Two saunas. Same wooden benches, same hot stones, same bodies. In Germany, everyone is naked and swimwear breaks the rules. In Britain, everyone is in a swimsuit doing the towel dance. So why the opposite? Seems wild, so let's get into it.
In this solo episode of Bare-ly Curious, Naomi Gale digs into the history of naturism and nude sauna culture in Germany and the UK. We cover what FKK (Freikörperkultur, "free body culture") actually is, and how the German life reform movement of the 1890s bundled nudism together with vegetarianism, hiking and yoga. We look at the uncomfortable history too, from nationalist nudism, and at how naturism became a quiet form of freedom in communist East Germany.
Then we turn to Britain. We used to be a nation of naked swimmers, so how did we lose it? From Victorian Turkish baths to privatisation and the law today, plus YouGov figures comparing British and German attitudes to public nudity.
And the twist: young Germans are stepping back from FKK, German women are no more likely to go topless than British women, and Britain's sauna boom keeps running into the same problem. Without a culture of consent, naked spaces don't feel safe for everyone.
Plus personal stories: skinny dipping in Margate, a hammam in Morocco with my children, and being told "the British don't come here" in a sauna.
Naturism, nudism and gymnosophy, with honesty, curiosity and consent at the centre.
Tell me your sauna stories, and if this episode got you thinking, please leave a rating and review. It really helps the show.
Vagina Circle: [https://thisisnaomigale.co.uk/vagina-workshop/]
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