The Berlin Adler ( en, Berlin Eagles) is an

American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...

club based in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitue ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The club is one of the most successful clubs in the sport in Germany, having won six

German Bowl The German Bowl is the annual national championship game in the sport of American football in Germany. It is contested by the two best teams of the German Football League. The New Yorker Lions, from Braunschweig, are the record winners of the Ger ...

s as well as a ten ''Ladies Bowls'' and five ''Junior Bowls''. Internationally, the club has participated in the

European Football League The European Football League (EFL) established in 1986, was a tournament for the best European American football teams affiliated to IFAF (International Federation of American Football - Europe), which replaced the European Federation of American ...

(EFL) on a number of occasions and has won the

Eurobowl The Eurobowl was the championship final game of a tournament style playoff to determine the champion of all of the American football leagues in Europe. The tournament featured the top or champion clubs from each countries top league that was cal ...

in 2010 and 2014. As of 2015, the club is second only to the

Munich Cowboys The Munich Cowboys are an American football team based in Munich, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Ansbach Grizzlies, is one of the oldest in Germany.

(405) in

German Football League The German Football League (GFL) is an American football league in Germany and was formed in 1979. Playing rules are based on those of the American National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA. In 1999, the league switched its name from ''Ameri ...

(GFL) games played, with 378, one of only three teams with more than 300 league games. The Cowboys have played 35 out of a possible 38 seasons at the highest level of the game in Germany, the Adler four less, 31.

History

Foundation years

The club was formed as the second American football club in Berlin on 12 February 1979, then under the name of Berliner Bären ( en, Berlin Bears). Shortly after its formation, the club was joined by the Berlin Bats, increasing the number of club members substantially. In the early days, all training was carried out on the facilities of the

US Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

and supervised by US soldiers stationed in Berlin.History: 1979-1982
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 In

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, the Bears became a founding member of the ''American Football Bundesliga'', renamed the

in 1999, together with the

Frankfurter Löwen The Frankfurter Löwen ( en, Frankfurt Lions) were an American football team from Frankfurt, Germany. The ''Löwen'' were the first American football club to be formed in Germany.Düsseldorf Panther The Düsseldorf Panther are an American football team from Düsseldorf, Germany. The club is the oldest extant American football club in Europe, having been formed on 1 May 1978.Ansbach Grizzlies The Ansbach Grizzlies are an American football team based in Ansbach, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Munich Cowboys, is one of the oldest in Germany. The Grizzlies were a dominating force in the game during the fir ...

Munich Cowboys The Munich Cowboys are an American football team based in Munich, Germany. The club, together with the Düsseldorf Panther and the Ansbach Grizzlies, is one of the oldest in Germany.

und Bremerhaven Seahawks. The Bears came third in their first season in competitive football, but was unable to make the play-off in its first four seasons. To improve on-the-field performance, the team decided to join established club

BSC Wilmersdorf A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Science was the University of ...

in 1981, changing its club colors and name, becoming the Berlin Adler.

First success

The Adler began to improve in 1983, qualifying for the play-offs for the first time. A youth department was formed and the team changed mother-clubs, now joining BSC Rehberge, to gain a permanent home ground. The Adler moved into the ''Radrennstadion Schöneberg'' in 1986 as their home ground and earned their first German title the following year. After remaining unbeaten all season in 1987, the team defeated the

Badener Greifs The Badener Greifs ( en, Baden Griffins) are an American football club from Karlsruhe, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 1987, when it reached the German Bowl but lost to the Berlin Adler.

in the German Bowl, held in front of a sell-out crowd of 14,800 at Mommsenstadion in Berlin.History: 1983-1989
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 The team's first entry in the EFL in 1988 ended in the semi finals, losing narrowly to the

Amsterdam Crusaders The Amsterdam Crusaders are an American Football club from Amsterdam, Netherlands. Together with the Rotterdam Trojans and Alphen Eagles, Amsterdam Crusaders are the oldest surviving Dutch American Football club. Beginnings The Crusaders starte ...

but, in 1989, the club returned to success, winning its second German Bowl, again undefeated all season, against the

Red Barons Cologne The Red Barons Cologne were an American football team from Cologne, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 1988, when it won its sole German Bowl, followed by a losing appearance in the game in 1989. In 1991, the club disappeared from the G ...

Dominance

The Adler became a dominating team in Germany, achieving a 966-day unbeaten run, which only came to a halt in a league game against the

Cologne Crocodiles The Cologne Crocodiles are an American football team from Cologne, Germany. The club's greatest success came in 2000, when it won the German Bowl for the first and, so far, only time. Prior to this, the club had made five losing appearances in t ...

in 1991. Before and after, the Adler defeated the Crocodiles in the German Bowl in 1990 and 1991. In European competition, the club reached the semi finals in 1990 and the final in 1991, once more losing to the Amsterdam Crusaders.History: 1990-1997
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 After three titles in series from 1989 to 1991, the Adler declined somewhat but remained a strong side, still reaching the semi finals in each of the following four seasons. In 1994, the club made its fifth German Bowl appearance, but lost for the first time, against the Düsseldorf Panther. In 1995, the club still had a strong season, but declined markedly after that.

Decline

The 1996 season saw the Adler in the unfamiliar position of having to combat relegation and being troubled by financial problems. It came sixth and last in its division and had to take part in the relegation round. The team assured survival there in two games against local rival

Berlin Rebels The Berlin Rebels are an American football team from Berlin, Germany. The team is playing in the German Football League, the highest level of American football in Germany. In the most recent seasons the Rebels managed to qualify for the play-offs ...

. The following season proved worse however, the Adler could not win a league game all season, had to play in the relegation round once more and, after winning the first game against the

Paderborn Dolphins The Paderborn Dolphins are an American football team from Paderborn, Germany. The club's greatest success has been promotion, in 1997, to the American football Bundesliga, now the German Football League, where it played for two seasons until 1999 ...

, lost the second and were relegated to the ''2nd Bundesliga''.

Recovery

The club spent the next four seasons at the second level of German football, slowly rebuilding. It moved from its old ground to the

Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark The Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark is a multi-purpose sports complex located in the western part of the locality of Prenzlauer Berg in the borough of Pankow in Berlin. The sports complex covers an area of approximately 22 hectares and comprises ...

and, in 2001, managed to win its division, entitling the team to take part in the promotion round. After playing and losing to the

Kiel Baltic Hurricanes The Kiel Baltic Hurricanes are an American football team based in Kiel, Germany. The club has been, of recent, a strong force in the sport in Germany, playing in five consecutive German Bowls from 2008 to 2012, losing the first two, winning the t ...

, promotion was seemingly missed, but the withdrawal of the Düsseldorf Panther from the GFL opened up a spot in the league for the Adler and the team was back at the highest level for 2002.History: 1998-2001
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 Berlin, in the meantime, had acquired an

NFL Europe NFL Europe League (simply called NFL Europe and known in its final season as NFL Europa League) was a professional American football league that functioned as the developmental minor league of the National Football League (NFL). Originally f ...

team in 1999, the

Berlin Thunder The Berlin Thunder were a professional American football team in NFL Europe. History The Thunder came into existence as an expansion team, after the London/England Monarchs franchise shut down operations, prior to the 1999 season. Home games f ...

, a club that lasted until 2007, when the league folded.

Return to success

The Adler once more became a successful side in the German Football League, reaching the semi finals in their first two seasons there. In 2004, the team ended the club's 13 year title drought, defeating the

Braunschweig Lions The New Yorker Lions are an American Football team from Braunschweig, Germany. Until late 2010, the team was known as the Braunschweig Lions.

in a low-scoring German Bowl.History: 2002-2006
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 After this, the club experienced two lean seasons, being knocked-out in the quarter finals in 2005 and having to play against relegation in 2006 but successfully avoiding the relegation round in the end. The team did not decline further, as it had done in the 1990s, but instead reached the semi finals in 2007 and 2008. In 2007, the side lost narrowly to the Stuttgart Scorpions, in 2008 they lost to the

, a team it was to meet in the following two German Bowls. In Europe, the Berlin Adler won the

EFAF Cup The EFAF Cup was an international competition for European American Football clubs. It was the second highest level of club competition in the European Federation of American Football (EFAF), behind the European Football League (EFL),. EFAF Cup ...

, a second-tier competition, against the

Parma Panthers The Parma Panthers are an American football team based in Parma, Italy that competes in the Italian Football League. The team was founded in 1981 by Vic Dasaro, an American veterinary student attending university in Parma. Dasaro created the te ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, the club's first international title.History: 2007-2010
Berlin Adler website, accessed: 6 January 2010 In 2009, the Adler had another successful season, losing only one league game and advancing to their seventh German Bowl, earning their sixth national title by defeating the Kiel Baltic Hurricanes 28–21. The 2010 season saw a repeat of this final, but this time Kiel was the stronger side and won their first national title. The Adler however achieved their second European success, finally winning the

for the first time. The 2011 season was not as successful for the club, making a losing appearance in the Eurobowl, finishing only fourth in the league and going out in the quarter finals of the play-offs to the

Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns The Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns are an American football team from Schwäbisch Hall, Germany. The club's greatest successes were winning the southern division title in the German Football League in 2009 and in every season played since 2011 (as of ...

. In 2012, the club came second in the northern division of the GFL and qualified for the play-off where it was knocked out by the Schwäbisch Hall Unicorns in the semi finals. The team once more reached the semi finals of the play-offs in 2013, this time losing to the

Dresden Monarchs The Dresden Monarchs are an American football team from Dresden, Germany. They have been a member of the first tier German Football League since 2002 and play in its Northern Division. They are the reigning champion after having won German Bowl XL ...

. In 2014, the club took part in a new European competition, the

BIG6 European Football League The BIG6 European Football League (BIG6) was a European Cup style tournament for European American football teams. Originally organized by the EFAF (European Federation of American Football), the tournament had been run by the German Football L ...

, which consisted of three teams from Germany, two from Austria and one from Switzerland, the clubs being Berlin Adler,

New Yorker Lions The New Yorker Lions are an American Football team from Braunschweig, Germany. Until late 2010, the team was known as the Braunschweig Lions.

Raiffeisen Vikings Vienna The Vienna Vikings is an American football club based in Vienna, Austria. Founded in 1983, the Vikings are known as one of Europe's most dominant clubs, having won the Eurobowl title five times (2004–2007 and 2013), as well being the runner ...

Swarco Raiders Tirol The Raiders Tirol (for the AFL-Teams SWARCO Raiders Tirol, formerly Papa Joe’s Tyrolean Raiders) are an American football team based in Innsbruck, Austria. Founded in 1992, the Raiders since have become one of Austria's and Europe's most domina ...

and the

Calanda Broncos The Calanda Broncos are an American football team from Landquart, Switzerland. The club, formed in 1991 as the Landquart Broncos, changed its name in late 2008 after the Calanda mountain to show the club's desire to represent a larger region of ...

. The two best teams of this competition advanced to the Eurobowl XXVIII. Berlin won this competition when it defeated the New Yorker Lions 20–17 in the 2014 final. In the GFL the club finished fifth in 2014 and thereby missed out on play-off qualification, repeated in 2015 when it came sixth.

Financial troubles and decline

The financial situation of the Berlin Adler began to deteriorate during this era, however, the fact that other teams failed to get a license to play in the GFL kept them from being relegated for several years, until they had to face the relegation round after the 2017 season, as fate would have it against the

Potsdam Royals The Potsdam Royals are an American football team from Potsdam, Germany. The club's greatest achievement is winning the championship in the last Eurobowl (2019) against the Amsterdam Crusaders just a year after they entered the German Football Lea ...

. As Berlin lost that game, they found themselves in GFL2 for the following season, failing to stabilize the on field situation, culminating with yet another relegation to the third tier.

Honours

Men

** Champions: 2010, 2014 ** Runners-up: 1991, 2011 *

: ** Champions: 2008 *

** Champions: 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 2004, 2009 ** Runners-up: 1994, 2010 * EFL ** Participations: (10) 1988, 1990–1992, 1996, 2009–2013 *

** Participations: 2014–present * GFL ** Northern Division champions: (9) 1986–1992, 1994, 2009 ** Play-off qualification : (25) 1983–1995, 2002–2005, 2007–2013, 2022 ** League membership : (34) 1979–1997, 2002–2017, 2022–present * GFL2 ** Northern Division champions: 2001, 2021

Women

* Ladies Bowl ** Champions: (10) 1993–1997, 2000–2004 ** Runners-up: 1999

Juniors

* Junior Bowl ** Champions: 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2009 ** Runners-up: 2006 * Junior Flag Bowl ** Champions: 2007

German Bowl appearances

The club's appearances in the German Bowl:Bowls
GFL website, accessed: 1 January 2011

Recent seasons

Recent seasons of the Berlin Adler:GFL 2011
www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 18 September 2011Football History
Historic American football tables from Germany, accessed: 2 January 2010GFL 2010
www.football-aktuell.de, accessed: 2 January 2011 * LF = League Final * RR = Relegation round. * PR = Promotion round. * QF = Quarter finals. * SF = Semi finals. * GB = German Bowl.

References

External links

*
Official website
*
German Football League official website
*
Football History
Historic American football tables from Germany {{Authority control American football teams in Germany German Football League teams American football teams established in 1979 Sport in Berlin 1979 establishments in West Germany