Historic River Bath

During pre-industrial times, numerous bathing spots, particularly at Mühlendamm, were used for swimming. However, industrialization severely deteriorated the water quality in Berlin's waters, leading to the closure of most of these bathing areas. But there were exceptions, such as the Municipal River Bath in Lichtenberg, located directly on the Rummelsburger See, which was in operation from 1927 to 1950. There was also a bathing facility in the River Spree, right in front of the Berlin Palace, which was eventually closed in 1924. However, the most famous river bath was undoubtedly the "Pfuel'sche Badeanstalt" at the location of the present-day East Side Gallery.

In 1817, the military officer and politician Ernst Heinrich Adolf von Pfuel established the first official river bath at Köpenicker Straße 12. It originally served the purpose of military swimming training but soon became open to the general public as well. The facility had an enclosed water basin, and fishing constructions were designed to help inexperienced male swimmers stay afloat. According to different sources, the river bath operated until either 1925 or 1933 before it was also closed.

The association "Flussbad Berlin e.V." is now the first initiative since 2012 to advocate for transforming the Spree, specifically the Spree Canal in Mitte, into a public swimming area (see Flussbad).

Relevance: Sporting and social use of the River Spree.

Workshops - Spree 2030

As part of the SpreeBerlin Workshop, the project's research was communicated with the course participants, and a variety of perspectives on the Spree were examined through a stakeholder analysis. Finally, each person created a future story and dreamed of a day with a healthy Spree within the next 30 years.

VISIONS

Workshops - Spree 2030

Dreaming Together for a Healthy Spree