immediately following the war the footballers played in the top regional amateur competition before advancing to the oberliga südwest-nord (i) in 1949 where they would remain until sent down after a next to last place finish in 1953. they re-appeared in the first division for a single season in 1955–56, spending most of the 50s and the early 60s in the 2. oberliga südwest (ii). in 1963, the bundesliga, germany's first professional national league, was formed and the country's football competitions were re-structured. engers failed to qualify to stay up in second division play and landed in the amateurliga rheinland (iii).