Women entitled to swim topless in Berlin’s public pools, city authorities rule

The ruling has been welcomed by the propagators of ‘Freikörperkultur’ - free body culture. In German culture, some believe ‘Freikörperkultur’ promotes harmony with nature and the concept of public nudity dates back to the 19th century.

Women in Berlin will soon be free to bathe topless in public swimming pools, following a ruling by the city’s authorities - triggered by a row after a woman, who was thrown out from an open-air pool for sunbathing topless, fought the humiliation legally.

The decision came after a women, thrown out from an open-air pool for sunbathing topless, took legal action. (AFP/Representative image)

A second incident also occurred in December when another woman, while bathing at an indoor pool in the German capital city, was asked to cover up, British broadcaster BBC reported. The city authorities, acknowledging the discrimination against women, hence said that all pool visitors in Berlin were now entitled to go topless.

To foreign visitors, the sight of naked Germans in public spaces including lakes and parks might come as a surprise, but the country’s culture, on contrary, considers public nudity appropriate and healthy in some settings, BBC said. Propagators of ‘Freikörperkultur’ - free body culture have welcomed the decision. In the country’s culture, some believe ‘Freikörperkultur’ promotes harmony with nature and the concept of public nudity dates back to the 19th century.

Following the decision, Berlin's swimming pool operator, the Berliner Bäderbetriebe (BBB) has not actually changed its rules. It insists that bathing suits must cover the genitals. However, it clarified that this rule applies to everyone, irrespective of their gender.