Naturism in Germany, a long tradition fighting to survive

With the arrival of warmer weather, it’s common to cool off in the lakes and rivers found across Germany. In the Berlin region, for example, there are lakes both in built-up areas and in the countryside, but they all have one thing in common: nudism. That may surprise some tourists, but for locals it is completely normal. It is part of summer, just like barbecues or the Biergarten, the country’s typical beer terraces.

This nudism is the legacy of decades of naturism, a whole life philosophy that seeks to live in harmony with nature. The so-called free-body culture or Freikörperkultur (known by its German initials FKK), dates back to the late 19th century.

“It was part of the life-reform movement with its slogan ‘Back to nature,’ which aimed to counter industrialization,” explains Maren Möhring, professor of comparative history of culture and society in modern Europe at Leipzig University. “The idea was precisely to expose the whole body to sun and air to contribute to its well-being. It also included exercising.”

It became popular in the 1920s and, with the arrival of Nazism, was seen as a way to promote the “perfect Aryan body.” Even filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl made documentaries showing athletic, naked men. But in that era, as Möhring points out, “the main idea was to check whether the other person was healthy and that had, in part, antisemitic implications, since one could also tell if someone was circumcised.”

After World War II, people dissociated from organized naturism. In the German Democratic Republic (GDR), associations were banned, and people simply did it on their own. It began to be seen as a kind of “democratic nudity” where everyone was equal. At first, the GDR tried to suppress it, but in the 1970s it decided to tolerate it. Meanwhile, in western Germany, beaches were clearly segregated.

“With reunification, this was a big problem. Baltic Sea hoteliers told people: ‘You can’t bathe naked here anymore, because many West Germans find it strange to see naked people when it’s not a nudist beach,’” the professor explains. But the practice continued on lakes in the east.

But why was it so popular? According to Möhring, if analyzed from a philosophical or even historical‑cultural point of view, one must take into account Goethe’s belief that “Only the naked human being is the true human being.” “Of course, he meant it metaphorically. But I think there is a tradition of thought according to which covering oneself implies a desire to hide something,” she explains.

Religion was also key. The main German naturist centers are located in Protestant regions. “It was different in Catholic areas,” she notes. “The Catholic Church was the major opponent and brought numerous lawsuits against naturist associations for immorality.”

The future of naturism — or simply the pleasure of going nude at a lake — is uncertain due to the rise of social media. Young people are more cautious, fearing surreptitious photos. However, the German Federation of Naturism (DFK), which counts 120 clubs, remains optimistic and foresees a “bright future.” After years of decline, membership has risen from 32,000 in 2018 to around 35,000 today. It is worth noting that in eastern Germany, there is little tradition of formal membership, making it difficult to determine the exact number of adherents.

The vice president of the DFK, Manuela Fernández, believes this growth is due to efforts to modernize websites and social media presence in order to reach younger audiences. For now, however, more than half of the members are aged 61 or over.

“We’ve been growing for about five years,” she says. “I think people have come to understand that this is not an outdated, narrow-minded, or limited culture. Naturism is in harmony with nature. We want to live sustainably, protect the environment, and preserve it—and those are modern goals.”

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