FC Nürnberg, the defending champions who had eliminated Schalke in the semi-finals in the previous season, already had six titles to their name at the time and would go on to win three more between 1948 and 1968 for a total of nine.

[1][2][3] Karl Mayer of SV Werder Bremen and Ernst Kalwitzki of FC Schalke 04 were the joint top scorers of the 1937 championship with ten goals each.

[4] It was the first-ever German championship final to be played in the Olympiastadion in Berlin, built for the 1936 Summer Olympics.

[5] FC Schalke 04 completed the 1936–37 season unbeaten, finishing the Gauliga Westfalen with 17 wins and one draw.

Group 3 was contested by the champions of the Gauligas Hessen, Mitte, Südwest and Württemberg:[7]