Water-absorbing, antimicrobial polymer particle comprising - 1 to 500 ppm, based on the polymer particle, of a silver ion based on a silver salt, wherein the silver salt Ag m X n has a solubility product of at least 1 x 10 -8 (mol/l) m+n; - at least 10% by weight, based on the polymer particle, of a water-absorbing polymer based on: (α1) 50 to 99.99% by weight polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated, acid group-containing monomers or salts thereof or mixtures thereof, (α2) 0 to 40% by weight polymerized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomers polymerizable with α1, (α3) 0.01 to 5% by weight of one or more cross-linkers, wherein these cross-linkers are compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups within one molecule (cross-linker class I), compounds having at least two functional groups which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class II), compounds having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one functional group which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class III), or polyvalent metal cations (cross-linker class IV), (α4) 0 to 30% by weight of a water-soluble polymer and also (α5) 0 to 20% by weight of one or more auxiliaries, wherein the auxiliaries used are modifiers, odour binders, surfactants or antioxidants, wherein the sum total of amounts by weight of (α1) to (α5) is 100% by weight; - optionally suitable additives which contribute to the stabilisation of the silver ion or the silver salt and substances which prevent or at least delay discolouration caused by silver; wherein the concentration of the silver ion based on a silver salt is less than 0.01 ppm in at most 90% by volume of the water-absorbing, antimicrobial polymer particle and where X in the silver salt formula Ag m X n is an anion from the group of nitrate, carbonate, sulphate, hydrogen sulphate, alum, phosphate, acrylate, lactate, acetate, sulphonate, benzoate, trifluoromethanesulphonate or acrylate and wherein the water-absorbing, antimicrobial polymer particles are postcrosslinked with a postcrosslinker in an amount in a range from 0.01 to 30% by weight, based on the weight of the polymer particle. - 1 to 500 ppm, based on the polymer particle, of a silver ion based on a silver salt, wherein the silver salt Ag m X n has a solubility product of at least 1 x 10 -8 (mol/l) m+n; - at least 10% by weight, based on the polymer particle, of a water-absorbing polymer based on: (α1) 50 to 99.99% by weight polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated, acid group-containing monomers or salts thereof or mixtures thereof, (α2) 0 to 40% by weight polymerized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomers polymerizable with α1, (α3) 0.01 to 5% by weight of one or more cross-linkers, wherein these cross-linkers are compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups within one molecule (cross-linker class I), compounds having at least two functional groups which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class II), compounds having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one functional group which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class III), or polyvalent metal cations (cross-linker class IV), (α4) 0 to 30% by weight of a water-soluble polymer and also (α5) 0 to 20% by weight of one or more auxiliaries, wherein the auxiliaries used are modifiers, odour binders, surfactants or antioxidants, wherein the sum total of amounts by weight of (α1) to (α5) is 100% by weight; (α1) 50 to 99.99% by weight polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated, acid group-containing monomers or salts thereof or mixtures thereof, (α2) 0 to 40% by weight polymerized, monoethylenically unsaturated monomers polymerizable with α1, (α3) 0.01 to 5% by weight of one or more cross-linkers, wherein these cross-linkers are compounds having at least two ethylenically unsaturated groups within one molecule (cross-linker class I), compounds having at least two functional groups which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class II), compounds having at least one ethylenically unsaturated group and at least one functional group which can react with functional groups of the monomers (α1) or (α2) in a condensation reaction, in an addition reaction or in a ring-opening reaction (cross-linker class III), or polyvalent metal cations (cross-linker class IV), (α4) 0 to 30% by weight of a water-soluble polymer and also (α5) 0 to 20% by weight of one or more auxiliaries, wherein the auxiliaries used are modifiers, odour binders, surfactants or antioxidants, - optionally suitable additives which contribute to the stabilisation of the silver ion or the silver salt and substances which prevent or at least delay discolouration caused by silver;