pititom

Maybe I will find here an answer for something that always struck me in Germany (and to some extends in Austria and germanic part of Switzerland) :

"Why do Germans enforce nudity in sauna / hammam areas ?"

I don't mind people being naked (although I would not recommend it as a doctor), but I am always bewildered when locals demand it on clothed guests, as if they wanted to see them naked.

Where my logic gets lost is in the lockers, which are separated between male and female, and provide booth for unclothing in intimacy, before everybody joins the wet area, totally naked.

If anyone has hints, I would love to hear them for my own culture.

oliver2002

Enforce? I have not seen anyone demanding you strip before entering a sauna area. Yes, Germans tend to visit the public sauna naked, but no one objects to you covering yourself with a towel or wearing swimming trunks. The same applies to changing areas. Granted the common dressing areas are annoying if you don't partake to observing others undress, but again no one objects if you use a large towel to cover yourself while changing if you are 'shy'.

hann

It's only for hygienic reasons. I don't even want to think about the bacterial conditions inside swimming trunks in a 90° Sauna with a humidity of 90%. I'm surprised about your recommendation as a doctor not to go naked.

I recently visited the Szechenyi bath in Budapest. All guest in the sauna wore clothes and didn't even use a towel. The smell in the sauna room was so bad I left after a few seconds.

pititom

I have been in hotel's wellness areas where I was politely pointed the "Nur textilefrei" sign by locals who seemed disturbed that I would keep my swimtrunks.

As for enforcement, in a recent trip to Munich, I wanted to try the Erding therms. There, I was asked by the staff to remove my swimtrunk : trying to say in my best German, that I would rather keep it, I was clearly answered that I would be evicted out of the complex if I didn't get naked.

So, yes...enforced. But that is not my question (after all, each society enforces its own regulation, like it or not) but more where is the origin of this and the reason too.

pititom

Hello. Thank you very much for taking the time to answer. Unfortunately, I don't buy the hygiene one.

The hygienic reason had already been given to me first time I asked while there and is a non-sense. I can understand that the sensation of sweating is less disturbing naked, but keep in mind that undergarments basic purpose IS hygiene. Plus, swimwear are nowadays made in non bacterial fabrics, which is NOT the case of the cotton towels used in lieu of swimwear. Or do you change towel after every sauna ?

But beside saunas, the hygienic non-sense struck me when I saw people naked in the jacuzzis. I will skip details as nobody needs to be gastroenterologist to see why.

oliver2002

Indeed, closer reading of the T&C of Therme Erding indeed say that the Sauna area is textilfrei

Like the FKK reference. Evidently it has been put in there for a reason

http://www.therme-erding.de/de/10068...tenschutz.html

My wife is finnish and is amazed to what extent the Germans have taken the Sauna.

cathaana

Same happened to an Australian friend of mine in a Therme close to Frankfurt. They couldn't really give a satisfactory reason as to why either.

mag

This is an interesting question.
I kind of never questioned it, as my "education" said when in sauna, go naked.
And I assume that it is enforced in Germany in order to take away the reasons to by shy in case you are shy... if everybody is naked, no reason to be shy.
I always assumed that it is rooted in sauna culture / Finland.

supermasterphil

Same at Claudius Therme in Cologne. They point out as well that they do not want you to wear clothes in the sauna. The change area for the sauna is mixed by the way

Many people were a towel or a bath robe though and only totally uncover while actually IN the sauna.

As for the hygiene, everybody is supposed to shower anyway before the sauna and most do before, in between and after the visits. Further, it is mandatory to sit on a towel, I don't recall anybody sitting on the wood with nothing in between.

I don't know why they enforce it but quite frankly, why would I want to wear anything while it is too hot anyway?

I'd rather have all people that mother nature didn't bless with good looks wear long sleeves and pants in summer. In a sauna, I at least expect to see unfortunate stuff.

RussianTexan

I am totally putting a sauna on my to-do list for Germany. Wow, didn't even think about it. This is gonna be great!

moeve

In the sauna there are untreated wooden benches and they get stains if they get wet. Wet bathing suits are REAL a problem for them. That is why you should ALWAYS be seated on your CLEAN towel with all parts of your body that come into contact with the wooden benches.

Bathing suites all have some sort of techincal fiber - be it lycra or what ever. Have a closer look at your bathing suit - it normally cannot be washed over 30 dergrees C never mind 60 or higher. Towels however can be washed at 90 to 95 Degrees C and are therefore far more hygienic.

That is why you should have a LARGE clean and dry towel for inside the sauna to sit or lie on (optionally a small one the wipe your sweat off) and then a regular towel to shower with.

SunshineStay

I can't tell you exactly why Germans prefer nudity in the Sauna, but we are not the only ones according to the German wikipedia, which also lists Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Russia, Sweden, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Switzerland, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia as countries, which prefer nudity in the sauna.

Cheetah_SA

I experienced this in Austria last year. An older (Dutch) gentleman was quite put out by the nudity requirement and decided not to partake of the sauna in the end. As he was our table neighbour for most of a week I knew he was a medical doctor and I also knew he was very fit and cut a good figure on the piste. So I can only assume that his reluctance was based on (what some would see as excessive) modesty.

Oh good, then I won't gross you out too much!

pititom

Hello and thanks for your answer. This one, no matter if it's THE reason or just one of them, sounds very interesting and does make sense.

But it only answers the sauna question. Why also in the jacuzzi or hammam, which are wood free ? Also, why do other people bother so much if you keep your swimsuit and seat on a towel ?

pititom

Indeed, I saw it in other countries (never in Italy though). My question was more why is it ENFORCED in Germany, while it is more a choice in other countries.