If you’re visiting the German city of Rostock anytime soon, you might want to pack light – as too many clothes can get you kicked off certain beaches.
Local authorities have proposed new rules to ban clothed visitors from designated nudist spots, giving wardens the power to issue warnings or even ban individuals from the beach if they fail to comply.
The city, located on Germany’s Baltic Sea coast, is home to a 15km stretch of coastline separated into naturist-only, mixed and clothed sections.
In a 23-page set of rules recently submitted to the city council, Rostock’s tourism authority said: ‘The presence on nudist beaches is reserved exclusively for people practising nudism. Clothed bathing and clothed sunbathing are not permitted.’
The measure follows ‘numerous complaints’ from people who have felt harassed in the naturist areas, with Moritz Naumann from Rostock Tourism telling The Independent: ‘The main focus is to protect those who genuinely feel disturbed.’
However, you won’t immediately be kicked off the beach for wearing clothes, as the rules are only to be enforced ‘in case of conflict’.
‘It should be noted not every situation where someone wears clothes in this area directly leads to a conflict,’ Naumann continued.
He added that it’s important visitors feel comfortable on the beaches, ‘especially in sensitive areas’, and aren’t forced to others breaking etiquette with the likes of offensive comments, staring, or taking photos and videos.
Officials have taken this step to maintain Freikörperkultur (FKK), or Free Body Culture on these beaches.
FKK, the first official naturist club in Germany, was founded in Essen in 1898, starting a movement which encouraged participants to embrace the non-erotic celebration of the human form by practising naturism and nudity.
Naturism has a long tradition in Rostock too, with nude-only sections on its Diedrichshagen Beach, Markgradenheide Beach and Warnemunde Beach.
Naumann noted that city authorities have seen a decrease in the number of people practising FKK – and in response, they have limited the number of naturist beaches from 37 to 27.
But naturism is also falling out of popularity with younger generations across the country.
Last year, the German Association for Free Body Culture (DFK) told members that its anniversary celebrations would not go ahead due to a lack of interest.
Membership of the DFK has dropped from 65,000 people in 1999 to 34,000 currently, with many remaining members said to be losing interest.
Alfred Sigloch, president of DFK, previously blamed social media and mobile phone usage, saying they‘promote a perfect body image that gives many young people unrealistic ideals and makes them uncomfortable about being naked’.
Despite this, Germany is one of the most accepting countries for nudity in the world, offering a number of spaces reserved for naturists in parks, beaches, clubs and saunas.
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