Losing finalists Kickers Offenbach appeared in a championship final for the first time.
For the first time 16 teams competed for the title, including the runners-up of the Berlin championship.
However, East German side Union Oberschöneweide did not receive a travel permit, like SG Planitz two years earlier.
Their players nevertheless traveled to Kiel to play Hamburger SV and eventually founded SC Union 06 Berlin.
Originally, the first three teams from the DDR-Oberliga had been slated to appear in the championship, but the two football associations eventually could not agree on a mode of play and their places were given to West German Oberliga sides.