| Eurovision Song Contest 1996 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participating broadcaster | ARD[a] – Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) | |||
| Country |  Germany | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Ein bisschen Glück | |||
| Selection date(s) | 1 March 1996 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Leon | |||
| Selected song | "Planet of Blue" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) |
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| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | Failed to qualify (24th) | |||
| Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
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Germany was represented at the qualifying round for the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 with the song "Planet of Blue", written by Hanne Haller and Anna Rubach, and performed by Leon. The German participating broadcaster on behalf of ARD, Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR), organised the national final Ein bisschen Glück in order to select their entry for the contest. The entry failed to make it through the pre-selection round, meaning Germany was not represented at the Eurovision Song Contest for the first and only time.
The national final took place on 1 March 1996 and featured ten competing acts with the winner being selected through public televoting. "Planet of Blue" performed by Leon was selected as the German entry for Oslo after gaining 37.9% of the votes.
On 23 March 1996, Germany was not announced among the top 22 entries of the qualifying round of the Eurovision Song Contest on 20 and 21 March 1996 and therefore did not qualify to compete in the contest which took place on 18 May 1996, making it the nation's first and only absence from the contest to date. It was later revealed that Germany placed twenty-fourth out of the 29 participating countries in the qualifying round with 24 points.
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