Bayern Munich History: Café Gisela, Three in a Row and 35 Titles
Bayern Munich are now the most successful club in German football by a distance — thirty-five championships and six European Cups. They were founded in a café, and they weren't even invited to the first Bundesliga. The climb from being left out of the new league to dominating it for half a century is the whole story of this club.
Café Gisela, 1900
FC Bayern was founded on 27 February 1900 at Café Gisela in Munich, by a group of footballers led by the club's first president, Franz John. It's a pleasant origin — a handful of players who'd fallen out with their existing club, meeting in a coffee house to start their own.
The name has stayed essentially the same since. Unlike plenty of clubs on this list, Bayern didn't need rescuing, renaming or relocating to become what they are.
Left out of the Bundesliga
When the Bundesliga was formed in 1963, Bayern Munich weren't in it. The new league took one club from Munich — 1860 München — and left Bayern in the regional second tier. It's almost absurd to read now, given that Bayern went on to win more Bundesliga titles than everyone else combined.
They were promoted for the 1964–65 season, and the domestic dominance that followed is one of the longer unbroken runs in world club sport.
The honours
| Competition | Titles |
|---|---|
| German championships | 35 — 34 Bundesliga-era titles plus the 1932 pre-Bundesliga title |
| European Cup / Champions League | 6 |
| DFB-Pokal | 21 |
| German League Cup | 6 |
Thirty-five championships is the number that makes other league tables look like a different sport. Worth noting the split though: thirty-four came in the Bundesliga era, and one — 1932 — came before it existed.
The generations
Maier, Beckenbauer, Müller
The trio that made Bayern a European force. They came through around the 1964–65 promotion and powered the club to domestic and continental success, including the European Cup three-peat of 1974, 1975 and 1976. Winning it three times running is the sort of achievement that has only been done a handful of times in the competition's history.
Robben and Ribéry
The two wingers who defined a decade of Bayern football, and who delivered the club's most dramatic European night — see below.
Wembley, 2013
On 25 May 2013 Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the Champions League final at Wembley, with Arjen Robben scoring a late winner. Two players who'd spent years being described as injury-prone and inconsistent decided the biggest match of the season against their own league rivals, in another country, in the closing minutes. It's the defining image of that Bayern generation.
Kurt Landauer
Bayern's history isn't only trophies. Kurt Landauer, the club's Jewish president, was forced to resign on 22 March 1933 under Nazi rule. He was imprisoned at Dachau in November 1938 and released after thirty-three days, then emigrated to Switzerland in 1939. Landauer had already served three terms as president, and the club he left was the one that later became Germany's most decorated.
It's worth stating plainly, because a club's record of honours tells you nothing on its own about what it was like to belong to it in the 1930s.
The Allianz Arena
Bayern have played at the Allianz Arena since 2005, having opened it with a 4–2 win against Germany on 31 May that year. The operator's figure for domestic matches is 75,024 — and the exterior lighting, which turns the whole building red for Bayern matches, is one of the better arrivals in a football ground you'll ever make.
Where things stand
The club's official honours list now includes the 2024–25 and 2025–26 German championships and the 2026 DFB-Pokal. The most recent trophy we could verify is the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup, won 2–1 against Dortmund on 22 August 2026 — a super cup rather than a major, so we've labelled it as such.
Seeing Bayern play
Munich is an easy city to build a weekend around, and the arena is a genuine occasion. Availability and prices depend on what's released for the fixture, so we quote rather than promise. See what we arrange on our Bayern Munich page, or send us your group size and preferred date through our contact page.
Frequently asked questions
When and where was Bayern Munich founded?
On 27 February 1900 at Café Gisela in Munich, by a group led by first president Franz John.
How many German championships has Bayern won?
Thirty-five: thirty-four Bundesliga-era titles plus the 1932 championship from before the Bundesliga existed.
How many European Cups has Bayern won?
Six, including three in a row from 1974 to 1976.
Why weren't Bayern in the first Bundesliga?
The new league in 1963 took one club from Munich — 1860 München — and left Bayern in the regional second tier. They were promoted for 1964–65.
Who is Kurt Landauer?
Bayern's Jewish president, forced to resign in March 1933 under Nazi rule, imprisoned at Dachau in November 1938, released after thirty-three days and emigrated to Switzerland in 1939.
Sources and further reading
All tickets, accommodation and activities are subject to availability and confirmation in your written quote. We don't arrange flights.