Part 2: Free body culture (FKK)

A thin metallic rope separates my garden from that of my neighbour’s. If I look to the left, I have a direct view of their entire terrace and part of their living room; not very private at all. My neighbours are medicine students and they often parade their roughly 25 year-old, muscly, gym-toned bodies wearing just their tight boxers outside on said terrace while rubbing suncream into each other’s backs (they both have girlfriends, by the way).  Ok, I admit that I secretly enjoy this.  That was, until a few weeks ago, when I was quietly enjoying my dinner outside with my husband.  I glanced over to my neighbour’s flat and saw my neighbour completely au naturel. Yes, you heard it, in the nuddy. The worst thing about this was that the balcony door was wide open and I could hear him talking to his flatmate as if he were also standing there in the very same room. I resisted the urge to keep my head turned long enough to see if he was also baring all.

Go down to your local gym and you will find changing rooms full of people getting undressed,  dressed, showered, etc. in big, open rooms, all naked, all together. Who needs separate shower cubicles or separate changing cubicles anyway? (Me!) Go to your doctor for an ankle examination and he will ask you to take off your trousers first. Go for a quiet Sunday walk along the river in Heidelberg and you will find unofficially designated areas for naked sunbathers, who take naked showers beside the river. Switch on the TV after midnight and you will be confronted with even more naked bodies.

Germany is famous for starting FKK (Freikörperkultur) – the free body culture movement, which basically boils down to enjoying the experience of being nude, whether in a club, on a beach, pool, park, etc. The first FKK club was formed in 1898 and events, summer camps, even holidays organized according to FKK principles continue to this day, albeit to a lesser extent. According to the Guardian, German nudity is on the decline at a rate of 2% per year due to falling birth rates and increased immigrants coming from countries with strong religious beliefs.

 A few years ago now, I remember hearing about naturist holidays in Germany. FKK has always been more of an Eastern German phenomenon and these holidays catered towards the former East Germans, fondly known as the “Ossis”. Not just FKK in a resort though – FKK im Flugzeug (in the aeroplane), too. Jawohl, they were offering naked flights to Germany’s Baltic Sea (which is also literally baltic by the way, but that is beside the point.) Passengers were allowed to undress once in the aeroplane and dress again on landing. For safety reasons, however, pilots and air hostesses had to remain fully clothed. What a relief.

As the famous German folk song goes, “Über den Wolken muss die Freiheit wohl grenzenlos sein.” Above the clouds (as well as on the ground) in Germany, freedom, it would seem, does indeed know no bounds.