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Germany at the Winter Olympics
Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared 23 of the 25 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948. Germany hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and had been selected to host in 1940 again.
The nation appeared 14 times as a single country (IOC code GER), before World War II and again after German reunification in 1990. Due to partitions after the World Wars, namely three post-WW2 German states, German athletes took part seven times for the contemporary states they lived in, in 1952, and from 1968 to 1988, with a unified team in between. In three Olympics from 1956 to 1964, German athletes from the separate states in West and East appeared as a United Team of Germany, which is currently listed by the IOC under French language abbreviation EUA, not English language GER.
The results of German athletes were and are recorded under designations like GER, EUA, FRG, GDR and also SAA for the Saarland as protectorate which only took part in the 1952 Summer games and won no medal.
Including the 2026 Winter Olympics, German athletes have won 461 medals: 171 gold, 164 silver and 126 bronze. The IOC currently splits these results among four codes, even though only the East German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1968 to 1988 had sent a separate team to compete against the team of the German NOC that represented Germany (GER) since 1896.
In the Paris Peace Conference, the outbreak of World War I was blamed on Germany and other Central Powers allies. These nations, even though having new republican governments by now, were not invited to the 1920 Summer Olympics. While all other banned nations except Germany were invited again for the 1924 Summer Olympics, held for the second time in Pierre de Coubertin's home town of Paris, and for the 1924 Winter Olympics, also held in France, the ban on Germany was not lifted until 1925. This was likely related to the ongoing French Occupation of the Ruhr and the Rheinland between 1923 and 1925. Thus Germany was not present in Chamonix for the first Winter Olympics.
Germany took part the first time in the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, with rather modest results, scoring only a Bronze medal in bobsleigh. Germany doubled the low score in the 1932 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, United States. Both 1932 games, held during the worldwide Great Depression, suffered from low European participation due to high cost of travel overseas.
Already in spring of 1931 it had been decided that the 1936 Summer Olympics were to be held in Berlin. Germany should host the 1936 Winter Olympics, too. From 1933 onwards, Germany became known as Nazi Germany, the change being marked also by the use of the Nazi party flag. To host the winter event, two Bavarian towns were merged to form Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Alpine skiing made its first appearance as the combined, which added the results of both the downhill and slalom which were not separate contests yet. German athletes won Gold and Silver in both the men's and women's combined, for a 2nd rank overall.
The 1940 Winter Olympics were to be held in Sapporo, but Japan withdrew in 1938 due to the Second Sino-Japanese War. In June 1939, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was selected again, but three months later World War II broke out and the 1940 Winter Games were cancelled in November 1939. The 1944 Winter Olympics did not take place either. For the 1948 Winter Olympics, with the war in recent memory, Germany (and Japan) was not invited as it had no recognized NOC anymore. The NOC had been, as other organizations, been dissolved by the Allies.
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Germany at the Winter Olympics
Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared 23 of the 25 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948. Germany hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and had been selected to host in 1940 again.
The nation appeared 14 times as a single country (IOC code GER), before World War II and again after German reunification in 1990. Due to partitions after the World Wars, namely three post-WW2 German states, German athletes took part seven times for the contemporary states they lived in, in 1952, and from 1968 to 1988, with a unified team in between. In three Olympics from 1956 to 1964, German athletes from the separate states in West and East appeared as a United Team of Germany, which is currently listed by the IOC under French language abbreviation EUA, not English language GER.
The results of German athletes were and are recorded under designations like GER, EUA, FRG, GDR and also SAA for the Saarland as protectorate which only took part in the 1952 Summer games and won no medal.
Including the 2026 Winter Olympics, German athletes have won 461 medals: 171 gold, 164 silver and 126 bronze. The IOC currently splits these results among four codes, even though only the East German Democratic Republic (GDR) from 1968 to 1988 had sent a separate team to compete against the team of the German NOC that represented Germany (GER) since 1896.
In the Paris Peace Conference, the outbreak of World War I was blamed on Germany and other Central Powers allies. These nations, even though having new republican governments by now, were not invited to the 1920 Summer Olympics. While all other banned nations except Germany were invited again for the 1924 Summer Olympics, held for the second time in Pierre de Coubertin's home town of Paris, and for the 1924 Winter Olympics, also held in France, the ban on Germany was not lifted until 1925. This was likely related to the ongoing French Occupation of the Ruhr and the Rheinland between 1923 and 1925. Thus Germany was not present in Chamonix for the first Winter Olympics.
Germany took part the first time in the 1928 Winter Olympics in St. Moritz, with rather modest results, scoring only a Bronze medal in bobsleigh. Germany doubled the low score in the 1932 Winter Olympics held in Lake Placid, United States. Both 1932 games, held during the worldwide Great Depression, suffered from low European participation due to high cost of travel overseas.
Already in spring of 1931 it had been decided that the 1936 Summer Olympics were to be held in Berlin. Germany should host the 1936 Winter Olympics, too. From 1933 onwards, Germany became known as Nazi Germany, the change being marked also by the use of the Nazi party flag. To host the winter event, two Bavarian towns were merged to form Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Alpine skiing made its first appearance as the combined, which added the results of both the downhill and slalom which were not separate contests yet. German athletes won Gold and Silver in both the men's and women's combined, for a 2nd rank overall.
The 1940 Winter Olympics were to be held in Sapporo, but Japan withdrew in 1938 due to the Second Sino-Japanese War. In June 1939, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was selected again, but three months later World War II broke out and the 1940 Winter Games were cancelled in November 1939. The 1944 Winter Olympics did not take place either. For the 1948 Winter Olympics, with the war in recent memory, Germany (and Japan) was not invited as it had no recognized NOC anymore. The NOC had been, as other organizations, been dissolved by the Allies.