Berlin: Cradle of Naturism

Tags:            

It all began in Berlin. We find a reference to it in a recently published book in Germany called "Simplicissimus", a journal analogous to the English "Punch" or the American "New Yorker". Eugen Roth says in his introduction: "Those who want to see for themselves how our freedom in Germany has been frittered away within a generation should peruse some of the back numbers of "Simplicissimus" from before the First World War. After scanning the first few pages they will realise just what could be said by word and illustration in much maligned Wilhelminian Germany".

This was the period which saw the birth of Free Body Culture: those fabulous years between 1900 and 1914. It must be admitted however, that those were years of an extremely delicate and shy childhood. It was not so much the comic-opera mustached Berlin police who gave trouble as the overzealous busybodies who looked on themselves as the self-appointed guardians of Berlin morals. In fact, if the first decade of this century hod not seen the popularisation of athletics and the spread of the fresh air and swimming cults, naturism's early years would have been spent in a far more intemperate climate. What a pity that so few mosaics have come to us from those early days of the nudist movement. All we have are some books and magazines devoted to the subject.

It is no exaggeration to maintain that nude bathing in small intimate circles could never be prohibited or banned. At any rate it "existed" at the beginning of the new century and that was that. There was no need to invent the practice of mixed social nudity but a means had to be found for bringing those interested into contact with one another. helios119_16

The magazine "Health and Beauty" first published in 1902 provided a strong momentum in this direction. The paper was devoted to air-bathing, physical culture and similar things. An even stronger influence was exercised by the monthly entitled "Beauty" which came out in 1903 under the direction of Karl Vanselow. Vanselow was mainly concerned with cultivating physical beauty, care of the body and reform of the strict clothing conventions prevalent at the time. He particularly desired a change in women's dress. Men's minds were excited by the new and pure relationship which was revealed by the naked "Homo Sapiens" and the subject of nude bathing. This very theme cropped up in the first and second years of publication and inspired many readers to written and verbal discussion.

We find, for instance, in volume IV/5 that a man, with his whole menage of seven persons (Husband, Wife, Son of 18 years, Housemaid aged 24, Adopted Daughter aged 22, Daughter aged 17, and Daughter aged 15) "have already been taking completely nude air-baths for the last eight years". The same reader says "all persons including servants take part, all housework and individual employment are carried out in the nude and clothing thus plays a comparatively small role in our thoughts". Someone else calls for clothing reform "through good example in public". "Let us go in straggling groups "he advises" when the official Sunday parade is taking place in the High Street. Let the men break the ice to be followed by the women. Shorts, sleeveless shirts, and no ties should be order of the day. The ladies might be clad in open blouses, have naked thighs and sandalled feet" (Quoted from 111/5).

The (rather unnecessarily inflated) readers' forum brought the subscribers of "Beauty" into family friendships and social contact with one another. But there were few who actually advertised for contacts. No estimate can now be made of the number of such nudist circles that existed in 1904/05 in the Berlin area, within the German Realm, or in the neighbouring countries.

The enterprising publisher of "Beauty", how-ever, was not content to rest on his oars and provided his readers with a chance of spending "relaxation hours" on a private island in the Havel river near the city. "The Rest-House stands in several acres of meadowland and beech-trees. Air and water baths may be had without your being subject to the gaze of curious prying eyes." Thus the announcement which graced the pages of "Beauty" in those for off days early in this century. A short time later friends of air and light were proposing the foundation of a naturist settlement and many building plans were discussed (copy 111/9).

It was in that year, too that Professor G. Herman issued his famous proclamation "Nudo-Natio" which concluded with the words "Forward, you who have been born naked, you Nudo-Nati. Which of you has the courage to declare himself openly to the community of the naked, to the Nudo-Natio-Alliance (ANNA)?" So it was that the "Naked Lodge" of the general Nudo-Natio-Alliance came into being. It was an association destined to embrace three "friendship grades". The aims seem grotesque and bloated to-day and ANNA did not exist for very long. The other lodges (Hellas, Valhalla, Swastika) had a longer life before they, too, ran on the rocks but remained the subject of ridicule because of their absurd ideals. The "Naked Lodges" had their location in Berlin but enjoyed much support from sympathisers from outside the city. Very few women took part and their proportion of the total figures must have been extremey small. (This article only purports to speak about the development of nudism in Berlin up to the year 1914. Richard Ungewitter's activities in Stuttgart are a chapter of nudist history in themselves). helios119_17

The advertisement supplement to the magazine "Beauty" in the days before the first world war repays study: "Take a cure while you sleep in Dr. Steiner's Paradise beds" "Karl Braun supplies reform-corsets, health bodices, camiknickers and also the well-known reform-knickers." "Buy Dr. Kissing's cigars. Recommended for all smokers allergic to nicotine". "ULIN prevents your hair falling out". "Salem Aleikum cigarettes have no expensive packing. All the cost goes into the cigarette itself".

A prominently placed advertisement stated that the "first Swiss light-and-air-home is now open. Nudism and Nude airbaths may be taken and you may lead a life in general consonance with the laws of nature. At Waidberg near Zurich. The owner and director is Th. Stern (retired Pastor)."

The foundation of the Nudo-Natio lodges had been a step outside the mere family gatherings but it was not until 1909 that a group appeared which resembled our modern clubs and which might almost be termed a "nudist club". This was the "Freya League" with its headquarters in Berlin. The statutes dated 23rd March 1909, state that "the aim of the league is to promote natural physical culture on a scientific, healthy and aesthetic basis" in the following ways:

a) Lectures and discussions on questions arising from all relevant spheres of knowledge and art.

b) Care of the body by means of nude mixed sporting events and games carried out in accordance with the rules of the league.

c) Reports and exchange of opinions in the national journal and the arranging of correspondence between members throughout the realm. Political aims of any kind are strictly banned".

The Nudo-Natio may have been the inspiring factor for all this but as it remained strictly in the background nothing stood in the way of registering the association as an official body. The President was Medical Superintendent Dr. Koster, a very well-known man of his time. The league thought to realise its aims and ideals through small groups as had hitherto been the case. No one envisaged the possibility of being able to interest larger circles of the population in the proposals. Naturist grounds in the sense that we understand them today were not yet available to the Freya League. A temporary solution to the problem was found in a private park placed at the League's disposal by a well-wisher. This property lay near the Berlin suburban railway at Zossen. During the wintertime the members of Freya rented a boxing gymnasium on a half-day basis for airbaths. One well-known example was in Hermesdorf.

The lonely rocks of the Swedish sea resort of Ronneby were to the few nudists of that time what the Mediterranean nudist beaches are to the sun-loving naturists of today. There were many at the turn of the century who well realised the health angle of nudism; they could perceive the great advantages of being able to expose the body to air and sun. But social or conventional considerations prevented them from giving support. Indeed, it took a lot of courage for eight men and two women to meet for a naked sunbath on a Sunday morning. One nudist veteran of those days, recalls: "I knew a Berlin group which had many male members. But only one single girl took part in the mixed nude air baths. She was quite young and obviously could never mention the matter at home. When she got engaged to a Professor of Theology (I) we never saw her again. Other girls appeared from time to time and were quite willing to allow us men strip naked in their presence but were unwilling themselves to take off the final piece of underclothing."

Wilhelm Kostner, a ladies' tailor, was the moving spirit among the sunfriends in Berlin during the last five or six years before the first World War. Kostner got to know the movement well during the days of the lodges and had seen their failure. But he became one of the founding fathers of the Freya League and when that organisation was dissolved in 1912 he presided at the birth of its successor: the "Monboddo League". This was transformed into the Air Bathing Association of Berlin, which actually played a part in the stormy development of the nudist movement in the immediate post-war years. Kdstner founded a publishing business and made considerable financial sacrifices for the growing naturist community. His magazine "Friend of Light" was a really grandiose conception for its day because of its excellent quality but it did not last for long. There was a loss of about $ 5,000 in today's money. Then a book called "Struggle" came from his presses; there was a second "Call to Women" and a further series of booklets from 1913 onwards. There was even a nudist novel with the title "Antonie's Experiences" written by F. A. Helmer. All from Kostner's publishing house.

Here are the words of one of Kostner's con-temporaries: "It is solely due to Kostner that the movement held together. Even during the world war meetings still took place in a large confectioner's shop. Every friend of light was also welcome to the large hospitable room behind the great Ladies' Tailoring Salon. The few of us who were not at the front (I had re-turned to the homeland wounded) were able to practice nudism on his grounds at Kapenick during the summer of 1915. It is a pity that this idealist who made such heavy financial sacrifices for the movement did not live to see its triumphant spread in the post-war years. But he died of a stomach disease brought on during the days of the hunger blockade in the summer of 1918."

There is no doubt that Wilhelm Kostner was one of the most prominent pioneers of the naturist movement and today's devotees should never forget him.


Next: Our Body - Carrier of Life