In Germany, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at highlighting inclusivity sparked lively debate when a public swimming pool promoted an event dedicated solely to Black communities.
Nestled in front of Berlin’s iconic Volksbuhne theatre, this temporary open-air pool made its debut just last week and will be a summer staple for the next eight weeks.
With a hefty investment of €300,000 (£256,289), this pop-up pool was intended to be a vibrant meeting place for locals. However, a significant wave of scrutiny hit when it announced plans to restrict access to most of the public for a single day.
Scheduled for Friday, August 14, the Volksbuhne’s official website—aptly named ‘People’s Theatre’—noted, “During this period, the public bath will be open exclusively to Black communities.”
From 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. on that day, the 25-meter pool will not be accessible to the general public, with organizers calling for respect towards this “collective self-designation” and the exclusive space it creates.
Volksbuhne has since cancelled the event, which was in partnership with the anti-discrimination community project Each One Teach One (EOTO).
The theatre cited ‘security concerns’ for its decision, which followed ‘the fact that swimming for Black children and teenagers has become the target of right-wing and racist harassment’.
It comes after a German beach faced heavy criticism last week after bathers were told by a lifeguard that they must speak the language – or they would be banned from the lake.
The temporary open-air pool in front of Berlin’s Volksbuhne theatre was officially opened just last week, and will remain open for eight weeks
The €300,000 (£256,289) pop-up was promoted as a summer meeting spot for locals
The swimming pool in Volksbuhne was originally announced as a symbol against exclusion and commercialisation, with it being marketed as a ‘summer invitation’.
The event was held in collaboration with the public-funded EOTO, which offers social and cultural programmes for Black people.
The move sparked anger from excluded Berliners after the project’s six-figure sum was funded by Volksbuhne, which receives more than €20million (£17million) annually from public funding.
The number of swimmers allowed to use the pool at one time is limited to 46, with the theatre estimating costs of around €300,000 for an expected 20,000 visitors.
It is, notably, free to use for visitors.
Volksbuhne’s new director Matthias Lilienthal described the move as wishing to provide people a place to swim in a city where options are limited.
He told German news outlet ZDF: ‘Half of the indoor and outdoor pools are closed, so we thought we’d help out Governing Mayor Kai Wegner.
‘The Volksbuhne considers even something as simple as two people splashing each other to be a theatrical event’, he added.
A German beach has caused a racism row after its lifeguard ruled bathers must speak German
Heidebad beach in Halle, north-east Germany, saw the rules introduced after Mathias Nobel said swimmers’ safety was threatened
The Volksbuhne am Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz theatre dates back to 1914, and is widely viewed as one of Berlin’s most historic theatres. It welcomes around 130,000 visitors with its, on average, 20 events per week.
Meanwhile, a racism row erupted at the Heidebad lakeside beach in Halle, eastern Germany, when a lifeguard banned those who could not speak German from the lake this summer.
Mathias Nobel decided bathers should be able to understand safety rules after saving a toddler who almost drowned after swimming into a 138ft-deep section of the lake in June.
Described as the ‘German-only’ policy, Mr Nobel was accused of discrimination and racism.
Authorities in Halle told him to row back on the language rules and warned moves which ‘might be perceived as xenophobic’ could damage the city’s reputation.
The far-Right Alternative for Germany (AfD) seized on the row and said German swimming pools were becoming ‘danger zones’.
It added: ‘When private operators are forced to implement their own language controls to ensure the safety of swimmers, the state’s loss of control has definitively reached the heart of our society.’
But Mr Nobel was criticised by the German life-saving association and the country’s anti-discrimination agency pointed out there were no equivalent rules for German tourists bathing abroad.
He told The Telegraph: ‘I had large families coming by and when I tried to explain the safety rules to the parents, it was clear they could not understand me.
‘It was the same if I asked them how old their children were, because under-fives swim for free here. And if I saw a child swimming without armbands, and tried to speak with them, the response was simply “ja, ja” [yes, yes], and I did not feel they knew what I meant.’
He said he was worried the language barrier could cause serious harm and added he denies any allegations of racism.
For him, the issue was about ‘listening to lifeguards’ and ‘respect’.
Halle lies in the former East German state of Saxony-Anhalt, which is set for elections next month in which immigration remains a primary issue.
Currently the centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) is the largest party in the state parliament but the AfD finished second in the last poll and will look to add to its 23 seats in the 83-strong legislature.
Nationally, CDU Chancellor Friedrich Merz has taken a hardline on immigration in response to the AfD threat.
This month, Mr Merz’s government continued a spat with Italy over migrant transfers under the EU’s Dublin system, which gives responsibility for asylum-seekers to the first bloc country the individual entered.
The Volksbuhne has been contacted for comment.