Women can now swim and sunbathe topless at Berlin’s public pools

Everyone can now swim topless at public pools in Berlin after a woman lodged a discrimination complaint.

Authorities have agreed all visitors at public pools in the German capital city should be allowed to be topless.

The Berlin senate for justice, diversity and anti-discrimination issued a statement last week making clear public baths must have non-discriminatory rules going forward, with the decision having been made in direct response to the unnamed woman’s complaint.

It said she had not been allowed to swim topless at a public pool like the men were.

The establishment’s rules specified swimwear must be worn but did not include gender-specific rules.

“The Ombudsman very much welcomes the decision of the bathing establishments because it creates equal rights for all Berliners, whether male, female or non-binary and because it also creates legal certainty for the staff in the bathing establishments,” Doris Liebscher said, who is the head of the Ombudsman’s office at the Berlin State Office for Equal Treatment and Against Discrimination.

“Now it is a matter of the regulation being applied consistently and no more evictions or house bans being issued.”

According to local media, one woman had taken legal action after she had been thrown out of an outdoor pool for sunbathing topless, while a second woman complained after she was told she had to cover her chest at an indoor pool.

Germany’s acceptance of nudity often surprises travellers.

The country is home to the informal naturist movement called Freikörperkultur or FKK, which translates to Free Body Culture, and dates back to the late 19th-century.

Germany opened its first official nude beach back in 1920 on the island of Sylt.