Sports : Germany

Sports are a favorite leisure-time activity in Germany. This is reflected not only in the popularity of television broadcasts but also in the fact that there are more than 86,000 clubs affiliated with the Deutscher Sportbund (DSB; German Sports Federation). Approximately 26.3 million people are members of a sports club - nearly 25 percent of the entire population - and another 12 million “do their own thing”.

Sports organizations in Germany are self-governing. They receive support from the state only where they lack the necessary funds. Government policy on sports is based on cooperation. This also applies in the new federal states, where independent organizations have been created. There, too, fair play and partnership come before victory at any price, and the focus is now on popular sports through clubs and associations as the foundation for the development of top-level sports.