Hamburg are back in the Bundesliga: Remember them?

After seven seasons in the second tier, Hamburg have made club history by winning promotion for the first time. Not so much because they have been outstanding, but more because their fellow promotion hopefuls have stumbled more often than they have in the final stretch of the season. Hamburg punched their ticket for the top tier in emphatic fashion, with a 6-1 win over Ulm on Matchday 33.

The final whistle was followed by a pitch invasion by Hamburg fans – during the course of which 44 people were injured. The club said most of the injuries occurred when fans jumped from the stands into the infield. "Considering the overall situation and the pitch invasion we have a manageable number of injuries," the club's event manager said. "We wish the injured a speedy and good recovery."

A day after Hamburg's men sealed their return to the Bundesliga, the club's women's team clinched promotion to the Frauen-Bundesliga. Hamburg beat Freiburg II 3-0 at home on Sunday to clinch an unprecedented Hamburg double of two promotions to the top flight on the same weekend.

The men's team were relegated from the Bundesliga on May 12, 2018. Hamburg beat Borussia Mönchengladbach at home 2-1, but, it was too little, too late. Hamburg thus became the last founding member of the Bundesliga to be relegated since the league began play in the 1963-64 season. Hamburg ultras lit firecrackers and pyrotechnics to express their displeasure.

At the time, few would have thought they would be absent for more than a year or two, but as the club found out, winning promotion isn't all that easy. In 2022, it looked like they were finally on their way back to the top tier. But having won the first leg of the relegation playoff against Hertha 1-0 in Berlin, they lost the second leg 2-0 – leaving them in the second division.

The end to the following season was equally bitter. Going into the final matchday, Hamburg looked to be on their way up. However, last-minute winners Heidenheim overtook Hamburg to move into second place – sending Hamburg into another relegation playoff. Stuttgart steamrolled them 6-1 on aggregate over the two matches – leaving Hamburg to spend another season in the second division.

It's worth remembering, Hamburg were included in the first Bundesliga season in 1963. They had established themselves as the top football club in the north of Germany, but the clear favorites struggled on the first matchday of the new league on August 24. After Preussen Münster hat gone ahead on a penalty, Hamburg striker Charly Dörfel equalized with a header to secure a point.

Hamburg's first superstar was hometown lad Uwe Seeler. In his first season, "Uns Uwe" (our Uwe), won the top scorere title with 30 goals. In the early years of the Bundesliga, though, Werder Bremen would push Hamburg aside as the north's big club, winning their first league title in 1964-65. Hamburg didn't come close until 1974-75, when they finished second to Mönchengladbach.

It took Hamburg until 1978-79 to win their first Bundesliga title. The star of that team was England striker Kevin Keegan, who had arrived in 1977, bringing a touch of international glamor and style to the Volksparkstadion. Keegan not only endeared himself to the fans with his play on the pitch, but also learned German and made it into the top 10 with his pop single "Head over Heels in Love."

In 1982, Hamburg won a second Bundesliga title. With Keegan having returned to England, Manfred Kalz (holding the trophy), known for his curling "banana crosses" and Horst Hrubesch, were two of the key players. Hrubesch was top scorer with 27 goals in 1981-82, many of which came from his trademark headers.

Horst Hrubesch captained the side that not only defended Hamburg's Bundesliga title, but won the European Cup (precursor to the Champions League) in 1983. Hamburg beat the favored Italian giants Juventus 1-0 in Athens in the final. This would be the pinnacle of Hamburg's history to date. For now, the former European champions will just be happy to be back in the top flight.