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SWIMMING

Freibad fracas: Rows escalate at Germany’s open air swimming pools

Open-air swimming pools offer relief to the sweltering heat. But they are increasingly becoming “aggressive” places, pool bosses say, with the latest row involving hundreds of people in Düsseldorf.

Published: 1 July 2019 09:09 CEST
Freibad fracas: Rows escalate at Germany's open air swimming pools
Police outside the Rheinbad swimming pool on Saturday. Photo: DPA

An outdoor swimming pool (Freibad) was forced to close its doors early at the weekend due to a mass argument between customers. 

Dozens of police police officers arrived at the Rheinbad in Düsseldorf on Saturday afternoon to calm the situation which reportedly involved up to 400 people.

Regional newspaper the Rheinische Post reported that a 53-year-old man had felt harassed by a small group of young people, and a large dispute developed from there.

The officers, who also became the target of insults after their arrival, managed to escort the man and his family safely out of the outdoor pool.

One person was arrested but was released from police custody on Saturday evening.

The operators of the pool decided to close the facility early due to the drama. A police spokesman said that there had been no physical conflict.

READ ALSO: Germany bakes in record June temperatures

The Rheinbad was open again on Sunday, a sweltering hot day in Germany. Photo: DPA

Bad atmosphere at pools

It’s not the first time in recent weeks there’s been unrest at a Freibad.

At a swimming pool in Essen last Monday, a group of young men reportedly attacked two lifeguards and a young girl. The city then doubled the number of security guards at the pool.

In Hesse tensions boiled over last Wednesday in front of an overcrowded bathing facility. Due to large crowds, the entrance was temporarily closed. But, according to police, about 200 people tried to enter the pool by force. Some people queuing threw stones and insulted security staff. 

Meanwhile, at an outdoor swimming pool in Mannheim, a man sprayed pepper spray during a family argument on Saturday. Five people, including two children, suffered minor injuries.

Peter Harzheim, president of the Federal Association of German Pool Attendants, warned against volatile behaviour at outdoor pools.

“The atmosphere in the outdoor swimming pools is becoming more and more aggressive,” Harzheim told the Rheinische Post. 

For about 10 to 15 years it has been getting worse every year, he added. “This is a frightening development. We have to take tough action.”

Christian Ochsenbauer from the German Society for Bathing added: “The topic of aggressiveness is currently making waves.” Ochsenbauer said he supported the call “to take tougher action” issued by the pool attendants association.

As the Local reported, swimming pools in Germany are also dealing with staff shortages. It is estimated there are at least 2,500 vacant posts for lifeguards at roughly 6,000 pools operated by local authorities or private companies across the country.

READ ALSO: German pools cut opening hours amid lifeguard shortage

Harzheim believes the development goes against the ethos of Germany's outdoor swimming culture: “A swimming pool is a place of relaxation, wellness, getting to know each other, communication,” he said. “You should be able to relax there.”

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CLIMATE

Climate crisis: The Italian cities worst affected by flooding and heatwaves

The climate crisis is causing serious problems for Italy's biggest cities and extreme weather events are going to become more frequent, according to a new report.

Published: 21 September 2021 17:30 CEST
Climate crisis: The Italian cities worst affected by flooding and heatwaves
A file photo from November 12th, 2019 shows flooding during an exceptionally high 'acqua alta' in Venice.Photo: Marco Bertorello/AFP

Anyone who was in Italy throughout this year’s long, hot summer may suspect that heatwaves are becoming a more frequent occurrence.

And residents of the lagoon city of Venice will no doubt be able to attest to the devastating impact of serious floods, as well as to the fact that such events appear to be becoming increasingly frequent.

In fact, a new study by the Euro-Mediterranean Center on Climate Change (CMCC) has confirmed that the incidence rate of both heatwaves and floods in Italy has increased significantly – and is only expected to keep rising.

READ ALSO: From Venice to Mont Blanc, how is the climate crisis affecting Italy?

The report stated that average temperatures have risen overall in the last 30 years and continue to rise in all cities.

“Risks associated with climate change affect all Italian regions and their economic sectors,” the study’s authors stated. “Despite contrasts, with different areas being affected in different ways, there are no regions that can be considered immune from climate risks.”

The report found that the southern city of Naples had experienced the biggest increase in the frequency and severity of heatwaves.

Heatwaves fuelled the most destructive fire season to date in Italy this summer Photo: Nicolas TUCAT/AFP

The southern city has in recent years reported an average of 50 more intensely hot days per year than it did at the beginning of the century.

The same figure for Milan was +30 days, Turin +29 and Rome +28. 

Although extreme weather events have always existed and Italy is no stranger to intense heat, numerous studies have found that the climate crisis is making heatwaves more frequent and more dangerous.

Meanwhile, in Venice, over the last 150 years the relative water level of the city has risen by more than 30 centimeters, and the critical threshold has been exceeded 40 times in the last 10 years, the CMCC found..

The report also warned that the city of Bologna could expect to see an increase in the intensity and frequency of flooding in the future.

READ ALSO: Floods in Italy: What to do when there’s a weather warning

It added that “all scenarios” showed an increased risk of heatwaves and urban flooding in the coming years.

In 2019, Rome was found to be the city in Europe most at risk of flooding, according to water monitoring authorities.

“There are parts of Rome that can’t withstand a heavy downpour,” said the Central Apennines District Basin Authority.

Rome’s soft soil and famous hills make it naturally vulnerable to erosion and mudslides, while the authority said poorly maintained sewers, waste dumping and vegetation blocking the course of the Tiber and Aniene rivers were contributing to the flood risk.

Previous studies have also found that Rome suffered the highest number of extreme weather events overall in recent years.

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