The origins of the club go back to the formation of the Luedenscheider Fußball-Klub in 1908. In the aftermath of World War I, a number of local sides went through a series of mergers. Late in 1918 LFK merged with FC Preußen 09 and SV Luedenscheider 1910 to form VfB Lüdenscheid 08. In 1919, Ballspielverein Lüdenscheid and FC Fortuna 1910 formed another predecessor side called RSV Höh 1910. These two clubs then entered into a short-lived union with Lüdenscheid Turn-Verein 1861. RSV left this union in 1920, and VfB followed in 1924, taking on the name Sportfreunde 08. Finally, in 1971, RSV and Sportfreunde merged to form the present club.
