Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

(GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the

Federal Republic of Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between ...

(FRG), was until 1990 also called

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

while the separate East

German Democratic Republic German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

(GDR) existed, which was recognized by the IOC only after 1964.

East German East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...

athletes, however, participated in the Paralympics for the first and last time in 1984. Following the

reunification of Germany German reunification (german: link=no, Deutsche Wiedervereinigung) was the process of re-establishing Germany as a united and fully sovereign state, which took place between 2 May 1989 and 15 March 1991. The day of 3 October 1990 when the Ge ...

in 1990, athletes from all of Germany compete simply as Germany (GER) again. Germany has participated in every edition of the

Summer Paralympics The Summer Paralympics also known as the Games of the Paralympiad, are an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete. This includes athletes with mobility disabilities, amputations, blindness, and cerebral ...

, and has also taken part in every edition of the

Winter Paralympics The Winter Paralympic Games is an international multi-sport event where athletes with physical disabilities compete in snow and ice sports. The event includes athletes with mobility impairments, amputations, blindness, and cerebral palsy. Th ...

, from the first in 1976. Germany was the host country of the

1972 Summer Paralympics The 1972 Summer Paralympics (german: Paralympische Sommerspiele 1972), the fourth edition of the Paralympic Games, were held in Heidelberg, West Germany, from 2 to 11 August 1972. The games ended 15 days before the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Mu ...

, in

Heidelberg Heidelberg (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: ''Heidlberg'') is a city in the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, situated on the river Neckar in south-west Germany. As of the 2016 census, its population was 159,914 ...

. East Germany, West Germany and Germany have won a total of 1915 Paralympic medals, of which 658 gold, 649 silver and 609 bronze. This is more than any country other than the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It is ...

. The

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...

, however, maintains separate records for "West Germany" (1960–88) and "Germany" (1992–present), due to their separate

IPC codes The International Olympic Committee (IOC) uses three-letter abbreviation country codes to refer to each group of athletes that participate in the Olympic Games. Each geocode usually identifies a National Olympic Committee (NOC), but there are ...

, giving West Germany a total of 938 medals (354 golds), and Germany a total of 973 (304 golds). This places the "two countries" seventh and eighth, respectively, on the

all-time Paralympic Games medal table An all-time medal table for all Paralympic Games from 1960 to 2020. The International Paralympic Committee does not publish all-time tables, and publishes unofficial tables only per single Games. This table was thus compiled by adding up single e ...

- behind the United States, Great Britain,

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

, and

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

. Germany has consistently been one of the world's strongest nations at the Paralympics. Prior to 2008, at the Summer Games, it had always been among the top ten on the medal tables, and was within the top three on six occasions. In 2008,they finished in the 11th place. At the Winter Games, Germany has always been among the top three, except in 1980 (7th), 1984 (4th) and 2018 (5th). It topped the medal table at the

(which it hosted), and the

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phila ...

2002 File:2002 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 2002 Winter Olympics are held in Salt Lake City; Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and her daughter Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon die; East Timor gains East Timor independence, indepe ...

and

2010 Winter Games )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...

. Among Germany's most successful Paralympians areGermany at the Paralympics
International Paralympic Committee *

Reinhild Möller Reinhild Möller (born February 24, 1956, in Schwalm-Eder-Kreis) is a German former alpine ski racer. She is the only alpine skier to win 19 Paralympic medals. She has also won 4 Paralympic medals in athletics. When she was 3 years old, she lo ...

, winner of 19 medals (of which 16 gold) in alpine skiing, and 4 medals (of which 3 are gold) in athletics *

Claudia Hengst Claudia Hengst (born 3 September 1969, in Gräfelfing) is a former German paralympic athlete, who won 25 medals (13 gold) at the Summer Paralympics. In 2008 were inducted into Paralympic Hall of Fame. Biography Her category was L6 and then S10. ...

: 25 medals (of which 13 gold) in swimming *

Gerd Schönfelder Gerd Schönfelder (born 2 September 1970 in Kulmain) is a German para-alpine skier, one of the most decorated in the sport's history. Biography Schönfelder is a multiple Paralympic Champion who won his first three gold medals at the 1992 Win ...

: 17 medals (of which 12 gold) in alpine skiing *

Frank Höfle Frank Höfle (also spelled Hoefle, born 22 November 1967) is a disabled German biathlete and cross-country skier. He first participated in the Winter Paralympic Games in 1984 and won his first medal, a gold, in 1988. He has competed in every Win ...

: 17 medals (of which 10 gold) in cross-country skiing.

Medal tallies

These tallies include the results for both "Germany" and "West Germany". They do not include the four medals of

East Germany at the Paralympics The German Democratic Republic (commonly known as East Germany) made its first and only Paralympic Games appearance at the 1984 Summer Paralympics in Stoke Mandeville and New York City, where it entered four competitors in athletics. This marked E ...

Summer Paralympics

22 ACPS Atlanta 1996 Cycling Sandra Smith Terri Poole

Winter Paralympics

Records

These records include

West Germany at the Paralympics Germany (GER) participated in the inaugural Paralympic Games in 1960 in Rome, where it sent a delegation of nine athletes. The country, since 1949 officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), was until 1990 also called West Germany while the ...

Summer Paralympics

Active athletes are in bold. ;Multi medalists German athletes who have won more than three golds or more than five medals. ;Multi medalists at single Games German athletes who have won more than two golds at a single Games. Categorised by medals earned, sports then year. ;Multi medals at single event German athletes who have won more than two golds at a single event in the Summer Paralympics. Categorised by medals earned, sports then gold medals earned. ;Most appearances German athletes who have competed in four or more Paralympic Games. Aged under 15 or over 40 are in bold.

Winter Paralympics

;Multi medalists German athletes who have won three gold medals or more than five medals. ;Multi medals at single Games German athletes who have won two golds in a single Games. Categorised by medals earned, sports then year. ;Multi medals at single event German athletes who have won two golds in a single event in the Winter Paralympics. Categorised by medals earned, sports then gold medals earned. ;Most appearances German athletes who have competed in four or more Winter Paralympic Games. Ages under 15 or over 40 are in bold.

References

{{National sports teams of Germany

Medal tallies

Summer Paralympics

Winter Paralympics

Records

Summer Paralympics

Winter Paralympics

See also

References