The DFL has expanded the Bundesliga championship trophy, the Meisterschale, to accommodate a growing list of title winners. A silversmith in Bremen replaced the existing outer ring with a larger one, ensuring the trophy can hold the names of the next 30 champions. FC Bayern will receive the updated version on May 16 following their home match against Köln.
The trophy’s physical specifications have changed
The updated Meisterschale now weighs over 11 kilograms and measures 56 cm in diameter. This expansion was necessary because the previous ring had run out of space for the engravings of German champions dating back to 1903. The new design maintains the historical record, including the 1922 double engraving for Nürnberg and HSV and the gap from the aborted 1904 championship.
The original trophy is a traveling award with an insurance value of 50,000 euros. Clubs that’ve won the title receive duplicates for their own trophy rooms. This specific iteration follows a pattern of periodic upgrades to the trophy’s capacity.
Previous modifications tracked the league’s growth
The DFL has enlarged the trophy three times since it was introduced in 1949. In the 1960s, officials increased the inner engraving plates from seven to ten lines. A more significant overhaul occurred in 1981, adding a silver ring and five gold-set gemstones worth approximately 9,000 euros. Hamburger SV became the first club to lift this enlarged version in 1982.
A third expansion took place in 2009. That update added five larger engraving plates to provide more space for champion names. These incremental changes show a consistent necessitate to scale the physical award as the league’s history expands.
The trophy replaced the Victoria statue
The Meisterschale isn’t the original symbol of German football success. It replaced the „Victoria“ statue, which went missing after World War II. The original statue now resides in the German Football Museum in Dortmund.
The DFL’s decision to expand the ring now suggests a long-term projection of league stability. By securing space for 30 more winners, the league avoids another major structural redesign for several decades. This move preserves the continuity of the trophy’s prestige while solving a practical space constraint.
When will the new trophy be presented?
FC Bayern will receive the new Meisterschale on the final matchday of the Bundesliga season, May 16, after their game against Köln.
How much is the original trophy worth?
The original traveling trophy has an insurance value of 50,000 euros.
