The East Zone Championship in 1948 was the first East German championship in football. It was played in a final round with ten teams (see also: Zone Championship ). Participants were two teams from each national championship. In Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, the regional championships were only played up to the semi-finals to determine the final round participants. The final round was played in a knockout system . The participation of final winner SG Planitz in the all-German championship (the quarter-final pairing against 1. FC Nürnberg was already determined) failed due to the political events of 1948 ( currency reform in the western sectors and the resulting tensions between East and West).