KFV) established on 7 October 1900 out of the membership of the gymnastics club Kieler Männerturnvereins von 1844.

[5] The club quickly became competitive and, in 1910, they reached the German championship final, where they lost 0–1 in extra time to Karlsruher FV.

[6] In 1914, the club renamed again after the new branches of hockey and athletics were added, becoming Sportverein Holstein von 1902.

[citation needed] Through the 1920s, the team made regular appearances in the national playoffs and in 1926 reached the semi-finals where they were eliminated 1–3 by SpVgg Greuther Fürth.

[citation needed] No longer in the company of Hamburger SV and other strong teams from the city, Kiel immediately won the title of the new division and defended it over the next two seasons until the end of World War II brought play to a halt across the country.

After the conflict, football in the western half of the country was re-organized into five regional top flight divisions.

German football was re-organized again in 1994 and Holstein Kiel qualified for the new tier three division Regionalliga Nord (III).

In 1996, the club was relegated for the first time to the Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein (IV) and returned to Regionalliga Nord (III) in 1998.

The club were relegated again to the Oberliga Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein (IV) in 2000–01, after failing to qualify for the restructured Regionalliga (III), which went from four divisions to two.

The team reached the quarter-finals of the 2011–12 DFB-Pokal, after beating FC Energie Cottbus, MSV Duisburg and 1.

Bundesliga, after Holstein Kiel finished in 3rd place as the highest-scoring team with 71 goals, they lost 4–1 on aggregate to Wolfsburg in the relegation play-offs.

Since 1947 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply.

Players which achieve during their active years at Holstein Kiel to become Germany international footballers.