From the first encounters in 1974–75, the new match ups Bundesliga versus amateurs, most usually third division clubs, became a source of surprising results over the years.
Commonly titled the "mother of all cup sensations" (German: Die Mutter aller Pokalsensationen),[2][3] was Hamburger SV's second round loss to VfB Eppingen in 1974, the first instant of an amateur side knocking out a Bundesliga club.
Eintracht Trier, in 1997, overcame both the current UEFA Cup and Champions League winners at the time, knocking Schalke 04 and Borussia Dortmund out of the competition.
[5] Commonly titled the "mother of all cup sensations" is Hamburger SV's second-round game against third division Amateurliga Nordbaden side VfB Eppingen in 1974.
Hamburg came to Eppingen sitting in top spot of the Bundesliga, having defeated Steagul Roșu Brașov 8–0 in the UEFA Cup.
[8] Ten years after Eppingen, Hamburg once more fell to an amateur side, when SC Geislingen of the Amateur-Oberliga Baden-Württemberg defeated the club 2–0 in the first round of the 1984–85 edition.
[9] Bayern Munich experienced a number of cup surprises in the 1990s, starting in the first round of the 1990–91 competition, where they had to travel to FV Weinheim, also of the Amateur-Oberliga Baden-Württemberg.
The team lost 1–0 to Bayer Leverkusen in the end and greatly benefited from a draw that only saw it encounter one other Bundesliga side, 1.
[4][10] In the same season, Bayern's reserve side knocked out two Bundesliga clubs, Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart.
Union knocked out Bundesliga sides VfL Bochum and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the process before losing to Schalke 04 in the final.
[4] Hamburger SV was once more the victim of a third division side in 2004, when it lost 4–2 to Regionalliga Nord team SC Paderborn.
[4][16] In 2005–06, HSV's local rival, FC St. Pauli, having dropped to the tier three Regionalliga, knocked out a number of professional sides, among them Bundesliga teams Hertha BSC and Werder Bremen with 4–3 and 3–1 victories.
[4] In 2006–07, Hamburger SV once more fell victim to a third division side, when Stuttgarter Kickers defeated the HSV 4–3 after extra time.
Only the latest however could be counted as a true Cup upset, because at this stage Essen had fallen to Regionalliga level while Cottbus had advanced to the Bundesliga.
[17] In the 2012–13 season, Berliner AK set a new scoring record for a fourth division side against a Bundesliga team when it defeated 1899 Hoffenheim 4–0 in the opening round.
FC Saarbrücken of the Regionalliga Südwest became the first fourth-division club in the history of the DFB-Pokal to reach the semi-finals, eliminating Bundesliga sides 1.