TSV Hartberg was established on 29 April 1946. After decades in the lower
Styrian leagues, the club achieved promotion to the
Styrian Landesliga in 1978, supported by sponsor Sparkasse Hartberg. Throughout the 1980s, Hartberg gained a reputation as a strong cup competitor, often defeating higher-tier teams. In the
1986–87 Austrian Cup, the club reached the round of 16, notably eliminating
Wiener Sport-Club. That team featured
Hans Krankl, one of Austria's most prominent footballers, a former
European Golden Shoe winner and star of
Barcelona and the
national team. In 1987–88, Hartberg won the Landesliga for the first time but failed to secure promotion after finishing second in the playoffs. The club's most notable cup performance came in
1988–89, reaching the Austrian Cup quarter-finals as a fourth-tier side. Victories included top-flight
SK Austria Klagenfurt and second-tier
SV Spittal/Drau, before losing on penalties to
SV Austria Salzburg after a 3–3 draw. In 1989–90, Hartberg won the Landesliga again but was once more unsuccessful in the promotion playoffs. After several mid-table seasons, the club won the league a third time in 1994–95, earning promotion to the
Regionalliga Mitte (third tier). That same season, Hartberg reached the Austrian Cup semi-finals, defeating three higher-division clubs before a 1–0 loss to
DSV Leoben. The following season, 1995–96, Hartberg won the Regionalliga Mitte and secured promotion to the
Second Division (then known as the
2. Division). However, the club was relegated in 1997–98 following a league restructuring, despite avoiding relegation under the existing format. In 1998–99, Hartberg again won the Regionalliga Mitte but failed to return to the second tier after losing a two-legged promotion playoff to
WSG Wattens. In the 2005–06 season, the club captured its third Regionalliga Mitte title, earning promotion to the Second Division (at that time called the
Erste Liga). The club was relegated after a single season and returned to the Regionalliga Mitte for the 2007–08 campaign, where it finished seventh. In 2008–09, Hartberg won the
Regionalliga Ost title on the final matchday, securing promotion to the Austrian Second Division (then known as the
First League). In the 2010–11 season, the club finished last in the league but avoided relegation by winning the play-off. However, in 2014–15, after once again finishing in bottom place, Hartberg was relegated to the third tier. TSV Hartberg were promoted to the
Second Division after winning the
2016–17 Regionalliga Mitte. As no clubs from the Regionalliga West or Ost applied for promotion, Hartberg advanced without the need for play-offs. In the
2017–18 Second Division season, Hartberg finished second and secured promotion to the
Austrian Bundesliga for the first time in the club's history. Promotion was confirmed following a successful appeal for a top-flight license. In the
2019–20 season, Hartberg finished fifth in the Austrian Bundesliga, qualifying for the
2020–21 UEFA Europa League qualifying phase. The club was eliminated in the second qualifying round following a defeat to Polish side
Piast Gliwice. ==European record==