Founded in 1893 as FC Union 93 Kassel, KSV Hessen Kassel (Kasseler Sport-Verein Hessen Kassel to be exact) has never really enjoyed anything approaching glory years. No top flight seasons since the beginning of World War II, and nothing approaching a second tier year for a while now. The club came perilously close to first Bundesliga football in the ‘70s and ‘80s but now plies its trade in the fifth tier of German football, in the Hessenliga. Financial issues certainly haven’t helped. You never know what the future holds though, and the success of many smaller clubs in recent years (Hoffenheim, Paderborn and Darmstadt spring to mind) keeps hope alive in the hearts of Hessen fans. Home games are played at the Auestadion, which has a capacity of 18,737.