The 1990–91 season of the former DDR-Oberliga, renamed NOFV-Oberliga for this season, was the last season of the top East German league.
After the season, all East German leagues were dissolved and their teams placed in the German football league system. The top two teams joined the Bundesliga, while those ranked third through sixth went to the 2. Bundesliga. The bottom two teams remained in the NOFV-Oberliga, which absorbed all but the relegated teams of the former East German second tier DDR-Liga (also renamed NOFV-Liga) and joined the German league system at the third tier. The seventh through twelfth placed teams were drawn into a playoff with the two NOFV-Liga group champions for two additional 2. Bundesliga places, with unsuccessful teams also remaining in the NOFV-Oberliga.
The competition was contested by 14 teams. Hansa Rostock won the championship and Dynamo Dresden came in second, thus claiming the other available qualification for the Bundesliga. A total of 8 Eastern teams remained professional into both two national German championships.
^Dynamo Dresden was banned from European football for two years due to rioting in the 1990–91 European Cup quarterfinals. The two UEFA Cup positions were passed to the third- and fourth-placed teams.
^As 1990–91 NOFV-Pokal champions Hansa Rostock qualified for the European Cup through league position, their position in the Cup Winners' Cup passed to Stahl Eisenhüttenstadt as runners-up.
Source: [citation needed] Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win. Notes:
^The match between Sachsen Leipzig and Carl Zeiss Jena (originally finished 0–1; played in the 6th round), was awarded with 2–0 points and 3–0 goals for Jena, the game was stopped in the 83rd minute due to spectator riots (Leipzig).
The 7th through 12th placed clubs were joined by the winners of the two second-tier NOFV-Liga groups, Union Berlin and FSV Zwickau. The teams were drawn into two groups of four, with the group champions qualifying for the 1991–92 2. Bundesliga.