Following World War II, Germany was occupied by the victorious Allies and a separate state – the German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR; commonly in English, East Germany) – emerged in the Soviet-held eastern part of the country.

The name Vorwärts was used in East Germany by those clubs associated with the armed forces, paramilitary organizations, and police.

Vorwärts Kamenz was established in 1960 and played lower-tier football early in its existence.

The improvement of the team propelled them into the second division DDR-Liga in 1979, where they finished in second place in their debut campaign.

Vorwärts was a frequent participant in FDGB-Pokal (East German Cup) play (1975, 1977, 1979–84), but never advanced out of the preliminary rounds.