from 1903 to 1944, teams played for the "viktoria" (victoria championship trophy). in 1908, a cup competition named "kronprinzenpokal" for the regional representative xis was started, the trophy having been donated by crown prince wilhelm of prussia. the viktoria was originally intended to be awarded, on an annual alternating basis, to the championship teams of the dfb and the nation's rugby union teams; however, football became the more dominant sport, the rugby clubs left the federation and the trophy stayed with the dfb. championship play skipped a year in 1904, was interrupted by world war i between 1914 and 1918, and again at the end of world war ii between 1944 and 1946.