Germany at the 1896 Summer Olympics


Germany competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
The Germans were the third most successful nation in terms of both gold medals and total medals. Gymnastics was the sport in which Germany excelled. The German team had 19 athletes. The Germans had 75 entries in 26 events, taking 13 medals.

Medalists

MedalNameSportEventDate
GymnasticsMen's horizontal bar
GymnasticsMen's parallel bars
, Alfred Flatow, Gustav Flatow,
Georg Hilmar, Fritz Hofmann, Fritz Manteuffel,
Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav Schuft,
Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingärtner		GymnasticsMen's team parallel bars
, Alfred Flatow, Gustav Flatow,
Georg Hilmar, Fritz Hofmann, Fritz Manteuffel,
Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav Schuft,
Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingärtner		GymnasticsMen's team horizontal bar
GymnasticsMen's vault
WrestlingMen's Greco-Roman
AthleticsMen's 100 m
CyclingMen's road race
GymnasticsMen's horizontal bar
GymnasticsMen's pommel horse
GymnasticsMen's rings
GymnasticsMen's rope climbing
GymnasticsMen's vault

Athletics

Hofmann's silver medal in the 100 metres was the only medal earned by the German athletes, though they finished 4th or 5th an additional 4 times. Alfred Flatow was entered in the 100 metres but did not start.
; Track and road events
; Field events

Cycling

Germany's only cycling medal came in the long-distance road race.

Gymnastics

Germany dominated the gymnastics program, taking 5 of the 8 gold medals and medalling in each event.
AthleteApparatus/PlaceApparatus/PlaceApparatus/PlaceApparatus/PlaceApparatus/Place
Athlete
Alfred FlatowUnknownUnknownUnknown
Conrad BöckerUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Gustav FlatowUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknownUnknown
Georg HilmarUnknownn/aUnknownUnknownUnknown
Fritz ManteuffelUnknownn/aUnknownUnknownUnknown
Karl NeukirchUnknownn/aUnknownUnknownUnknown
Richard RöstelUnknownn/aUnknownUnknownUnknown
Gustav SchuftUnknownn/aUnknownUnknownUnknown
Carl SchuhmannUnknown5UnknownUnknown
Hermann WeingärtnerUnknown

AthleteEventResultRank
Fritz HofmannRope climbing12.5

TeamEventRank
GermanyTeam parallel bars
GermanyTeam horizontal bar

Tennis

Traun was defeated by Boland in the first round of the singles tournament. The two entered the doubles tournament as a pair, winning the gold medal in that competition as part of a mixed team; that medal is not counted for Germany.

Weightlifting

Schuhmann's lift was equal to that of the bronze medallist, but lifting form was used as a tie-breaker in the event.
AthleteEventWeight Rank
Carl SchuhmannTwo hand lift904

Wrestling

Schuhmann first faced Launceston Elliot, the one-handed lift weightlifting champion, defeating him fairly easily. He received a bye in the semifinals, to face Georgios Tsitas in the final match. That contest took two days, after it had been postponed on account of darkness 40 minutes into the first day. Schuhmann quickly won on the second morning.