Germany was 1 of the founding countries of the Eurovision Song Contest and has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest every year since 1956 apart from 1996 when its entry failed to qualify from a pre-selection round.
Germany's early decades at the Eurovision Song Contest were a mixed bag; a couple of top 5 placings but finishing last with zero points in 1964 and 1965. It would take Germany until 1970 to reach the top 3 for the first time when Katja Epstein represented the country in Amsterdam.
Germany's most successful decade at the Eurovision Song Contest was the 1980s where the country notched up six top 5 placings including 4 second place finishes and its first victory in 1982 when Nicole won the contest in Harrogate with Ein bißchen Frieden. In 2010, Lena won the Eurovision Song Contest for Germany for the second time with the song Satellite. In 2018, they made a return to the top 5 of the competition thanks to Michael Schulte's You Let Me Walk Alone.
German songwriter Ralph Siegel is one of the most notable figures in the competition, having written more than 20 different entries, including Germany's first winner in 1982.
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