TWO RELEGATIONS, TWO PROMOTIONS; four seasons in the 2nd division and eight in the First. At first glance, FC St. Pauli looked to have done quite well during the Third Reich in sportive terms – way better than they do today.
These divisions, however, were smaller and the distances between away games essentially shorter. In the highest divisions, the Gauliga (regional league) Nordmark and (from 1945 on) Gauliga Hamburg, FC St. Pauli usually played against teams like Victoria Hamburg, Eimsbüttler TV, SV Polizei Lübeck and Luftwaffen SV Groß-Hamburg rather than the likes of Schalke 04 or Dresdner SC (two oft he most successful teams of that time).
Usually on top of the relevant divisions was Hamburger SV which eventually progressed to the final round of the German championship (albeit never winning it). The highest positions FC St. Pauli achieved to claim during the Third Reich were 2 fourth places (1936-7 and 1942-3) and a third in the season 1944-5.
(BU left: Efforts top, result not: St. Pauli lose their game vs. Victoria in January 1936. BU right: Derby win against Altona 93 (winter 1937-8)