Silbernes Lorbeerblatt (, ), the highest

sports award Sport is a physical activity or game, often competitive and organized, that maintains or improves physical ability and skills. Sport may provide enjoyment to participants and entertainment to spectators. The number of participants in a par ...

in Germany, was endowed on 23 June 1950 by the German President

Theodor Heuss Theodor Heuss (; 31 January 1884 – 12 December 1963) was a German liberal politician who served as the first president of West Germany from 1949 to 1959. His civil demeanour and his cordial nature – something of a contrast to German nati ...

. It is awarded to athletes and teams of exemplary character that have won medals at Olympic and

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of disability, disabilities. There are Winter Paralympic Games, Winter and Summer Paralympic Games, which since the 1988 ...

, won important international titles like the football

World Cup A world cup is a global sporting competition in which the participant entities – usually international teams or individuals representing their countries – compete for the title of world champion. The event most associated with the name is ...

, or placed several times at international championships. To be honored with Silbernes Lorbeerblatt, an athlete or a team has to be nominated by the president of the

German Olympic Sports Confederation The German Olympic Sports Confederation (, DOSB) was founded on 20 May 2006 by a merger of the ''Deutscher Sportbund'' (DSB), and the ''Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland'' (NOK) which dates back to 1895, the year it was founded a ...

to the German President. The request will be reviewed by the Office of the German President and the Federal Ministry of the Interior as this agency is responsible for sport in Germany. The President and the Minister of the Interior both sign the application, following article 58 of the ''Grundgesetz''.

Individual honourees

* Bengt Zikarsky, Swimming. *

Bernd Kannenberg Bernhard "Bernd" Kannenberg (20 August 1942 – 13 January 2021) was a West German race walker who won the 50 km event at the 1972 Summer Olympics. He also competed in the 20 km at the 1972 and 1976 Games, but failed to finish. In ...

, Race walking. Honoured 1972 *

Birgit Prinz Birgit Prinz (born 25 October 1977) is a German former footballer, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion and three-time FIFA World Player of the Year. In addition to the German national team, Prinz played for 1. FFC Frankfurt in the Frauen ...

, Football *

Boris Becker Boris Franz Becker (; born 22 November 1967) is a German former professional tennis player. He was ranked as the List of ATP number 1 ranked players, world No. 1 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP). Becker won 49 c ...

, Tennis. Honoured in 1985 * Boris Becker and

Michael Stich Michael Detlef Stich (; born 18 October 1968) is a German former professional tennis player. He was ranked world No. 2 in men's singles by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP), achieved in 1993, and No. 9 in men's doubles, achieved in ...

, 1992 Doubles Gold Medalists. Honoured 6 October 1992. *

Claudia Nicoleitzik Claudia Nicoleitzik (born 8 December 1989) is a Paralympian athlete from Germany competing mainly in category T36 sprint events. She competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, and the 2012 Summer Paralympics The 2012 Summer Pa ...

, paralympic sprinter. Honoured in 2008 and 2016. *

Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the great ...

NBA Champion The NBA Finals is the championship series for the National Basketball Association (NBA) held at the conclusion of its postseason. All NBA Finals have been played in a best-of-seven format, and are contested between the winners of the Easter ...

2011,

NBA MVP The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jor ...

2007,

NBA Finals MVP The Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player (formerly known as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1969 NBA Finals. The award is decided by a panel of eleven medi ...

2011, 13×

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Traditionally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of ...

. *

Edda Buding Edda Buding (13 November 1936 – 15 July 2014) was a German tennis player of Romanian birth. She received the doubles gold medal at the 1968 Summer Olympics doubles demonstration event partnered with Helga Niessen Masthoff. Along with Yola Ra ...

, Tennis. Honoured 1 January 1964 *

Fabian Hambüchen Fabian Hambüchen (also spelled Hambuechen; ; born 25 October 1987) is a retired Germany, German Gymnastics, gymnast who was an Olympic Games, Olympic champion on horizontal bar in Gymnastics at the 2016 Summer Olympics, Rio 2016, World champion ...

, Gymnast. *

Franz Beckenbauer Franz Anton Beckenbauer (; 11 September 1945 – 7 January 2024) was a German professional football player, manager, and official. Nicknamed ("the Emperor"), he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time, and is one of nine p ...

, Football. *

Fritz Thiedemann Fritz Thiedemann (; 3 March 1918 – 8 January 2000) was a German equestrian, considered to be one of the greatest show jumpers of his time. Biography Thiedemann was born as the son of a farmer. His riding talents became clear at a young age, b ...

Equestrianism Equestrianism (from Latin , , , 'horseman', 'horse'), commonly known as horse riding ( Commonwealth English) or horseback riding (American English), includes the disciplines of riding, driving, and vaulting. This broad description includes the ...

. Honoured 25 June 1950. *

Hans Lenk Hans Lenk (23 March 1935 – 30 July 2024) was a German rower who competed for the United Team of Germany in the 1960 Summer Olympics, and an Emeritus Professor of Philosophy. He was born in Berlin. In 1960, he was a crew member of the West Ger ...

, rowing. *

Heinrich Popow Heinrich Popow (born 14 July 1983) is a German sprinter. At the Paralympics 2012 in London he won Gold in 100 metres sprint. During his career he has been the World and European Champion in 100 metres sprint and World Champion in the long jum ...

, paralympic sprinter. Honoured on 6 November 2012 *

Helga Niessen Helga Niessen Masthoff (née Niessen; born 11 November 1941) is a former tennis player from West Germany. Her best Grand Slam singles tournament was when she reached the 1970 French Open final, losing to Margaret Court in straight sets. She w ...

, Tennis. Honoured 22 July 1970 *

Inge Pohmann Inge Pohmann (''née'' Hartelt; 1921 or 1922 – 26 January 2005) was a German female tennis player whose career lasted from the end of World War II until the mid-1950s. Pohmann won the German national singles title in 1950, 1951 and 1953. She ...

, Tennis. Honoured 25 June 1950. *

Jens Weißflog Jens Weißflog (; born 21 July 1964) is an East German and later German former ski jumper. He is one of the best and most successful ski jumpers in the history of the sport. He is a two time olympic and nordic world ski champion; also overall ...

, Ski jumping. *

Kirsten Bruhn Kirsten Bruhn (born 3 November 1969 in Eutin) is a former German female Paralympic swimmer. She learnt to swim when she was three. She began competing at ten before an accident in 1991. She was hurt during a holiday motorcycle trip on the island ...

, Paralympic swimmer. *

Lena Schöneborn Lena Schöneborn (born 11 April 1986 in Troisdorf, West Germany) is a German pentathlete, who won the gold medal in the Modern Pentathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She is living in Berlin and besides Pentathlon she is studying marketing. She w ...

, Modern Pentathlon. Honoured in 2008 *

Magdalena Neuner Magdalena "Lena" Holzer (, ; born 9 February 1987) is a retired Germans, German professional biathlon, biathlete. She is the Biathlon World Championships#Multiple medallist, most successful woman of all time at Biathlon World Championships and a ...

, biathlon.Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Olympioniken erhalten höchste Ehrung
''Frankfurter Rundschau''. 30 April 2010. Retrieved 12 August 2011. *

Mario Gómez Mario Gómez García (; born 10 July 1985) is a German former professional Association football, footballer who played as a Forward (association football)#Striker, striker. He represented the Germany national football team, Germany national team ...

, association football player. Honoured in 2010. *

Matthias Steiner Matthias Steiner (; born 25 August 1982) is a retired Austrian-German weightlifter, and Olympic gold medalist. As a native Austrian, he competed for Austria internationally from 1998 to 2005, in European Championships, World Championships, and ...

, Olympic weight-lifter. *

Mesut Özil Mesut Özil (, ; born 15 October 1988) is a German former professional association football, footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Known for his ball control, technical skills, creativity, passing skills, and vision, he is widely re ...

, football player, honored in 2014 *

Michael Schumacher Michael Schumacher (; born 3 January 1969) is a German former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to and from to . Schumacher won a record-setting seven Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, tied by Lewis Hamilton in ...

, at that time, dual World Drivers Champion. Honoured in 1997. *

Olaf Pollack Olaf Pollack (born 20 September 1973) is a German former professional Track cycling, track and Bicycle road racing, road racing cyclist specializing in Cycling sprinter, sprint races and competitions. Track race At the 2000 Olympic Games, Pollac ...

, rower, honored in 2001 *

Oliver Ortmann Oliver Ortmann (born 11 June 1967) is a German professional pool player from Gelsenkirchen. Ortmann is a three-time world champion, winning the 1995 WPA World Nine-ball Championship and the 2007 and 2010 World Straight Pool Championship. Ortman ...

, Cue Sports. Honoured in 1996 *

Ralf Souquet Ralf Souquet ( ; born 29 November 1968) is a German professional pool player. His nickname is "The Kaiser". Souquet is considered one of the greatest pool players of all time. Since 1988, he has won over 100 professional tournaments, including 2 ...

, Cue Sports. Honoured in 1997 * Rüdiger Neitzel, Handball, 1984 *

Sara Däbritz Sara Ilonka Däbritz (born 15 February 1995) is a German professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga F club Real Madrid and the Germany national team. Club career Däbritz began her junior career at SpVgg SV Weiden and SC Freibu ...

, honored 2016 *

Sebastian Vettel Sebastian Vettel (; born 3 July 1987) is a German racing driver who most recently competed in Formula One from to . Vettel won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he won consecutively from to with Red Bull, and rema ...

, at that time, dual World Drivers Champion. Honoured on 22 February 2012. *

Steffi Graf Stefanie Maria Graf ( , ; born 14 June 1969) is a German former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the List of WTA number 1 ranked singles tennis players, world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for a r ...

, Tennis. *

Toni Ulmen Anton "Toni" Ulmen (25 January 1906 – 4 November 1976) was a German motorcycle and racing driver from Düsseldorf, Germany. His racing career started in 1925 on a 250 cc Velocette. In 1927 he won the opening race of the Nürburgring on a 350 ...

, Motor Sport. Honoured in 1953 *

Verena Bentele Verena Bentele (born 28 February 1982, in Lindau) is a blind German Paralympic biathlete and cross-country skier. She studied at the Carl-Strehl Schule, a special school for the blind and partially sighted in Marburg, Germany. She won her firs ...

, blind Paralympic biathlete and cross-country skier. * Werner Grübmeyer. Honoured 1954 *

Wilhelm Brem Wilhelm Brem (born 23 November 1977) is a Paralympic biathlete and cross-country skier representing Germany in the Winter Paralympics and the IPC World Championships. He often skis with Florian Grimm as his guide. As of the 2014 Winter Paralymp ...

, vision-impaired Paralympic gold medalist in skiing. Honoured in 2010. *

Wolfgang Güllich Wolfgang Güllich (24 October 1960 – 31 August 1992) was a German rock climber, who is considered one of the greatest and most influential climbers in the history of the sport. Güllich dominated sport climbing after his 1984 ascent of ''Kan ...

, Sport climbing, honoured in 1985, with

Kurt Albert Kurt Albert (January 28, 1954 – September 28, 2010) was a German climber and photographer. He started climbing at the age of 14. Before he committed himself to a career of climbing in 1986, he was a mathematics and physics teacher. Climbing ...

. *

Xu Huaiwen Huaiwen Xu ( zh, t=徐懷雯, p=Xú Huáiwén, s=徐怀雯; born 2 August 1975) is a German badminton player. Born in Guiyang, Guizhou, China, she decided to play for Germany because the Chinese thought that she was too short to play profession ...

, Badminton * Thomas Gerull, fencing

Teams

* 1. TC Ludwigsburg A-Team (

formation dance Formation dance is a style of ballroom dancing. It is pattern or shadow team dancing by couples in a formation team. The choreography may be based on a particular dance or a medley of dances. Formation dancing may be done for exhibition or for com ...

Standard, World Champion 1985–1990, 1995, 1996, 2007) *

Bayern Munich Fußball-Club Bayern München e. V. (FCB, ), commonly known as Bayern Munich (), FC Bayern () or simply Bayern, is a German professional sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. They are most known for their men's professional football team, ...

(in 1967) * Braunschweiger TSC A-Team (

Standard, World Champion 1991–1994, 2000, 2004, 2005, 2011) * Deutschlandachter (for winning Olympic gold at the

London 2012 Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

) * Deutschlandachter (for winning Olympic silver at the

Rio 2016 Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

) *

Germany men's national handball team The Germany national handball team is the country's national men's handball team and represents Germany in international tournaments in men's handball and is one of the most successful handball teams in the world, having ...

(World Champion 2007) *

Germany national football team The Germany national football team () represents Germany in men's international Association football, football and played its first match in 1908. The team is governed by the German Football Association (''Deutscher Fußball-Bund''), founded ...

(European Champion 1972, 1980, 1996 and World Champion 1954, 1974, 1990, 2014) * Germany national women's wheelchair basketball team (Paralympic silver medallists 2008, Paralympic gold medallists 2012) *

Germany women's national football team The Germany women's national football team () represents Germany in international Women's association football, women's football. The team is governed by the German Football Association (DFB). The Germany national team is one of the most succ ...

(European Champion 1989, 1991, 1995, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2013 and World Champion 2003, 2007 and Olympic Games Champion 2016) * Pinta yachting team (

One Ton Cup The One Ton Cup is a trophy presented to the winner of a sailing competition created in 1899 in sports, 1899 by the Cercle de la voile de Paris (CVP). Synopsis The One Ton Cup regattas were at the beginning of races between one-tonner sailing ...

and

Admiral's Cup The Admiral's Cup is an international yachting regatta. For many years it was known as the unofficial world championship of offshore racing. The Admiral's Cup regatta was started in 1957 and was normally a biennial event (occurring in odd-number ...

in 1994) *

Team Telekom A team is a group of individuals (human or non-human) working together to achieve their goal. As defined by Professor Leigh Thompson of the Kellogg School of Management, " team is a group of people who are interdependent with respect to info ...

(First place at the

1997 Tour de France The 1997 Tour de France was the 84th edition of the Tour de France and took place from 5 to 27 July. Jan Ullrich's victory margin of 9:09 was the largest margin of victory since Laurent Fignon won the 1984 Tour de France by 10:32. Since 1997 no r ...

) * TSG Bremerhaven A-Team (

Latin American, World Champion 1977, 1979–1981, 1983–1985, 1987, 1991, 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2007) *

VfB Stuttgart Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V. (), commonly known as VfB Stuttgart (), is a German professional sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club's Association football, football team is currently part of Germany's f ...

(for the German football championship 1950)

References

{{reflist Awards established in 1950 German sports trophies and awards 1950 establishments in West Germany