In its explanation, the DFB cited that "this combative sport is fundamentally foreign to the nature of women" and that "body and soul would inevitably suffer damage".

In 1981, DFB official Horst R. Schmidt was invited to send a team to the unofficial women's football world championship.

[5] To avoid humiliation, the DFB sent the German club champions Bergisch Gladbach 09, who went on to win the tournament and repeat the same feat three years later in 1984.

DFB president Hermann Neuberger appointed Gero Bisanz, an instructor at the Cologne Sports College, to set up the team.

[10] Starting in 1985, Bisanz increasingly called-up younger players, but at first had little success with this concept, as West Germany again failed to qualify for the 1987 European Championship finals.

[11] Undefeated and without conceding a goal, the German team qualified for the European Championship for the first time in 1989; the tournament was played on home soil in West Germany.

[15] The German team failed to defend their title at the 1993 European Championship, suffering a semi-final defeat to Italy in a penalty shootout, and later losing 1–3 against Denmark in the third-place playoff.

[16] Despite the disappointing result, new talents such as Steffi Jones, Maren Meinert and Silke Rottenberg made their tournament debut and later became key players for the German team.

The Swedish team managed to score early, but Germany came back to win 3–2 with goals from Maren Meinert, Prinz and Bettina Wiegmann.

[17] At the 1995 Women's World Cup in Sweden, the German team lost against the Scandinavian hosts, but still succeeded in winning their group by beating Japan and Brazil.

They beat Sweden 1–0 in the semi-final, and on 12 July 1997, claimed their fourth European championship with a 2–0 win over Italy, with goals from Sandra Minnert and Birgit Prinz.

With 54,642 people in attendance, among them U.S. President Bill Clinton, the crowd at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium was the biggest the German team had ever played in front of.

Following victories over Sweden, Russia and England in the group stage, the German team beat Norway 1–0 in the semi-final courtesy of a diving header by Sandra Smisek.

The game was scoreless after 90 minutes and went to extra time, where Claudia Müller scored a golden goal and secured the fifth European title for Germany.

The game went to extra time, where Nia Künzer headed the winning golden goal in the 98th minute to claim Germany's first Women's World Cup title.

In the third place match, Germany defeated Sweden 1–0 with a goal by Renate Lingor, winning the team's second Olympic bronze medal.

Germany won 3–1 with goals from Inka Grings, Renate Lingor and Birgit Prinz and added a sixth European title.

Birgit Prinz put Germany in front after half time and goalkeeper Nadine Angerer saved a penalty by Brazilian Marta.

[39] Grings retained her award as the tournament's top scorer from 2005, while Germany extended their winning streak at the European Championship finals to a 19-match run dating back to 1997.

[40] Germany hosted the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and won the three games on the group stage, over Canada, France and Nigeria.

[42] At the 2013 European Championship in Sweden, the Germans won their sixth straight continental title, with the decisive game being a 1–0 victory over Norway.

In the semi-final against the United States, Célia Šašić, who wound up as the tournament's top scorer, missed a penalty, and afterwards goals by Carli Lloyd and Kelley O'Hara lead to an American victory.

After tying with South Korea 1–1 alongside Morocco's 1–0 victory against Colombia, they were eliminated and missed the knockout stage for the first time in their history.

[60] The record attendance for Germany was 73,680 in the 2011 Women's World Cup opening game against Canada at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Away from home, the team's crowd record was 54,642 in the 1999 Women's World Cup quarter-final against the United States at the Jack Kent Cooke Stadium in Landover.

[65] In December 2007, all players of the World Cup squad received the Silberne Lorbeerblatt (Silver Laurel Leaf), the highest state decoration for athletes in Germany.

National coach Silvia Neid was awarded the Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon by German president Horst Köhler.

Win Draw Lose Void or postponed Fixture Christian Wück is the current head coach of the German women's national football team.

Notes: Birgit Prinz, a former team captain who retired after the 2011 World Cup,[90] holds the record for Germany for appearances, having played 214 times from 1994 to 2011.

[92] Wiegmann and Prinz have successively been awarded the title of honorary captain of the German women's national football team.