The East German Figure Skating Championships () were an annual figure skating competition organized by the Ice Skating Association of East Germany () to crown the national champions of East Germany. The first championships held after the partition of Germany took place in 1949 in Oberhof. They were held regularly between 1949 and 1990, at which point East Germany was reunited with West Germany.
Medals were awarded in men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance at the senior and junior levels, although each discipline was not necessarily held every year due to a lack of participants. Jan Hoffmann holds the record for winning the most East German Championship titles in men's singles (with eight), while Gabriele Seyfert holds the record in women's singles (with ten). The record in pair skating is held by Heinz-Ulrich Walther (with six), although those were not all won with the same partner. Annerose Baier and Eberhard Rüger hold the record in ice dance (with seven).
History 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 (), also known as West Germany; and the German Democratic Republic (), also known as East Germany.
The first figure skating championships held in the east after the division of Germany took place in 1949 as part of a larger competition featuring several winter sports () in Oberhof. The East German Figure Skating Championships () were held annually from 1949 to 1990, except for 1957 and 1958. Ice dance was added as an event in 1954, but held sporadically through the history of East Germany. During this same time period, separate figure skating championships were held in West Germany; those results are considered the historic results of the German Figure Skating Championships.
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. 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.
Senior medalists
Men's singles +Senior men's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1949 Oberhof No men's competitors 1950 Schierke Helmut Lisinek No other competitors 1951 East Berlin Horst Kuhrüber Heinz Kuhrüber No other competitors 1952 Kurt Weilert Horst Kuhrüber Heinz Kuhrüber 1953 Oberhof Horst Kuhrüber Heinz Kuhrüber Wolfgang Hartung 1954 East Berlin Heinz Kuhrüber Horst Kuhrüber No other competitors 1955 Geising Wolfgang Hartung 1956 Rostock No men's competitors No national championships held 1959 Bodo Bockenauer Michael Flebbe No other competitors 1960 1961 Dresden 1962 East Berlin Ralph Borghard 1963 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ralph Borghard Günter Zöller 1964 East Berlin 1965 Günter Zöller No other competitors 1966 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ralph Borghard Günter Zöller Rolf Österreich 1967 Günter Zöller Reinhard Mirmseker Klaus Purrücker 1968 East Berlin Rolf Österreich Ralf Richter 1969 Karl-Marx-Stadt Jan Hoffmann 1970 East Berlin 1971 Karl-Marx-Stadt Jan Hoffmann Ralf Richter Bernd Wunderlich 1972 East Berlin Günter Zöller Jan Hoffmann 1973 Dresden Jan Hoffmann Bernd Wunderlich Michael Glaubitz 1974 East Berlin Michael Glaubitz Bernd Wunderlich 1975 Dresden Bernd Wunderlich Hermann Schulz No other competitors 1976 East Berlin Jan Hoffmann Mario Liebers Falko Kirsten 1977 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1978 Torsten Ohlow 1979 East Berlin Hermann Schulz 1980 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1981 Hermann Schulz Ralf Lewandowski Alexander König 1982 No men's competitors 1983 East Berlin Falko Kirsten Nils Köpp Alexander König 1984 Karl-Marx-Stadt Alexander König Nils Köpp 1985 East Berlin Nils Köpp Ralf Lewandowski 1986 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1987 East Berlin No other competitors 1988 Karl-Marx-Stadt Michael Huth Rico Krahnert Mirko Eichhorn 1989 East Berlin Mirko Eichhorn Ronny Winkler Rico Krahnert 1990 Karl-Marx-Stadt Ronny Winkler Mirko Eichhorn Thomas Dörmer
Women's singles +Senior women's event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1949 Oberhof Gudrun Olbricht Brigitte Schellhorn Gerda Siepert 1950 Schierke Brigitte Schellhorn Grunhild Poltin No other competitors 1951 East Berlin Gunhild Poltin Brigitte Schellhorn Inge Kabisch 1952 Inge Kabisch Renate Brettschneider Jutta Seyfert 1953 Oberhof Annemarie Klöpsch 1954 East Berlin Jutta Seyfert Brigitte Schellhorn 1955 Geising Christa Schulze 1956 Rostock Marie-Luise Dostmann Helga Böttger No other competitors No national championships held 1959 Monika Ziemke Hella Rathje Irene Müller 1960 Heidemarie Steiner Monika Ziemke 1961 Dresden Gabriele Seyfert Monika Ziemke Heidemarie Steiner 1962 East Berlin Heidemarie Steiner Brigitte Klewer 1963 Karl-Marx-Stadt Marianne Mirmseker 1964 East Berlin Marianne Mirmseker Beate Richter 1965 Beate Richter Jutta Will 1966 Karl-Marx-Stadt Martina Clausner 1967 1968 East Berlin Martina Clausner Kerstin Stolfig 1969 Karl-Marx-Stadt Sonja Morgenstern Christine Errath 1970 East Berlin 1971 Karl-Marx-Stadt Sonja Morgenstern Christine Errath Simone Gräfe 1972 East Berlin Steffi Knoll 1973 Dresden Anett Pötzsch 1974 East Berlin Christine Errath Anett Pötzsch Marion Weber 1975 Dresden Steffi Knoll 1976 East Berlin Anett Pötzsch Marion Weber Karin Enke 1977 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1978 Carola Weißenberg Marion Weber 1979 East Berlin Katarina Witt 1980 Karl-Marx-Stadt Katarina Witt Carola Weißenberg 1981 Katarina Witt Carola Paul Karin Hendschke 1982 Janina Wirth Carola Paul 1983 East Berlin Karin Hendschke 1984 Karl-Marx-Stadt Simone Koch Constanze Gensel 1985 East Berlin Constanze Gensel Simone Koch 1986 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1987 East Berlin Inga Gauter 1988 Karl-Marx-Stadt Simone Koch Evelyn Großmann 1989 East Berlin Evelyn Großmann Simone Lang Simone Koch 1990 Karl-Marx-Stadt Tanja Krienke Cathrin Degler Claudia Wagler
Pairs +Senior pairs' event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze 1949 Oberhof No other competitors 1950 Schierke No other competitors 1951 East Berlin 1952 No other competitors 1953 Oberhof No pairs competitors 1954 East Berlin No other competitors 1955 Geising 1956 Rostock No pairs competitors No national championships held 1959 No other competitors 1960 1961 Dresden 1962 East Berlin 1963 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1964 East Berlin 1965 1966 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1967 1968 East Berlin 1969 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1970 East Berlin 1971 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1972 East Berlin 1973 Dresden 1974 East Berlin 1975 Dresden 1976 East Berlin 1977 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1978 1979 East Berlin 1980 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1981 1982 1983 East Berlin 1984 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1985 East Berlin 1986 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1987 East Berlin 1988 Karl-Marx-Stadt No other competitors 1989 East Berlin 1990 Karl-Marx-Stadt
Ice dance Kati Winkler and René Lohse originally trained in single skating, but switched to ice dance after an injury prevented Winkler from executing the necessary jumps. In an interview, Lohse stated: "It was a hard time, because for eighteen years, there was no ice dancing in East Germany and we were the first who started it again." +Senior ice dance event medalists Year Location Gold Silver Bronze No ice dance competitions prior to 1954 1954 East Berlin 1955 Geising No other competitors 1956 Rostock No other competitors No national championships held No ice dance competitors 1963 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1964 East Berlin 1965 1966 1967 1968 East Berlin 1969 Karl-Marx-Stadt 1970 East Berlin No other competitors No ice dance competitors 1989 East Berlin 1990 Karl-Marx-Stadt No other competitors
Records
+ Discipline Most championship titles Skater(s) Years Men's singles 8 1971;1973–74;1976–80 Women's singles 10 1961–70 Pairs 6 1962;1964;1966–67;1969–70 Ice dance 7 1964–70
Notes
References
External links The Deutscher Eissport-Verband and the Berlin Wall at Skate Guard