Germany is home to the free body culture movement also known as Freikörperkultur fkk. German naturism and free body culture is commonly recognized as the birthplace of modern European naturism.
In the 20th Century when social nudism really became organized in Europe, the Freikorperkultur (Free Body Culture) in Germany was prominent. “Nacktkultur” or FKK advocated the practice of social nudism by both sexes for hygienic, social and aesthetic reasons. 1 Nudism in Modern Life
History
The first German FKK organization was created in 1898 connected to the pursuit of good health. At the turn of the century as people moved away from the German cities the movement quickly spread. There was not connection to sexualized nakedness.
The naturist movement was about health as well as freeing people from shame, social inequality and from the unhealthy living environments in the crowded cities of early industrialization. 2 Why Germany’s nudist culture remains refreshing
The first Freikörperkultur club was founded in Essen. In 1900, bathhouses in Berlin and areas for the practice of social nudity in the Baltic Sea emerged and the naturist movement began in France. The FKK movement was based on the life reform movement, that did not consider the naked body is not a source of shame. 3 The history of FreiKkörperKultur does not equate nudity and sexuality. Germany’s first nudist camp, Freilichtpark (in English, “Free Light Park”), was opened in 1903 by Paul Zimmerman Klingberg in Lübeck Bay, near Hamburg, Germany. 4Klingberg open-air park The first nudist beach in Germany was established on Sylt in 1920.5Nudity in Germany: Here’s the naked truth
The first naturist hotel in Germany Lichthof Jungmöhl opened in 1929 in Mecklenburg. Jungmöhl is located on Lake Plau. 6 Plau had the first nudist hotel in the country Johannes (Hans) Mueller bought the property in 1928 and built a “hotel” for practitioners of Lebensreform. 7 Lichthof Jungmöhl FKK Museum
Nacktkultur a network of private clubs in Germany, promote nudism as a way to connect with nature. It is based on the term first used by Heinrich Pudor, in 1902. Pudor published three books in 1906 which advocated nudism, vegetarianism and communing with nature. Germany published the first nudist magazine in 1902.
German sociologist Heinrich Pudor, sometimes referred to as the “father of nudism”, wrote “The Cult of the Nude” promoting naturism. Shortly after, in 1903, Freilichtpark (Free Light Park) was the first know nudist park to be opened. 8Mussell, Gary L. A Brief History of Nudism and Naturist Movement in America (PDF) Southern California Naturist Association.
Richard Ungewitter was a German pioneer of Nacktkultur (a.k.a. Freikörperkultur/FKK) and writer of Nacktheit und Moral (1906), Nacktheit und Kultur (1907), and Nackt (1908). He was one of the first to propagate the nudist idea to the world, and is regarded as a “founder of nudism” 9
Naturist Vintage Freikorperkultur
Ungewitter founded the first nationwide nudist organization in Germany in 1906, called Vereinigung für Hygienische, Ethische und Ästhetische Kultur (Society for Hygienic, Ethical and Esthetic Culture). In 1914 the name was shortened.
In 1926, Adolf Koch a school master established a nudist school the Adolf Koch Institute. Koch encouraged athletic exercise without clothing for all the school’s students. He insisted his students take regular showers and introduced mat exercises and calisthenics outdoors to combat health deficiencies as part of a program of healthy living. 10 Adolf Koch The Berlin school hosted the first International Congress on Naturism In 1929.
In 1933, after the Hitler government came to power, the practice of nudism was partially banned. However, some naturists joined the Nazi Party to try to incorporate it into the physical health programs. 11 The history of FreiKkörperKultur During World War II the Nazis, tried to suppress the German FKK movement but it was revived in both East and West Germany after the war, flourishing in what was communist the East Germany.12Where to get naked in Germany
In 1963, the official German Nudity Association, the Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur, joined the German Olympic Sports Confederation, creating a deeper connection to sports fitness and health in Germany.
Modern German naturism
The DFK Deutscher Verband für Freikörperkultur is the national naturist organization in Germany. There are as many as 135 clubs in 7 regional associations in Germany. There many official beaches, naturist hiking trails and FKK zones in city parks including the English Garden in Munich has two large areas on the banks of the Eisbach.
Germans in general tend to be more comfortable with social public nudity than Americans with many more naturist opportunities available. Some German cities have designated public space for naturist activity. There are many options for naturist activity in Germany, from naturist clubs, to saunas, nude beaches and parks. 13Where to get naked in Germany
There are about 300 private nudist/FKK clubs with approximately 600,000 members and affiliated clubs in Austria. Naturists visit clubs to sunbathe nude enjoy naked jogging (nacktjoggen) or rambling (nacktwandern) clothes free, with only backpacks, or wearing boots or running shoes. 14Nudity in Germany: Here’s the naked truth
Until recently the practice of Freikörperkultur (FKK), which translates as “free body culture,” was as much a part of German culture, as techno music and “Spargelzeit,” the asparagus season. Some suggest there is a decline in naturism and Germany’s fondness for non sexual public nudity and point to the “western” gaze that accompanied reunification as the problem. 15 Why Germany’s nudist culture remains refreshing
Naturist places in Germany (map)
[drts-directory-view directory=”naturist_pla” name=”region_germany”]
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