Some interesting thoughts and a good read I found on the net:
It wasn’t until I left the UK that I learned how to be naked
In Germany, there’s no huddling under towels to get dressed
By Sarah Magill, February 5, 2024
When I moved to Berlin nine years ago, one of the most striking culture shocks I faced was the locals’ relative ease with public nudity. In saunas, that is.
For Germans – or Berliners, at least – stripping off to use the sauna is completely normal. Likewise, in the changing rooms and showers of sports facilities, there’s no huddling under towels to get dressed. There’s simply no stigma attached to walking around au naturel. This was in stark contrast to what I’d always experienced in the UK. I even saw a sign at a swimming pool in Essex once urging people to keep their swimsuits on in the showers “in the interests of modesty”.
Entering a sweaty wooden cabin full of happily naked people for the first time in Berlin was uncomfortable, of course. I found myself grappling with self-consciousness on two fronts – over my own body and in an attempt to conceal my intrigue at the variety of appendages on display. But I enjoyed the ritual of the sauna, especially the Aufguss (meaning “infusion”) procedure, during which a member of staff pours scented water on hot coals and skillfully disperses the resulting heat around with fans, for an even, more intense, sensation. I’d never experienced anything as elaborate in the UK, where I’d only ever sporadically indulged in a sauna session following a swim or gym workout, provided there was one available (which wasn’t very often).
But in Germany, saunas are a common feature of most sports facilities and there are at least 20 public saunas in Berlin alone. Sauna culture is a big deal here. Last year, well over a quarter of the German population frequently went to the sauna or steam bath in their free time...
