VfL Bochum 1848
In 1938 three clubs from the city merged to become VfL Bochum 1848. The year in the new name refers to the oldest of the three founding clubs.
Bochum were first promoted to the 1. Bundesliga in 1971 and in the following years they became known as the "Unabsteigbaren" (the "not-relegatables"). They remained in the Bundesliga for 22 consecutive years, despite only finishing in the top half 5 times in that period.