The 2. Oberliga Südwest was formed in 1951 as a feeder league to the Oberliga Südwest which had been operating from 1945. It was the last of the three second Oberligas, the other two being 2. Oberliga West (1949) and 2. Oberliga Süd (1950).
The winners and runners-up of this league were promoted to the Oberliga Südwest, the bottom two teams relegated to the Amateurligas. Below the 2. Oberliga were the following Amateurligas:
Rheinland (split into two groups from 1956 to 1963)
The TSC Zweibrücken was the only club to play all twelve seasons in the league.
Disbanding of the 2. Oberliga
In 1963 the league was dissolved. Six of its clubs went to the new Regionalliga Südwest, the new second division. The other ten teams were relegated to the Amateurligas.
The following teams were admitted to the new Regionalliga:
^"Kicker Almanach" The Football Yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine
Sources
Kicker Almanach, (in German) The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports Magazine
Süddeutschlands Fussballgeschichte in Tabellenform 1897-1988(in German) History of Southern German football in tables, publisher & author: Ludolf Hyll
100 Jahre Süddeutscher Fussball-Verband(in German) 100-year-anniversary book of Southern German football Association, publisher: Vindelica Verlag, published: 1997
Die Deutsche Liga-Chronik 1945-2005(in German) History of German football from 1945 to 2005 in tables, publisher: DSFS, published: 2006