"Exclusively for the die-hard enthusiasts"
In a recent analysis, diplomat Frank Biermann has found a significant decrease in visitor numbers at three unheated summer pools in Berlin - Humboldthain, Insulaner, and Olympiastadion. The decrease, which amounted to 30 percent, was not primarily due to weather but rather to colder water temperatures and price increases.
Biermann's investigation also revealed a visitor decrease of 17 percent for the three heated pools - the Olympic Pool, the Prince's Bath, and the Gropius Bath - after adjusting for weather. These pools are set to close for the season on specified dates, with the Olympic Pool closing on a certain date, the Prince's Bath on September 27, and the Gropius Bath on September 30.
Interestingly, only three of the 14 summer pools in Berlin were heated during the season. The Kreuzberg Prince's Bath, which benefits from a solar panel, currently has a temperature of 22 to 23 degrees, while the unheated Olympic Pool is at 17 to 18 degrees.
In his analysis, Biermann defined a 'bathing day' as a day with a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius or more and no rain. He believes the cold water and higher entry prices, a result of budget cuts, are significant factors for the visitor decrease in the three unheated pools.
In the spring, Berlin's pools announced that they have to stop heating the pools because they have 3 million euros less. As a result, the Berlin Pool Operations (BBB) increased the entry prices. Biermann hopes his analysis will spark a political discussion about making public swimming pools accessible to everyone, including those who can't afford a vacation.
A district councilor from the Left party in Steglitz-Zehlendorf has already announced that he will look into this further. Biermann has sent his analysis to all members of the Sports Committee and the district councilors in the three districts whose pools he's investigated.
Security costs in the public pools amount to 2.5 million euros. Biermann, who swims two to three times a week when the water is bearable, concluded that the visitor decline in the three unheated summer pools is a concern that needs immediate attention. At the end of August, the BBB reported a 20 percent decrease in visitors across all summer pools.
As the outdoor pool season comes to an end, it is clear that measures need to be taken to ensure the accessibility and appeal of these public swimming facilities for all Berlin residents.
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