1. FC Heidenheim 1846

Founding and Early Years

The club traces its roots to the Turngemeinde Heidenheim, founded on 14 August 1846, originally a gymnastics club. The modern football entity, 1. FC Heidenheim 1846, was formed in 2007 through a reorganisation, with retroactive effect to 1 January 2007.

Club Evolution

The club play at the Voith-Arena, their home since 1973, whose capacity has been gradually expanded to around 15,000 with the support of local sponsor Voith. Wearing blue and white, Heidenheim remained a small-town Baden-Württemberg club with a modest history before their recent rise.

A One-Man Project

The history of 1. FC Heidenheim is above all the story of Frank Schmidt, the club's manager since September 2007, one of the longest tenures in German professional football history. He took the club from the fifth tier all the way to their first-ever Bundesliga promotion for the 2023-24 season, an unprecedented achievement built on nearly two decades of continuity. Schmidt has announced that the 2026-27 season will be his last in charge of the club.

Iconic Players

Marc Schnatterer, who played for the club from 2008 to 2021, thirteen seasons during which he became its iconic captain, remains the definitive figure in 1. FC Heidenheim's history, even more so than Frank Schmidt himself.

Major Achievements

1. FC Heidenheim have never won a major national trophy. Their history is defined by titles in the Regionalliga Süd (2008-09), 3. Liga (2013-14), and 2. Bundesliga (2022-23), which led to their first-ever Bundesliga promotion, the major achievement of their history.

The Club Today

Led by Frank Schmidt and run by Holger Sanwald, chairman of the management board (the club has no traditional president role), 1. FC Heidenheim play in the German second division for the 2026-27 season following relegation, ending three consecutive top-flight seasons.