[3][4] Torsten Gütschow of Dynamo Dresden was the league's top scorer with 17 goals,[5] while Andreas Trautmann of Dynamo Dresden took out the seasons East German Footballer of the year award.
[6] On the strength of the 1988–89 title Dynamo Dresden qualified for the 1989–90 European Cup where the club was knocked out by AEK Athens in the first round.
Second-placed club BFC Dynamo qualified for the 1989–90 European Cup Winners' Cup as the seasons FDGB-Pokal winners and was knocked out by AS Monaco in the second round.
Third-placed FC Karl-Marx-Stadt qualified for the 1989–90 UEFA Cup where it was knocked out by Juventus in the third round while fourth-placed F.C.
Hansa Rostock lost to FC Baník Ostrava in the first round.