Racquetball first arrived in Germany in the early 1980s through the U.S. military. Following World War II, numerous U.S. military bases were established across West Germany, and many of them featured racquetball courts that regularly hosted tournaments. Germans living near the bases—or working with the military—were introduced to the sport and quickly developed an interest in it.
As racquetball’s popularity grew in the United States during the 1980s, Germany opened its first 11 public courts in Hamburg in 1980. The city would later host the 1988 IRF World Championships, marking a significant milestone in the country’s racquetball history. Additional public courts were built in cities such as Munich and Erlangen, and by the end of the decade, Germany had approximately 300 racquetball courts, most of them located on U.S. military installations.
Following the end of the Cold War in the 1990s, many American troops left Germany, military bases were closed, and with them, many racquetball courts disappeared. Today, racquetball remains a niche sport in Germany, but its legacy lives on. Public courts are still available in Hamburg and Worms, while racquetball courts can also be found on U.S. military bases in nine other cities, continuing the sport’s unique connection to its history in Germany.
Info: Mike MeseckeFB: https://www.facebook.com/european.racquetball
