TheMeisterschale ("champions' bowl"), colloquially referred to as theSalatschüssel (salad bowl), is a Germanassociation football trophy which has been awarded to theGerman champions since1949 and theBundesliga champions since1963–64. It replaced theViktoria, which was the original trophy since1903 but which disappeared during the final stages of theSecond World War only to resurface after theGerman reunification.[1][2]
The trophy has all German champions since 1903 engraved on it and has had to be enlarged twice, in 1981 and 2009. At its current size, there is enough space for all champions until 2027.[3]
A number of copies of the trophy exist because, in the 1980s, theGerman Football Association (DFB) allowed clubs with multiple championships to create a slightly smaller replica for their trophy cabinets. These copies are now used when more than one club can still win the championship in the last round. The original trophy will then generally be sent to the Bundesliga leader at the time and, should another club win the league, a replica will be awarded until the original can be obtained.[4]
In the2008–09 2. Bundesliga season, a hubcap-shaped shield, colloquially (and often derogatorily) calledMeisterfelge (Champions' hubcap) or evenRadkappe ("wheel cover"), was introduced similar to the original BundesligaMeisterschale.[5]
