‘Bad nudist’ crackdown: New rules on bad naturist etiquette in Germany.
Rear view of naturist sitting on nudist public beach, hold bra.
Credit: Shutterstock, Alex Vog
No ifs, no buts: beach wardens in a German sea resort, have officially been given the power to tell clothed beachgoers to take their clothes off or a hike.
Rostock, perched on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, has declared new rules demanding visitors on designated nudist sections do exactly what it says on the tin – go nude. The port city’s new regulation means anyone wearing clothes in designated naturist-only zones could face a ban.
The decision came after, as Rostock Tourism’s Moritz Naumann told CNN, “numerous complaints from people who felt harassed in the naturist (or nudist) areas.” Naumann explained the measure is intended only to be used in “case of conflict.”
Local authorities, who oversee 19km of pristine coastline scattered with 37 official nudist beaches, have decided enough’s enough after a flurry of complaints from both sides of the sunbathing divide. According to the new guidelines, ‘The presence on nudist beaches is reserved exclusively for people practising nudism. Clothed bathing and clothed sunbathing are not permitted.’
City patrols (organised by the public order office, the Ordnungsamt) will politely remind any overly shy swimmers that it’s time to peel off their cossies or move along. No fines will be issued yet, but officials are determined to keep these sandy stretches in the spirit of Freikörperkultur (Free Body Culture), a long-standing German tradition that kicked off some 130 years ago.
A long tradition stripped bare
Germany, boasting more than 3,700km of coastline on both the North and Baltic Seas, has long been a nudist haven. The Freikörperkultur movement, or FKK for short, promotes a celebration of the human body and a belief in better mental and physical health through naturism. However, times are changing, with fewer younger people joining the movement. Critics also claim the crackdown might be out of date and unenforceable – but for now, it’s no clothes, no problem.
Nudity done right
Rostock aims to keep everyone happy along its 15-kilometre coastline (that’s about nine miles). The beach is divided into three sections: naturist-only, mixed and textile-only. So, if you’d prefer to keep your kit on, don’t worry – you won’t be turfed out of town.
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