The Oberliga was the top level of ice hockey in East Germany. For the most part of its history, the Oberliga counted only two teams, SG Dynamo Weißwasser and SC Dynamo Berlin. While it was more populous in the country's beginning, the number of teams was cut to two due to government intervention in 1970; it was decided that only these two teams would be funded, and the others were kicked out of the league. The remaining teams formed an unofficial East German championship, the DDR-Bestenermittlungen.