How do Germans feel about coed naked saunas, sun bathing in the nude or even walking through a private yard in the buff… right in front of passing trains or pedestrians? My first reaction would be to say that Germans are naturalists at heart and truly comfortable and at home with their bodies. They seem to see no connection between public nudity and sex, but I can’t help but wonder if this attitude will change over time.
I recently read an article on BBC about this very topic. The author described his experiences in male locker rooms with female cleaners and coed saunas… all in which he seemed to be the only party embarrassed by the situation.
When I go to the saunas or a public beach, I feel like the there are way more saggy old people and families with young children than people in the 15-35 year range, so I can’t help but wonder if the historic trend of naturalism will change with future generations. I brought this up in a discussion with a French class of students around 14 years old, and they unanimously agreed that being naked in a public place was “gross.” Is this their age? Is this their cultural background (while 60% German, our students come from a very international mix )? Or are the days of feeling free to walk around in the buff, change openly on the beach or sweat it out in a coed sauna going to come to an end?


































