Germany has officially participated in every
Eurovision Song Contest since its beginning in
1956, except in
1996 when its entry did not qualify past the audio-only pre-selection round, and consequently was not seen in the broadcast final and does not count as one of Germany's 59 appearances. No other country has been represented as often.
France and the
United Kingdom come in a close second, missing only two contests each. Before
German reunification in 1990, it occasionally presented as
West Germany, representing the
Federal Republic of Germany.
East Germany (the German Democratic Republic) did not compete. Germany has won two contests, in
1982 and
2010.