Outside of no-clothes communities like Adolf Koch in Berlin, clothing-optional lakes and beaches are ubiquitous in Germany. There are numerous FKK communities throughout Germany © Sina Schuldt / Picture Alliance via Getty Images Other German naturist communities ' creates more intense connectedness with others and nature and thereby feels meaningful.' 'They are really highlights in my life,' he says.

He joined as a community member in 2016 and assumed the role of chairman earlier this year.Īmong the myriad sports and body awareness activities in which Julian participates, he particularly appreciates Adolf Koch's all-are-welcome outdoor events in spring and summer, including nude hikes and canoeing.

Julian became a regular guest participant at Adolf Koch's nude volleyball and swimming events in 2012. It felt liberating, so I wanted to feel this way more often.' 'But this experience… was a key moment as I felt particularly connected to myself, to nature and also to my friends. 'I had visited saunas and nude beaches with my parents before - especially as a child,' Julian says. But at its core, FKK is both order and freedom stripped down to their purest form.įor Julian, current chairman at Adolf Koch in Berlin, freedom was found on a warm summer's night at age 17 while skinny dipping with friends. It may seem strange that a culture synonymous with the phrase ordnung muss sein (order must be) would be so accepting of throwing caution to the wind when it comes to clothing. Related article: All the questions you're too embarrassed to ask about naturism is once again an internationally renowned FKK community center in Berlin.) (Nearly a century later, FSV Adolf Koch e.V.

The Nazi regime shut Koch's schools and largely curtailed the practice due to its socialist sentiments, but naturism quickly regained popularity after the war. Adolf Koch, a Berlin-born schoolteacher and early FKK advocate, led the naturism movement in post-World War I Germany by opening 13 training facilities devoted to nude athletics. Germany's first nude beach opened on the northern island of Sylt in 1920.

It’s a non-erotic celebration of the human form, often practiced in nature, and sometimes connected to athletics. This community-based form of naturism started in the late 19th century when Germans began exploring nudity as a means to improve their mental and physical well-being. Germans began exploring naturism as a way to improve mental health © Sina Schuldt/ Picture Alliance via Getty ImagesįKK, or Freikörperkultur, translates to Free Body Culture.

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