Berliners protest against almost 100-year-old ban on swimming in the Spree River - PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA

A century ago, Berlin authorities banned swimming in the Spree River due to excessive water pollution that threatened people's health. Now, with water quality having improved significantly, activists are calling for the river to be returned to Berliners for recreation.

On Tuesday, June 17, around 200 people jumped into the Spree in the Mitte district to demonstrate that the water is already clean enough and that swimming in it is fun and safe. About this reported the Euronews.

Activists group Fluss Bad Berlin (“River Basin Berlin”) has been advocating for many years to allow citizens to swim in the urban part of the river again.

“For 100 years, people have been forbidden to swim in the Spree in the city center, and we think that this is no longer fair. After all, we can prove that in season the water is usually of proper quality,” explained Jan Edler, a member of the board of Fluss Bad Berlin and co-organizer of the action.

Photo: Markus Schreiber

He said the water has been significantly cleaned up in recent decades and its quality is constantly monitored. City officials in the Mitte district are also interested in resuming bathing as early as 2026.

"There are still many questions to be answered, but I am optimistic," city council member Ephraim Gothe told DPA.

Supporters of lifting the ban also cite examples from other cities. In Paris, the Seine River opened for swimming before the Olympic Games, and this summer the city's residents will be able to use it. In Vienna, residents swim in the Danube canal, in Basel in the Rhine, and in Amsterdam in specially designated canal areas.

Today, the water in the Spree is usually clean, except on days after heavy rains, when temporary pollution is possible.

Photo: Markus Schreiber

To allow swimming, restrictions on protected areas of the embankment will also have to be relaxed to provide safe access to the water and places for lifeguards.

Another problem is active shipping, which can pose a danger to swimmers. However, Fluss Bad Berlin currently proposes to open only an almost 2-kilometer section of the canal where there is no boat traffic.

Jan Edler also emphasizes that cities are getting hotter, and such places of rest in the city center are simply necessary in the heat.

Berliners protest against nearly 100-year-old ban on swimming in the Spree River

See also: