Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared in only 20 of the 22 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948.

The nation appeared 11 times as a single country (IOC code GER), before World War II and again after German reunification in 1990.

Three times, from 1956 to 1964, German athletes from the separate states in West and East competed as a United Team of Germany, which is currently listed by the IOC as EUA, not GER.

The all-time results of German athletes are thus divided among the designations GER, EUA, FRG, GDR and also SAA (the Saarland only took part in the 1952 Summer games and won no medal).

Both 1932 games, held during the worldwide Great Depression, suffered from low European participation due to high cost of travel overseas.

In June 1939, Garmisch-Partenkirchen was selected again, but three months later World War II broke out and the 1940 Winter Games were cancelled in November 1939.

Following the annual meeting of the IOC in Vienna in May 1951, invitations were extended to the German Olympic Committee, placed in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Thus Germans from West Germany took part in the 1952 Winter Olympics in 21 of 22 events, winning two Gold medals in bobsleigh, and one in figure skating.

In Olympic Games in 1956, 1960 and 1964, German athletes of both states competed together as United Team of Germany (GER then, currently designated EUA).