Germany at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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Germany at the
1896 Summer Olympics
Flag of the German Empire.svg
Flag of the German Empire
IOC codeGER
NOCGerman Olympic Sports Confederation
Websitewww.dosb.de (in German, English, and French)
in Athens
Competitors19 in 6 sports
Medals
Ranked 3rd
Gold
6
Silver
5
Bronze
2
Total
13
Summer Olympics appearances (overview)
Other related appearances
1906 Intercalated Games
 Saar (1952)
 United Team of Germany (1956–1964)
 East Germany (1968–1988)
 West Germany (1968–1988)

Germany competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. The Germans were the third most successful nation in terms of both gold medals (6 plus 1 as part of a mixed team) and total medals (13). Gymnastics was the sport in which Germany excelled. The German team had 19 athletes. The Germans had 75 entries in 26 events (of which 48 entries were in the 8 gymnastics events), taking 13 medals.

Medalists[]

Further information: 1896 Summer Olympics medal table and List of 1896 Summer Olympics medal winners
Medal Name Sport Event Date
 Gold Hermann Weingärtner Gymnastics Men's horizontal bar 9 April
 Gold Alfred Flatow Gymnastics Men's parallel bars 10 April
 Gold Conrad Böcker, Alfred Flatow, Gustav Flatow,
Georg Hilmar, Fritz Hofmann, Fritz Manteuffel,
Karl Neukirch, Richard Röstel, Gustav Schuft,
Carl Schuhmann, Hermann Weingärtner 		Gymnastics Men's team parallel bars 9 April
Men's team horizontal bar 9 April
 Gold Carl Schuhmann Gymnastics Men's vault 9 April
Wrestling Men's Greco-Roman 11 April
 Silver Fritz Hofmann Athletics Men's 100 m 10 April
 Silver August von Gödrich Cycling Men's road race 12 April
 Silver Alfred Flatow Gymnastics Men's horizontal bar 9 April
 Silver Hermann Weingärtner Gymnastics Men's pommel horse 9 April
Men's rings 9 April
 Bronze Fritz Hofmann Gymnastics Men's rope climbing 10 April
 Bronze Hermann Weingärtner Gymnastics Men's vault 9 April

Results by event[]

Athletics[]

Main article: Athletics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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.[1][2][3]

Track and road events
Athlete Events Heat Final
Result Rank Result Rank
Fritz Hofmann 100 m 12.6 2 Q 12.2 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Friedrich Traun 13.5 3 Did not advance
Kurt Doerry Unknown 5 Did not advance
Fritz Hofmann 400 m 58.2 2 56.7 4
Kurt Doerry Unknown Unknown Did not advance
Friedrich Traun 800 m 2:13.4 3 DNS
Carl Galle 1500 m N/A 4:39.0 4
Kurt Doerry 110 m hurdles Unknown Unknown Did not advance
Field events
Athlete Events Final
Result Rank
Fritz Hofmann High jump 1.55 5
Carl Schuhmann Long jump 5.70 8
Fritz Hofmann Triple jump Unknown 6–7
Carl Schuhmann Unknown 5
Fritz Hofmann Shot put 10.00 5–7
Carl Schuhmann Unknown 5–7

Cycling[]

Main article: Cycling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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

Cyclist Event Time / Distance Rank
Theodor Leupold Time trial 27.0 5
Joseph Rosemeyer 27.2 8
Joseph Rosemeyer Sprint DNF
Joseph Rosemeyer 10 km Unknown 4
Bernard Knubel 100 km DNF
Theodor Leupold DNF
Joseph Welzenbacher DNF
Joseph Rosemeyer DNF
Joseph Welzenbacher 12 hour race DNF
August von Gödrich Road race 3:42:18 2nd place, silver medalist(s)

Gymnastics[]

Main article: Gymnastics at the 1896 Summer Olympics

Germany dominated the gymnastics program, taking 5 of the 8 gold medals and medalling in each event.

German team at parallel bars
German team on horizontal bars

Artistic[]

Gymnast Apparatus/Place
PH R V PB HB
Alfred Flatow 3–15 4, 6–8 4–15 1st place, gold medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s)
Conrad Böcker 3–15 4, 6–8 4–15 3–18 3–15
Gustav Flatow 3–15 4, 6–8 4–15 3–18 3–15
Georg Hilmar 3–15 N/A 4–15 3–18 3–15
Fritz Manteuffel 3–15 N/A 4–15 3–18 3–15
Karl Neukirch 3–15 N/A 4–15 3–18 3–15
Richard Röstel 3–15 N/A 4–15 3–18 3–15
Gustav Schuft 3–15 N/A 4–15 3–18 3–15
Carl Schuhmann 3–15 5 1st place, gold medalist(s) 3–18 3–15
Hermann Weingärtner 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 2nd place, silver medalist(s) 3rd place, bronze medalist(s) 3–18 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Gymnast Event Result Rank
Fritz Hofmann Rope climbing 12.5 3rd place, bronze medalist(s)
Team Event Rank
Germany Team parallel bars 1st place, gold medalist(s)
Team horizontal bar 1st place, gold medalist(s)

Tennis[]

Main article: Tennis at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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.

Player Event First round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Friedrich Traun Singles  Boland (GBR)
L 		Did not advance 8
Opponent nation Wins Losses Percent
 Great Britain 0 1 0.000
Total 0 1 0.000

Weightlifting[]

Main article: Weightlifting at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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

Weightlifter Event Weight (kg) Rank
Carl Schuhmann Two hand lift 90 4

Wrestling[]

Main article: Wrestling at the 1896 Summer Olympics

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.

Wrestler Event Quarterfinals Semifinals Final
Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Opposition
Result 		Rank
Carl Schuhmann Greco-Roman  Elliot (GBR)
W 		Bye  Tsitas (GRE)
W 		1st place, gold medalist(s)
Opponent nation Wins Losses Percent
Great Britain 1 0 1.000
Greece 1 0 1.000
Total 2 0 1.000

References[]

  1. ^ Butler, Maynard. The Olympic Games. In Mallon & Widlund, pp. 37–41.
  2. ^ Ekkehard zur Megede : The history of Olympic athletics. Volume 1: 1896-1936. Verlag Bartels & Wernitz KG, Berlin, 2nd edition 1970.
  3. ^ "100 metres, Men". Olympedia. Retrieved 21 July 2020.
  • Lampros, S.P.; Polites, N.G.; De Coubertin, Pierre; Philemon, P.J.; Anninos, C. (1897). The Olympic Games: BC 776 – AD 1896. Athens: Charles Beck. (Digitally available at [1])
  • Mallon, Bill; Widlund, Ture (1998). The 1896 Olympic Games. Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson: McFarland. ISBN 0-7864-0379-9. (Excerpt available at [2])
  • Smith, Michael Llewellyn (2004). Olympics in Athens 1896. The Invention of the Modern Olympic Games. London: Profile Books. ISBN 1-86197-342-X.
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