Berlin Allows Topless Swimming for All After Woman’s Discrimination Complaint

A woman swims in a pool at a public bath in Berlin (Image: Reuters)

A woman swims in a pool at a public bath in Berlin (Image: Reuters)

The ruling was made after a woman who was not allowed to go topless in a swimming pool in Berlin filed a discrimination complaint

Women in Berlin, like men, will soon be allowed to go topless at the city’s public swimming pools, the state government announced following a discrimination complaint by a woman who was not allowed to go topless in a swimming pool in the German capital.

The ruling was made after a woman who was not allowed to go topless in a swimming pool in Berlin filed a discrimination complaint. The woman, whose identity was not revealed, had approached the senate’s ombudsperson’s office for equal treatment to demand that women, like men, can swim topless, the Berlin senate for justice, diversity and anti-discrimination said in a written statement.

According to the BBC, a second woman had also stated she was told to cover up while at an indoor pool in December.

Authorities acknowledged the discrimination and stated the new bathing rules would allow everyone to go swimming without covering their torsos.

“The ombudsperson’s office very much welcomes the decision of the Baederbetriebe, because it establishes equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary, and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff at the Baederbetriebe,” said Doris Liebscher, the head of the ombudsperson’s office.

In reaction to the complaint and the ombudsman’s involvement in the case, the Berliner Baederbetriebe, which runs the city’s public pools, decided to change its clothing rules, the statement said.

In the past, women who bared their breasts at Berlin pools were asked to cover themselves or to leave the pool, and were sometimes banned from returning.

Freikörperkultur or Free Body Culture

Nude sunbathing has a long tradition in Germany as the ‘Freikörperkultur’, a German term that translates to “Free Body Culture”, movement was founded in the early 20th century. The movement emphasises naturalness, simplicity, and a lack of shame around nudity.

For decades nudity was a popular way for those living in Communist East Germany to express themselves and initially grew as a reaction to the rigidity and repression of Wilhelmine Germany. East German beaches on the Baltic were always filled with nude bathers.

However, following the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989, tensions sometimes flared when some western German tourists unaccustomed to the widespread nudity complained.

Today, the FKK culture is still prevalent in Germany, with many practitioners enjoying their time at nude beaches, saunas, and parks in a non-sexualized and non-judgmental environment.

“Now it is important that the regulation is applied consistently and that no more expulsions or house bans are issued,” Liebscher said.

The exact date for the implementation of the new bathing rules is not yet clear.

(With inputs from agencies)

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