Nudists worry as interest in naked public displays plummets
Nudists are worrying that interest in naked public displays has taken a downturn in recent years.
The German Association for Free Body Culture (DFK) is concerned that people aren’t baring it all as membership has declined and people seem to be losing interest in going au naturel.
DFK has seen membership drop from 65,000 people 25 years ago to fewer than 34,000 now, according to The Guardian.
And those who are official nudists don’t seem excited to be stripping down.
The DFK recently canceled its anniversary celebration in August due to a lack of interest.
Germany has long been considered one of the most liberal countries in the world for public nudity with free body culture dating back to the late 19th century.
For decades, nudists have casually stripped down in designated areas in parks and on beaches without a second thought.
However, it seems people’s carefree attitudes toward public nudity have been covered up.
DFK President Alfred Sigloch claimed that changing attitudes toward the movement can be attributed to a long list of reasons from generational differences to the fact that a camera phone is usually in sight.
He also believes that social media has increased people’s insecurities.
“The rise of the cult of the perfect body on TikTok or Instagram is increasing the pressure to not want to undress,” Sigloch said.
The leader also noted that the rise of “glamping” has contributed to the decline as FKK-dedicated camping sites have been shut down and converted to welcome glampers — who bring in more money.
But the FKK community has seen a small spike in interest since the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This can be attributed, among other things, to the fact that the pandemic has encouraged many people to seek alternative and healthy outdoor leisure activities,” Sigloch said.
He plans to advocate for his community and hopes to attract more members ready to strip down and strut around.
“We will fight to keep onboard every single naked person who wants to be with us,” he said. “FKK is an ancient culture that cannot and will not die.”
And Sigloch isn’t the only one working to welcome more nudity.
Nudist couples hoping to celebrate their nuptials in the buff have an open invitation from Italian officials in Is Benas beach, located halfway up Sardinia’s west coast.
Although visitors have been shedding their scanties on the sands of Is Benas for years. San Vero Mills Mayor Luigi Tedeschi, who’s been in office since 2015, officially designated the beach a clothing-optional spot two years ago and recently announced the plan to begin hosting weddings.
