2nd Oberliga West
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|
| Country |
 Germany
|
|---|---|
| State |
 North Rhine-Westphalia
|
| Founded | 1949 |
| Folded | 1963 (14 seasons) |
| Replaced by | Regionalliga West |
| Level on pyramid | Level 2 |
| Promotion to | Oberliga West |
| Relegation to | |
| Last champions | VfB Bottrop (1962–63) |
The 2. Oberliga West (English: 2nd Premier league West) was the second-highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1949 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany.
The 2. Oberliga West was formed in 1949 with two groups of sixteen teams each, as a feeder league to Oberliga West. It was the first of the three 2nd Oberligas, the other two being 2. Oberliga Süd (formed in 1950) and 2. Oberliga Südwest (in 1951). The league adopted a single group format starting from 1952: The top two teams of the 2. Oberliga gained promotion to the Oberliga while the bottom two teams were relegated to the Verbandsliga's. Some years, however, exceptions applied and the number of promoted and relegated teams altered.
In July 1955 the Westdeutscher Fußballverband decided to disband the league from 1956, but the German federation DFB outlawed this decision and the league continued its existence.
Below the 2. Oberliga West ranked the Amateurliga's, varying in numbers (and names) but split into three zones, Niederrhein, Mittelrhein, and Westfalen :
The 2. Oberliga West existed until 1963, when it was replaced by the Regionalliga West as the second division for North Rhine-Westphalia.
SpVgg Herten is the only team to have played in the league for all 14 seasons.
Schwarz-Weiß Essen became the first second-division side to win the German Cup when they did so in 1959, an achievement later repeated by Kickers Offenbach and Hannover 96 in the history of German football.
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