Germany at the Olympics facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Germany at the Olympics
IOC code	GER
NOC	German Olympic Sports Confederation
Website
Medals Ranked 4th	Gold Silver Bronze Total 317 318 320 955
Summer appearances
1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1920–1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956–1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020
Winter appearances
1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956–1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games  Saar (1952)  United Team of Germany (1956–1964)  East Germany (1968–1988)  West Germany (1968–1988)

Athletes from Germany have been a big part of the modern Olympic Games since they started in 1896. Germany has even hosted the Olympics three times. They hosted both the Winter and Summer Games in 1936, and the 1972 Summer Olympics in 1972. Germany was also chosen to host the 1916 and 1940 Games, but these were cancelled because of World Wars. After these wars, Germany was not allowed to compete in the 1920, 1924, and 1948 Olympics.

When Germany was divided into two countries after World War II, both sides chose not to attend certain Summer Games. In 1980, West Germany joined many other countries in not going to the Moscow Olympics. This was a protest against the Soviet Union's actions in Afghanistan. In 1984, East Germany, along with the Soviet Union, boycotted the Summer Games in Los Angeles. In 1990, East and West Germany became one country again. Since the 1992 Olympics, Germany has competed as a single team.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) counts Germany's results under four different codes. This is because the German Democratic Republic (East Germany, GDR) sent its own team from 1968 to 1988. This team competed against the team from the German NOC (GER), which has represented Germany since 1896.

Germany's Olympic Journey: Divided and Reunited

After World War II, German sports groups were reorganized. In 1950, the IOC recognized the new Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland for all of Germany, based in West Germany.

Because of the Cold War, East Germany formed its own Olympic Committee in 1951. The IOC did not immediately recognize it. Until 1965, East German athletes had to join the West Germany-based team. This combined team, called the United Team of Germany (EUA), competed from 1956 to 1964.

From 1968 to 1990, Germany had two separate teams at the Games. West Germany was first called GER, then FRG. East Germany was called GDR. After East Germany joined West Germany in 1990, Germany once again competed as a single team, known as GER.

Also, in the early 1950s, the Saar region had its own Olympic Committee. It competed at the 1952 Summer Olympics before joining the West German team in 1956.

Germany's Olympic History

Further information: Germany at the Summer Olympics and Germany at the Winter Olympics

How Germany Competed Over Time

Olympic year/s	team
1896–1912			Germany (GER)
1920–1924	Germany was not allowed to participate after World War I
1928–1932			Germany (GER)
1936
1948	Germany was not allowed to participate after World War II
1952			Germany (GER)
	Saar (SAA)			East Germany did not participate
1956–1964	United Team of Germany (EUA)
1968–1988	Germany		(FRG)	East Germany (GDR)
since 1992			(GER)

Germany at the Summer Olympics

      Host country

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1896 Athens	19	6	5	2	13	3
1900 Paris	78	4	3	2	9	7
1904 St. Louis	18	4	5	6	15	2
1908 London	81	3	5	5	13	5
1912 Stockholm	185	5	13	7	25	6
1920 Antwerp	did not participate
1924 Paris
1928 Amsterdam	296	10	7	14	31	2
1932 Los Angeles	143	3	12	5	20	9
1936 Berlin	433	33	26	30	89	1
1948 London	did not participate
1952 Helsinki	205	0	7	17	24	28
1956 Melbourne	as the  United Team of Germany (EUA)
1960 Rome
1964 Tokyo
1968 Mexico City	as  West Germany (FRG) and  East Germany (GDR)
1972 Munich
1976 Montreal
1980 Moscow
1984 Los Angeles
1988 Seoul
1992 Barcelona	463	33	21	28	82	3
1996 Atlanta	465	20	18	27	65	3
2000 Sydney	422	13	17	26	56	5
2004 Athens	441	13	16	20	49	6
2008 Beijing	463	16	11	14	41	5
2012 London	392	11	20	13	44	6
2016 Rio de Janeiro	425	17	10	15	42	5
2020 Tokyo	425	10	11	16	37	9
2024 Paris	428	12	13	8	33	10
2028 Los Angeles	future event
Total		213	220	255	688	7

Germany at the Winter Olympics

      Host country

Games	Athletes	1 Gold	2 Silver	3 Bronze	Total	Rank
1924 Chamonix	did not participate
1928 St. Moritz	44	0	0	1	1	8
1932 Lake Placid	20	0	0	2	2	9
1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen	55	3	3	0	6	2
1948 St. Moritz	did not participate
1952 Oslo	53	3	2	2	7	4
1956 Cortina d'Ampezzo	as the  United Team of Germany (EUA)
1960 Squaw Valley
1964 Innsbruck
1968 Grenoble	as  West Germany (FRG) and  East Germany (GDR)
1972 Sapporo
1976 Innsbruck
1980 Lake Placid
1984 Sarajevo
1988 Calgary
1992 Albertville	111	10	10	6	26	1
1994 Lillehammer	112	9	7	8	24	3
1998 Nagano	125	12	9	8	29	1
2002 Salt Lake City	157	12	16	8	36	2
2006 Turin	162	11	12	6	29	1
2010 Vancouver	152	10	13	7	30	2
2014 Sochi	153	8	6	5	19	6
2018 Pyeongchang	153	14	10	7	31	2
2022 Beijing	149	12	10	5	27	2
2026 Milan/Cortina	future event
Total		104	98	65	267	3

Germany's Total Olympic Medals

Germany has competed in the Olympics under five different names. This includes times when it was two separate teams. The table below shows the total medals won by these teams. Saar competed on its own in the 1952 Summer Olympics, but did not win any medals.

Medal counts:
status after the 2024 Olympics, as of August 13, 2024

	Summer Games					Winter Games					Combined total
Team (IOC code)	No.					No.					No.
Germany (GER)	18	213	220	255	688	13	104	98	65	267	31	317	318	320	955
Saar (SAA)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0
United Team of Germany (EUA)	3	28	54	36	118	3	8	6	5	19	6	36	60	41	137
East Germany (GDR)	5	153	129	127	409	6	39	36	35	110	11	192	165	162	519
West Germany (FRG)	5	56	67	81	204	6	11	15	13	39	11	67	82	94	243
Total	27	450	470	499	1419	22	162	155	118	435	49	612	625	617	1854

Combined IOC codes	No. Games				Combined total
Germany (GER)	30	317	318	320	955
Germany (GER) (EUA)	37	353	378	361	1092
Germany (GER) (EUA) (FRG)	48	420	460	455	1335
Germany (GER) (EUA) (FRG) (GDR)	59	612	625	617	1854

Hosted Games

For the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, West Germany, see West Germany at the Olympics.

Unsuccessful Bids to Host the Olympics

Germany has also tried to host the Olympics in other cities, but they were not chosen.

Images for kids

• 

  Medals won by Germany at the Summer Olympic Games between 1896 and 2012 (between 1956 and 1964 as the United Team of Germany and between 1968 and 1988 as a sum of medals of West and East Germany)

• 

  Medals won by Germany at the Winter Olympic Games between 1928 and 2014 (between 1956 and 1964 as the United Team of Germany and between 1968 and 1988 as sum of medals of West and East Germany)

See also

In Spanish: Alemania en los Juegos Olímpicos para niños

• List of flag bearers for Germany at the Olympics
• Category:Olympic competitors for Germany
• Germany at the Paralympics