The pictures were published on Friday in the Sueddeutsche Zeitung magazine under a headline recalling the famous 1963 "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech by U.S. President John F. Kennedy that paid tribute to West Berlin's freedom after the Wall was built.
Swimmer Petra Dallmann was depicted holding a photograph in front of her face of Hu Jia, who the magazine said has often criticised human rights in China.
"China promised to do more for human rights when it won the right to host the Olympics," Dallmann is quoted saying. "But instead of that, critics such as Hu Jia were condemned to prison sentences beforehand that were designed to intimidate others."
Dallmann added: "I hope the issues aren't forgotten once the Olympic Games are finished."
Water polo player Soeren Mackeben, who earlier this year spoke in favour of the team wearing orange robes as a silent tribute to Tibet, is pictured in his swim suit on the cover of the magazine next to a headline: "The naked truth".
'Incomprehensible Injustice'
Mackeben, who later scrapped the orange robe idea, is covering his face with a picture of Ye Guozhu. The magazine said he was sent to jail for four years for protesting against his restaurant being demolished for the Olympics.
"We should all stand up for everyone being able to express their opinion without suffering consequences -- in China and everywhere in the world," Mackeben said.
"Ye Guozhu's case is an incomprehensible injustice and irreconcilable with the Olympic spirit."
The weekly magazine also had fencer Imke Duplitzer covering her face with a picture of Gao Zhisheng, an attorney with a record for defending dissidents.
"We're both fighters," Duplitzer said. "I'm fighting as an athlete for a medal while he's fighting as a lawyer for justice. Which do you think is more important?"
Sabine Spitz, a mountain biker going to her third Olympics, was pictured with a mask of Yang Tongyan. He is a writer jailed for calling for more democracy in China.
"When I went to the Games in Sydney and Athens, I was really looking forward to it," she said. "I can't say that this time. I don't know what I should think about a country that denies its own people freedom of speech."
Other Germans included in the cover story include Eva Trautmann and Steffen Gebhardt (both modern pentathlon) and sailing competitors Ute Hoepfner, Julia Bleck, Ulrike Schuemann.
