein Sportbrüder Leipzig
- 1898–1899VfB-Sportbrüder LeipzigOfficial name: VfB Sportbrüder 1893 Leipzig
The merger of Sportbrüder with the VfB founded in 1896 created VfB-Sportbrüder Leipzig on July 1, 1898. The club played under this name until it was shortened in 1900.
- 1900–1945VfB LeipzigOfficial name: Verein für Bewegungsspiele Leipzig
From 1900 the club competed as VfB Leipzig. It was a founding member of the DFB and became the first German football champion in 1903; further championships followed in 1906 and 1913, as did the 1936 Tschammerpokal. After the Second World War the club was dissolved, like all traditional clubs in the Soviet occupation zone.
- 1991–2004VfB LeipzigOfficial name: Verein für Bewegungsspiele Leipzig e.V.
On July 1, 1991, the former 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig adopted the name VfB Leipzig. The club won promotion to the Bundesliga in 1993. Football operations ended after insolvency in 2004; the remaining legal entity was merged into today’s 1. FC Lokomotive Leipzig in 2021.