Water-absorbing, antimicrobial polymer particles comprising from about 1 to about 500 ppm, based on the particles, of a silver ion based on a silver salt, wherein the silver salt has a solubility product of at least about 1.times.10.sup.-8 (mol/l).sup.m+n; at least about 10 wt. %, based on the polymer particle, of a water-absorbing polymer based on: (.alpha.1) from about 50 to about 99.99 wt. % polymerized, ethylenically unsaturated, acid groups-containing monomers or salts thereof, (.alpha.2) 0 to about 40 wt. % polymerized, mono-ethylenically unsaturated monomers polymerizable with .alpha.1, (.alpha.3) from about 0.01 to about 5 wt. %, preferably from about 0.1 to about 3 wt. % of one or more crosslinkers, (.alpha.4) 0 to about 30 wt. % of a water soluble polymer and (.alpha.5) 0 to about 20 wt. % of auxiliaries, the concentration of the silver ion based on a silver salt in at most about 90 vol. % of the particles is less than about 0.01 ppm.