Eleven kilos. That is the short answer to how heavy the Meisterschale is. The longer answer tells a story of nearly eighty years of German football, three rounds of rebuilding in a silversmith's workshop, and a trophy that is, uniquely among the major European championship trophies, not a cup at all but a bowl.
When a captain lifts the Meisterschale above his head on the final matchday, it looks lighter than it is. It is not. Two hands is the rule; one hand is performance.
This guide answers the most common questions about the Meisterschale: how large it is, what it is made of, what it is worth, when and why it was rebuilt several times, and what actually happens to it in the months between two seasons.
How Heavy Is the Meisterschale?
The current Meisterschale weighs around eleven kilograms and measures 56 centimetres in diameter. Earlier in its history the trophy was considerably lighter, as additional outer rings have been added over time, each one bringing more weight with it.
For most of its history the bowl weighed around eight and a half kilos. Only after the 2026 rebuild did it exceed eleven kilos for the first time. More precisely: just over eleven kilos, according to current DFL figures. Anyone who picks it up for the first time is usually surprised by how compact it feels and how concentrated the weight is.
The Meisterschale is not deep, by the way. From base to upper rim it measures only around six centimetres. Its shape is closer to a ceremonial serving tray than a conventional football trophy, and that was already the intention when it was designed in 1949.
What Is the Meisterschale Made Of?
The Meisterschale is crafted from solid sterling silver, hallmarked to a 925 alloy. The bowl itself is polished silver; set into the inner ring are 21 tourmaline cabochons with a combined weight of around 72 carats, each mounted in gold on the inner silver band.
The trophy was designed by Elisabeth Treskow, a goldsmith and sculptor who worked at the Cologne School of Applied Arts in the late 1940s. Treskow was one of the most respected metalwork artists of her time, and the Meisterschale is by far her best-known piece. You can tell she knew what she was doing: nothing feels overloaded, every stone placed with care.
On the reverse of the Meisterschale, the names of all German champions are engraved, year by year. When the DFB commissioned the trophy in 1949, space was already provided for every champion dating back to 1903, well before the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. Each new German champion has been added ever since.
How Much Is the Meisterschale Worth?
Officially the Meisterschale is priceless, which mostly means it is not for sale and will never appear at auction. The material value can still be estimated roughly.
The raw silver alone is worth around nine thousand euros at current market prices. Adding the gold mounts, the tourmaline cabochons and the labour, the insured total value based on publicly available figures sits at around fifty thousand euros. That number rises slowly as silver prices move and as each new ring is added.
Put another way: the Meisterschale is worth less than a mid-range car and more than any private collector would seriously consider paying. Its real value lies in the names on the back, not in the metal.
Why a Bowl and Not a Cup?
The Meisterschale as we know it was created in 1949, at a moment when German football needed a symbol that could outlast its recent past. The previous championship trophy, the Viktoria, had been lost during the Second World War. Its whereabouts remained unknown for decades before it eventually resurfaced.
Rather than commission a replica of the missing trophy, the DFB decided on a fresh start. The brief went to Elisabeth Treskow, and her design deliberately broke with the tradition of tall, vertical football cups. The Meisterschale was designed to be flat, wide and restrained. Closer to a ceremonial object than a conventional sports trophy. Fans quickly nicknamed it the "Salatschüssel" (salad bowl). The name stuck, and honestly, it fits.
The first club to receive it was VfR Mannheim in 1949. Every German football champion since then, from the pre-Bundesliga era to today, has their name on the bowl.
There is also a Meisterschale for the 2. Bundesliga, by the way, in a smaller format but following the same design logic.
The Three Extensions: 1981, 2009 and 2026
The Meisterschale is a growing object. It has been extended three times in its history, each time because the engravers ran out of space for new champions.
1981: The First Silver Ring
The first extension came in 1981. The DFB commissioned an additional silver ring to fit around the original bowl. The new surface created enough engraving space for the following decades. Crucially, rather than replacing the Meisterschale, it has simply been extended ever since.
2009: The Second Ring
By the late 2000s space was running short again. In 2009, master goldsmith and silversmith Adolf Kunesch was commissioned to add a second ring. It fitted so seamlessly into Treskow's original design that it changed nothing about the overall impression.
2026: The Third Ring and the Largest Rebuild So Far
The most recent extension took place in April 2026, and it was considerably more than a minor addition. The existing outer ring was replaced by a larger one. The Meisterschale's diameter grew to 56 centimetres, its total weight to just over eleven kilograms. The new ring adds two extra engraving tracks, bringing the total to five. That is enough for roughly the next thirty years of champions.
The work was carried out by silverware manufacturer Koch & Bergfeld on behalf of the DFL. The new version of the Meisterschale was unveiled on 15 April 2026 and presented to the reigning champion FC Bayern München on the final matchday of the 2025/26 season on 16 May 2026.
Whether the larger size does the trophy any favours visually is open to debate. Some collectors and historians argue the earlier proportions were cleaner. Others say the new tracks fit naturally. For most fans, what counts is whose name goes into the next track.
What Happens to the Meisterschale After the Season?
Once the celebrations are finished, the Meisterschale does not stay with the winning club. Within a few weeks of the final matchday it returns to the DFL, is professionally cleaned, and is prepared for the coming season.
Between seasons the trophy spends most of its time in secure storage. It is occasionally loaned out for exhibitions (most often to the German Football Museum in Dortmund) and transported to the likely champion's stadium in spring. The clubs do not keep it. What they receive to keep, if needed, is a commemorative replica.
That is precisely why the Meisterschale is still in such good condition after nearly eighty years. Handled rarely, celebrated intensely, maintained professionally.
Officially Licensed Meisterschale Replicas
Because the original never leaves the custody of the DFL, an officially licensed replica is the only way for collectors and fans to own a Meisterschale of their own. These are scale reproductions of the original design, produced under DFL licence and updated each year with the current champion's engraving, just as with the original.
At Am Ball we produce these replicas in two sizes and two display formats, each officially licensed and engraved with the 2026 champion FC Bayern München:
- The Meisterschale Replica 70 mm is a compact miniature format, suited to a desk or a smaller shelf.
- The Meisterschale Replica 150 mm is a display-cabinet version with considerably more presence, designed for a collector's cabinet or a larger display.
Every piece is produced under official DFL licence and engraved with the current champion. For anyone who follows the Bundesliga season by season, an updated Meisterschale replica is one of the few ways to keep a tangible piece of that history at home.
For anyone interested in further trophies from German and international football, we also carry our DFB-Pokal replicas, or also our Bundesliga Collection and the officially licensed UEFA trophies.