Few clubs in Germany have roots as deep as Hamburger SV. Its statutes give 29 September 1887 as the founding date, so on 29 September 2027 the "Dinosaur" turns 140 years old. It is a story of three clubs, a diamond, red shorts and an unforgettable night in Athens.

Three clubs, one HSV

The 1887 date belongs to Germania, a sports club formed by the union of two Hamburg athletics clubs. Football entered its life in 1891, when English expatriates living in the city joined. Germania became Hamburg's first champion in 1895 and was a founding member of the German football association.

On 1 June 1888 pupils of the Wilhelm-Gymnasium founded Hamburger FC, which in 1914 took the name Hamburger Sport-Verein, hence the familiar HSV. In June 1919, with the clubs weakened by the First World War, Germania, HSV and Falke 06 came together.

In the early 1930s the club wrote Germania's founding year into its statutes as a mark of respect. That is why Hamburg celebrates its birthday on 29 September today.

Why a white shirt and red shorts?

For the kit, the colours of the Hanseatic city were chosen: red and white. The statutes say it plainly: a white shirt with the badge, red shorts and blue socks.

That is where the nickname "Rothosen", the Red Shorts, comes from. The official club colours, however, are blue, white and black, a legacy of Germania.

The "Raute", a diamond from the sea

The badge is a diamond in blue, white and black, which Germans simply call the "Raute". It appeared on the shirts in August 1919, shortly after the clubs joined forces.

Who designed it is not certain, as sources name either Otto Sommer or Henry Lütjens. It is said to have been inspired by a symbol of Hamburg's merchant shipping, while the blue background is linked to the city's maritime tradition.

Sponsors and suppliers

The first shirt sponsor arrived in 1974 and it was Campari. It was followed by, among others, Hitachi, BP, Sharp, Emirates from 2006 to 2020 and HanseMerkur from 2022.

adidas dressed the team from 1978 to 1995, in its most glittering years, and returned in 2007. In between, the white shirt passed through the hands of companies such as Umbro, Puma and Nike.

Seeler, Keegan and the night in Athens

The club's great legend is Uwe Seeler, Hamburg's all-time top scorer. In 1964 he became the first top scorer in Bundesliga history, with 30 goals in 30 games, and later Kevin Keegan was named European Footballer of the Year while wearing the white shirt.

The golden era came from the mid-1970s: the Cup Winners' Cup in 1977 and three Bundesliga titles. The peak was 25 May 1983 at Athens' Olympic Stadium, when Felix Magath scored in the 8th minute and a 1-0 win over Juventus brought the European Cup. Alongside him shone Horst Hrubesch and Manfred Kaltz.

For 55 years Hamburg was the only founding Bundesliga club never to have been relegated, with a clock at the Volksparkstadion counting the time. The clock stopped with relegation in May 2018, but in 2025 the Dinosaur came back, and in 2025-26 it secured its place in the top flight.

Celebrate with us

Three clubs, a diamond from the sea and a pair of red shorts that became an identity. Happy 140th birthday, Hamburg, and may many more nights like that one in Athens follow!

See our collectible jerseys at sportarena.gr.

Photo: Hamburg's Volksparkstadion – Arne Müseler, Wikimedia Commons, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.