Berlin swimmers call to lift ban on Spree river

Berliners Challenge 100‑Year‑Old Spree Swim Ban

Hundreds of Berliners plunged into the Spree on Tuesday to protest the city’s 1925 prohibition on swimming in its main waterway.

“Swim Demonstration” Gains Colorful Crowd

• Swimmers donned vibrant bathing suits and floated on inflatable rafts.
• The event set against Berlin’s renowned cathedral and TV tower.

Why the Spree Remains Closed

While outer districts host plenty of wild‑swim spots, the Spree has been off‑limits since 1925. The ban lifted only for the demonstration, yet activists seek permanent access to the Spree canal.

Historical Context

• Early 20th‑century bathers enjoyed the river before industrial pollution rendered it too dirty.
• Modern industrial pollution has faded, but seasonal sewage discharges still threaten water quality.

Technology Offers a Solution

Activists argue that existing monitoring technology can keep the Spree safe for swimmers.

Voices from the River

• Alisan Yasar, 28‑year‑old lawyer: “The swim was wonderful, but you have to fight preconceptions—Berliners just don’t go into the Spree.”
• Dilara, 30‑year‑old marketing professional: “I went in slowly, then all the way in. I didn’t want to come out!”

Political Debate

• Berlin city assembly members back reopening the Spree, but many infrastructure delays and disagreements stall the project.
• Critics cite cost, claiming opening the river is a luxury unpaid for a cash‑strapped city.
• Organizer Katrin Androschin counters: “It’s not a luxury to open an already available waterway.” She notes a central location could prevent heat‑related illness under climate change.

Global Examples of River Re‑Opening

• Paris’s Seine: Cleaned for the 2024 Olympics; three swimming zones opened last month, first time since 1923.
• Munich’s Isar: Safe bathing now after UV disinfection in wastewater treatment plants.

Berlin’s demonstration marks both a historic protest and a call for a modern river‑swimming future.