International Young Naturists Organisation
Naturist Resources => Blogs, Videos, Articles about Naturism/Nudity => Topic started by: Danee on September 23, 2013, 12:27:46 am
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Why DO Germans Love Getting Naked So Much?
There is a story on an NBC based website this week entitled Getting to the bottom of Germany's love of nudity.
The article is an interesting read. And we must admit: There's something different about Germans when it comes to being nakey. For example, many, many leaders of the Internationa Naturist Federation always seemed to be Germans as the Platypus worked in the industry. For another, and as the article points out, clothed and naked German bathers seem to get along fine together on the beach. And Germans seem to be among the best at accepting nudity among all ages.
We don't know why all of the above good things are so prevalent but we'll offer some theories. Maybe Germans ditch clothes because other aspects of life such as work and finances seem to be so regimented. Or maybe it's the effect of two major wars that cause them to sigh and accept they need to get along with others... a choose yer battles kind of thing.
Maybe Germans are more proud of their bodies...whatever their condition. Maybe it's a matter of history. The wandervogel (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wandervogel) youth (hippie like) movement in the early decades of the 20th century embraced nudity. And many nudist pioneers including K Bartel who started nudism in the US got a start among German peers.
(http://books.openedition.org/obp/docannexe/image/416/img-3.jpg)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/RAAF_1943_swimming_nude.jpeg)
FKK began in Germany as we all know. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freik%C3%B6rperkultur)
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/78/Fkk.png/220px-Fkk.png)
But again we're back more to observation than causation. Your Platypus theory ( with note to our own German ancestry) is that it's "in the blood." There may well be a genetic marker for being more apt to need freedom from clothes. A pre-disposition shared by some with autism (see nudity and autism revisited) or others wearing naked genes .
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they are more open to it ,and accepting than some other countries that's for sure.
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But most of acceptance starts after student revolution of 1968.... in all the years before germany also was very conservative. Only in communist east germany people were more open minded for it because they find a form of privat freedom in a country which was without political freedom.
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I agree with Goosy, the liberal feelings towards nudity seem very situational and the real free feelings towards nudity seem rather isolated to the eastern part of the country. Things just seem a bit more conservative here in Baden-Wuertemberg. Now with little kids going nude at pools and the sauna, nudity seems ok, but outside of that, I really haven't seen much.
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Please, don't think that Germany is a nudist paradise where all people hang out nude all the time.
Germany is a liberal country, and nudism is accepted there more than in the Anglo-Saxon or South European countries. But there are strict restrictions concerning it and only a minority of the German population practice it consistently.
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Hmm, I do have some German blood in my genes. Maybe that's why I've always enjoyed being nude. In any case, I'd love to visit Germany someday and enjoy some of the more open attitudes about nudity. Having a naked picnic in the city park where nudity is allowed (I forget the name) is on my to-do list.