| German Figure Skating Championships | |
|---|---|
| |
| Status | Active |
| Genre | National championships |
| Frequency | Annual |
| Country | |
| Inaugurated | 1891 |
| Organized by | German Ice Skating Union |
The German Figure Skating Championships (German : Deutsche Meisterschaften im Eiskunstlaufen) are an annual figure skating competition organized by the German Ice Skating Union (German : Deutsche Eislauf-Union) to crown the national champions of Germany. The first official German Championships were held in 1891 in Munich. Pair skating was added in 1907, an event for women in 1911, and ice dance in 1937. Between 1949 and 1990, East Germany and West Germany held separate championships; the West German Championships are considered the official German Championships.
Medals are awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior, junior, and novice levels, although not every discipline is held every year due to a lack of participants. Werner Rittberger, the man credited with inventing the loop jump, [1] holds the record for winning the most German Championship titles in men's singles (with eleven), while Ellen Brockhöft and Nicole Schott are tied for winning the most championship titles in women's singles (with seven each). Aljona Savchenko holds the record in pair skating (with ten), although these were not all won with the same partner. Three teams are tied for winning the most German Championship titles in ice dance: Angelika Buck and Erich Buck; Kati Winkler and René Lohse; and Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi (with six each).
While unofficial German figure skating championships were held from 1887 to 1889 in Hamburg, the first official championship event was held in Munich in 1891. A. Schmitson won this inaugural event. Until 1914, skaters from Austria-Hungary frequently competed at the German Championships. Georg Zachariades, who won the 1892 and 1893 championships, was from Vienna, as was Gustav Hügel, who won the championships in 1894. The first national competition in pair skating was held in 1907 in Altona, for women in Olomouc in 1911, and for ice dance in Cologne in 1937. Competition was frequently interrupted early on, especially from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I. [2]
In March 1938, the Anschluss – the annexation of the Federal State of Austria into the German Reich – took place. Austria became part of the German Empire and the citizens of Austria became de facto German citizens. [3] They were, therefore, eligible to compete in the German Figure Skating Championships. Edi Rada won the men's championship in 1943; Marta Musilek won the women's championships in 1942, 1943, and 1944; Herta and Emil Ratzenhofer won the pairs championship in 1944; and Jutta Stöhr and Fritz Hackl won the ice dance championship in 1944. [2]
Following the collapse of the Third Reich in 1945 and its defeat in World War II, Germany was divided between the Western Bloc led by the United States and the Eastern Bloc led by the Soviet Union. Two separate German countries emerged: the Federal Republic of Germany (German : Bundesrepublik Deutschland), also known as West Germany; and the German Democratic Republic (German : Deutsche Demokratische Republik), also known as East Germany. [4] The East German Figure Skating Championships (German : DDR Eiskunstlauf Meisterschaften) were held annually from 1949 to 1990. [5] From 1947 to 1990, separate figure skating championships were held in West Germany; those results are considered the historical results of the German Figure Skating Championships. [2]
The dissolution of East Germany occurred on 3 October 1990, leading to its reintegration into the Federal Republic of Germany to form present-day Germany. [6] Following the reunification of Germany, East German skaters began competing at the German Championships, and many former East German skaters became champions of the newly reunified Germany, including Mirko Eichhorn, Alexander König, René Lohse, Axel Rauschenbach, Peggy Schwarz, Ingo Steuer, Kati Winkler, and Ronny Winkler. [7] The German Championships have been held without interruption since 1947.
The 2026 German Championships are scheduled to be held from 8 to 13 December 2025 in Oberstdorf. [8]
| Year | Location | Gold [7] | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1907 | Altona |
| No other competitors | [2] | |
| 1908 | No competition held | ||||
| 1909 | Munich | (Germany & Finland) [g] |
| ||
| 1910 | No competition held | ||||
| 1911 | Berlin |
|
| No other competitors | |
| 1912 |
|
| |||
| 1913 |
|
|
| ||
| 1914 | |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1915–19 | No competitions due to World War I | ||||
| 1920 | Berlin |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1921 | No pairs competitors | ||||
| 1922 | Riessersee |
|
| ||
| 1923 |
| No other competitors | |||
| 1924 | Berlin |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1925 | Titisee |
|
|
| |
| 1926 | Berlin |
|
| No other competitors | |
| 1927 |
|
| |||
| 1928 | Füssen |
| |||
| 1929 | Opole [c] |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1930 | Wrocław [d] | ||||
| 1931 | Schierke |
| |||
| 1932 | Riessersee |
|
|
| |
| 1933 | Opole [c] |
|
| ||
| 1934 | Braunlage |
|
| ||
| 1935 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| |||
| 1936 | |||||
| 1937 | Hamburg |
| |||
| 1938 | Cologne |
| |||
| 1939 | Berlin | (Austria) [e] | (Austria) [e] | [83] | |
| 1940 | Vienna | [2] | |||
| 1941 | Munich |
| |||
| 1942 | Cologne |
| (Austria) [e] | ||
| 1943 | Düsseldorf | (Austria) [e] | |||
| 1944 | Vienna | (Austria) [e] | (Austria & Germany) [e] [h] |
| |
| 1945–46 | No competitions due to World War II | ||||
| 1947 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1948 | Krefeld |
|
| ||
| 1949 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
| ||
| 1950 | Cologne |
| |||
| 1951 | Hamburg | ||||
| 1952 | Düsseldorf |
| No other competitors | ||
| 1953 | Krefeld |
|
| ||
| 1954 | Berlin |
|
| ||
| 1955 |
| ||||
| 1956 | Cologne |
| |||
| 1957 | Berlin |
|
| [11] | |
| 1958 | Munich | [2] | |||
| 1959 | Berlin | ||||
| 1960 | Essen | ||||
| 1961 | Oberstdorf | ||||
| 1962 | Frankfurt | ||||
| 1963 | Berlin |
|
| ||
| 1964 | Oberstdorf | [84] | |||
| 1965 | Cologne |
|
| [14] | |
| 1966 | Füssen | [15] | |||
| 1967 | West Berlin | [85] | |||
| 1968 | Essen | [86] | |||
| 1969 | Cologne | [18] | |||
| 1970 | Oberstdorf |
| [19] | ||
| 1971 | West Berlin |
| [87] | ||
| 1972 | Bad Nauheim |
| [21] | ||
| 1973 | Krefeld |
| No other competitors | [22] | |
| 1974 | Augsburg |
| [23] | ||
| 1975 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| [24] | ||
| 1976 | Bremerhaven |
|
| [25] | |
| 1977 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
| [26] | |
| 1978 | Dortmund |
| [88] | ||
| 1979 | Herne |
| [28] | ||
| 1980 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
| [29] | ||
| 1981 | Unna |
| No other competitors | [89] | |
| 1982 | Mannheim |
|
|
| [90] |
| 1983 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [91] | |
| 1984 | Unna |
|
| [33] | |
| 1985 | Bremerhaven |
|
| No other competitors | [34] |
| 1986 | Mannheim |
|
| [92] | |
| 1987 | West Berlin |
|
|
| [36] |
| 1988 | Unna |
|
| [93] | |
| 1989 | West Berlin |
|
|
| [38] |
| 1990 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [39] | |
| 1991 | Berlin |
| [40] | ||
| 1992 | Unna | [41] | |||
| 1993 | Mannheim |
|
| [42] | |
| 1994 | Herne |
| [43] | ||
| 1995 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [44] | |
| 1996 | Berlin |
|
| [45] | |
| 1997 | Oberstdorf |
| [46] | ||
| 1998 | Berlin | No other competitors | [47] | ||
| 1999 | Oberstdorf |
| [48] | ||
| 2000 | Berlin |
| [49] | ||
| 2001 | Oberstdorf |
| No other competitors | [50] | |
| 2002 | Berlin |
|
| [51] | |
| 2003 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [52] | |
| 2004 | Berlin | [53] | |||
| 2005 | Oberstdorf | [54] | |||
| 2006 | Berlin | [55] | |||
| 2007 | Oberstdorf | No other competitors | [56] | ||
| 2008 | Dresden | [57] | |||
| 2009 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [58] | |
| 2010 | Mannheim |
| No other competitors | [59] | |
| 2011 | Oberstdorf | [60] | |||
| 2012 | No other competitors | [61] | |||
| 2013 | Hamburg | [62] | |||
| 2014 | Berlin | [63] | |||
| 2015 | Stuttgart | No other competitors | [64] | ||
| 2016 | Essen | [65] | |||
| 2017 | Berlin | No other competitors | [66] | ||
| 2018 | Frankfurt | [67] | |||
| 2019 | Stuttgart | No other competitors | [68] | ||
| 2020 | Oberstdorf | [69] | |||
| 2022 | Neuss | [71] | |||
| 2023 | Oberstdorf | [72] | |||
| 2024 | Berlin | [73] | |||
| 2025 | Oberstdorf | [74] | |||
| 2026 | |||||
| Year | Location | Gold [7] | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1937 | Hamburg |
|
|
| [2] |
| 1938 | Cologne | No other competitors | |||
| 1939 | Essen | (Austria) [e] | (Austria) [e] | (Austria) [e] | |
| 1940 | Berlin | (Austria) [e] | (Austria) [e] | ||
| 1941 | Cologne | (Austria) [e] | |||
| 1942 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen | (Austria) [e] | |||
| 1943 | Ice dance competition cancelled | ||||
| 1944 | Berlin | (Austria) [e] |
| (Austria) [e] | |
| 1945–46 | No competitions due to World War II | ||||
| 1947–49 | No ice dance competitions | ||||
| 1950 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
| ||
| 1951 |
|
|
| ||
| 1952 |
|
|
| ||
| 1953 | Nuremberg |
|
|
| |
| 1954 | Cologne |
|
|
| |
| 1955 | Mannheim |
|
|
| |
| 1956 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
| ||
| 1957 | Berlin |
|
| ||
| 1958 | Munich |
|
| No other competitors | |
| 1959 | Berlin |
|
| ||
| 1960 | Essen |
| |||
| 1961 | Oberstdorf |
|
| ||
| 1962 | Frankfurt |
|
|
| |
| 1963 | Berlin |
| |||
| 1964 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [94] | |
| 1965 | Cologne | [14] | |||
| 1966 | Füssen |
| [75] | ||
| 1967 | Berlin |
| [76] | ||
| 1968 | Essen |
|
| [77] | |
| 1969 | Cologne |
| [18] | ||
| 1970 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [19] | |
| 1971 | Berlin |
| [78] | ||
| 1972 | Bad Nauheim |
|
| [21] | |
| 1973 | Krefeld | [22] | |||
| 1974 | Augsburg |
|
|
| [23] |
| 1975 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
|
| [95] |
| 1976 | Bremerhaven |
| [96] | ||
| 1977 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
|
| [97] |
| 1978 | Dortmund |
| [98] | ||
| 1979 | Herne |
|
| [28] | |
| 1980 | Garmisch-Partenkirchen |
|
| [29] | |
| 1981 | Unna |
| [89] | ||
| 1982 | Mannheim |
| [90] | ||
| 1983 | Oberstdorf |
| [99] | ||
| 1984 | Unna |
| [33] | ||
| 1985 | Bremerhaven |
| [34] | ||
| 1986 | Mannheim |
|
| [92] | |
| 1987 | West Berlin | [36] | |||
| 1988 | Unna |
| [93] | ||
| 1989 | West Berlin |
|
|
| [38] |
| 1990 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [39] | |
| 1991 | Berlin |
| [40] | ||
| 1992 | Unna |
| [41] | ||
| 1993 | Mannheim | [42] | |||
| 1994 | Herne | [43] | |||
| 1995 | Oberstdorf | [44] | |||
| 1996 | Berlin |
|
| [45] | |
| 1997 | Oberstdorf |
| [46] | ||
| 1998 | Berlin |
| [47] | ||
| 1999 | Oberstdorf |
| [48] | ||
| 2000 | Berlin |
| [49] | ||
| 2001 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [50] | |
| 2002 | Berlin | No other competitors | [51] | ||
| 2003 | Oberstdorf |
| [52] | ||
| 2004 | Berlin | No other competitors | [53] | ||
| 2005 | Oberstdorf |
| [54] | ||
| 2006 | Berlin |
| [55] | ||
| 2007 | Oberstdorf | No other competitors | [56] | ||
| 2008 | Dresden | [57] | |||
| 2009 | Oberstdorf | [58] | |||
| 2010 | Mannheim | [59] | |||
| 2011 | Oberstdorf | [60] | |||
| 2012 | [61] | ||||
| 2013 | Hamburg |
| [62] | ||
| 2014 | Berlin | No other competitors | [63] | ||
| 2015 | Stuttgart |
|
| [64] | |
| 2016 | Essen |
| [65] | ||
| 2017 | Berlin | [66] | |||
| 2018 | Frankfurt | [67] | |||
| 2019 | Stuttgart | [68] | |||
| 2020 | Oberstdorf | [69] | |||
| 2021 | Dortmund | No other competitors | [70] | ||
| 2022 | Neuss |
| [71] | ||
| 2023 | Oberstdorf | No other competitors | [72] | ||
| 2024 | Berlin | [73] | |||
| 2025 | Oberstdorf | [74] | |||
| 2026 | |||||
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Chemnitz | Peter Liebers | Steffen Hörmann | Julian Bässler | [100] |
| 2003 | Oberstdorf | Marcel Kotzian | Philipp Tischendorf | Norman Keck | [101] |
| 2004 | Philipp Tischendorf | Marcel Kotzian | Adrian Schager | [102] | |
| 2005 | Norman Keck | Philipp Tischendorf | Denis Wieczorek | [103] | |
| 2006 | Berlin | Daniel Dotzauer | Michael Biondi | Alan Riefert | [55] |
| 2007 | Oberstdorf | Franz Streubel | Denis Wieczorek | [56] | |
| 2008 | Dresden | Patrick Stein | Christopher Berneck | [57] | |
| 2009 | Oberstdorf | Paul Fentz | Matii Landgraf | Denis Wieczorek | [58] |
| 2010 | Mannheim | Martin Rappe | Alexander Schöpke | Christopher Berneck | [59] |
| 2011 | Oberstdorf | Niko Ulanovsky | Maxim Stiefel | [60] | |
| 2012 | Niko Ulanovsky | Alexander Schöpke | Joti Polizoakis | [61] | |
| 2013 | Joti Polizoakis | Alexander Bjelde | Anton Kempf | [62] | |
| 2014 | [63] | ||||
| 2015 | Anton Kempf | Catalin Dimitrescu | Dave Kötting | [64] | |
| 2016 | Berlin | Catalin Dimitrescu | Dave Kötting | Kai Jagoda | [65] |
| 2017 | Mannheim | Thomas Stoll | Thomas Junski | Isaak Droysen | [66] |
| 2018 | Chemnitz | Jonathan Hess | Kai Jagoda | Denis Gurdzhi | [67] |
| 2019 | Dortmund | Denis Gurdzhi | Daniel Sapozhnikov | Louis Weissert | [68] |
| 2020 | Mannheim | Nikita Starostin | [69] | ||
| 2021 | Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2022 | Dortmund | Louis Weissert | Denis Gurdzhi | Arthur Mai | [104] |
| 2023 | Oberstdorf | Luca Fünfer | Hugo Willi Herrmann | Alexander Vlascenko | [105] |
| 2024 | Leon Rojkov | [106] | |||
| 2025 | Genrikh Gartung | Robert Wildt | Hugo Willi Herrmann | [74] | |
| 2026 | |||||
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Chemnitz | Group I: Denise Zimmermann | Group I: Melanie Meyer | Group I: Mari Vartmann | [100] |
| Group II: Rebecca Handke | Group II: Anne Sachtler | Group II: Laura Stosno | |||
| 2003 | Oberstdorf | Group I: Amanda Valentine | Group I: Wenke Ludwig | Group I: Melanie Meyer | [101] |
| Group II: Cornelia Beyermann | Group II: Marietheres Huonker | Group II: Tanja Rautenberg | |||
| 2004 | Group I: Laura Linde | Group I: Yvonne Plechinger | Group I: Bettina Bayer | [102] | |
| Group II: Marietheres Huonker | Group II: Alina Zetzsche | Group II: Kristina Kolberg | |||
| 2005 | Bettina Bayer | Brigitte Blickling | Katharina Teljuk | [103] | |
| 2006 | Berlin | Group I: Nicole Scheck | Group I: Bettina Bayer | Group I: Ina Seterbakken | [55] |
| Group II: Katja Grohmann | Group II: Jessica Erdin | Group II: Annchristin Huonker | |||
| 2007 | Oberstdorf | Group I: Sarah Hecken | Group I: Isabel Drescher | Group I: Katharina Gierok | [56] |
| Group II: Jessica Kosuch | Group II: Jessica Hujsl | Group II: Caroline Mey | |||
| 2008 | Dresden | Briana Munoz | Nathalie Weinzierl | Bettina Bayer | [57] |
| 2009 | Oberstdorf | Julia Pfrengle | Bettina Bayer | Josephine Klinger | [58] |
| 2010 | Mannheim | Luisa Weber | Jessica Füssinger | Jennifer Urban | [59] |
| 2011 | Oberstdorf | Anne Zetzsche | Anna Baumgartel | Amani Fancy | [60] |
| 2012 | Angelika Dubinski | Maria Herceg | Anna Baumgärtel | [61] | |
| 2013 | Lutricia Bock | Annabelle Prölß | Natalia Fartushina | [62] | |
| 2014 | Maria Herceg | Alissa Scheidt | [63] | ||
| 2015 | Lea Johanna Dastich | Kristina Isaev | [64] | ||
| 2016 | Berlin | Kristina Isaev | Annika Hocke | Alissa Scheidt | [65] |
| 2017 | Mannheim | Jennifer Schmidt | Dora Hus | Ann-Christin Marold | [66] |
| 2018 | Chemnitz | Ann-Christin Marold | Franziska Kettl | Tina Helleken | [67] |
| 2019 | Dortmund | Elodie Eudine | Katalin Janne Salatzki | [68] | |
| 2020 | Mannheim | Nargiz Suleymanova | Aya Hatakawa | Anastasia Steblyanka | [69] |
| 2021 | Competition cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||
| 2022 | Dortmund | Olesya Ray | Aya Hatakawa | Janne Salatzki | [104] |
| 2023 | Oberstdorf | Valentina Adrianova | Anna Grekul | [105] | |
| 2024 | Nicol Kalugina | Ina Jungmann | [106] | ||
| 2025 | Anna Gerke | Julia Grabowski | [74] | ||
| 2026 | |||||
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Chemnitz |
| No other competitors | [100] | |
| 2003 | Oberstdorf |
| No other competitors | [101] | |
| 2004 |
| [102] | |||
| 2006 | Berlin |
| No other competitors | [55] | |
| 2009 | Oberstdorf |
|
| No other competitors | [58] |
| 2010 | Mannheim |
| [59] | ||
| 2011 | Oberstdorf |
| No other competitors | [60] | |
| 2012 |
|
| [61] | ||
| 2013 | [62] | ||||
| 2014 |
| No other competitors | [63] | ||
| 2015 |
| [64] | |||
| 2016 | Berlin | [65] | |||
| 2017 | Mannheim |
| [66] | ||
| 2019 | Stuttgart |
| [68] | ||
| 2020 | Oberstdorf |
| No other competitors | [69] | |
| 2021 | Dortmund | No other competitors | [70] | ||
| 2022 | Neuss | [71] | |||
| 2023 | Oberstdorf |
|
|
| [72] |
| 2024 | Berlin |
| [73] | ||
| 2025 | Oberstdorf |
|
| No other competitors | [74] |
| 2026 | |||||
| Year | Location | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Chemnitz |
|
| [100] | |
| 2003 | Oberstdorf |
|
| No other competitors | [101] |
| 2004 |
| [102] | |||
| 2005 |
|
| [103] | ||
| 2006 | Berlin |
|
| [55] | |
| 2007 | Oberstdorf |
| [56] | ||
| 2008 | Dresden |
|
|
| [57] |
| 2009 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [58] | |
| 2010 | Mannheim |
| [59] | ||
| 2011 | Oberstdorf |
| [60] | ||
| 2012 |
|
| [61] | ||
| 2013 | [62] | ||||
| 2014 |
|
|
| [63] | |
| 2015 | Stuttgart |
| [64] | ||
| 2016 | Berlin |
|
| [65] | |
| 2017 | Mannheim |
|
| [66] | |
| 2018 | Frankfurt |
|
| [67] | |
| 2019 | Stuttgart |
|
| [68] | |
| 2020 | Oberstdorf |
|
|
| [69] |
| 2021 | Dortmund |
|
| No other competitors | [70] |
| 2022 | Neuss |
|
| [71] | |
| 2023 | Oberstdorf |
| [72] | ||
| 2024 | Berlin |
| [73] | ||
| 2025 | Oberstdorf |
|
| [74] | |
| 2026 |
| Discipline | Most championship titles | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Skater(s) | No. | Years | Ref. | |
| Men's singles | Werner Rittberger | 11 | 1911–13; 1920–26; 1928 | [107] |
| Women's singles | Ellen Brockhöft | 7 | 1921; 1923–28 | [108] |
| Nicole Schott | 2012; 2015; 2018–20; 2022–23 | [109] | ||
| Pairs | 8 | 2004–09; 2011; 2014 | [110] [111] | |
| Aljona Savchenko [a] | 10 | 2004–09; 2011; 2014; 2016; 2018 | ||
| Ice dance | 6 | 1968–73 | [7] | |
| 2007; 2011–15 | [112] | |||
| 1996; 1998–2000; 2003–04 | [113] [114] | |||