You'll stand sweating for at least half an hour, toe to toe with truculent teens in crop tops and hot toddlers with their overheating, overburdened parents, before you finally get to enter.
This summer, it got even harder to get a swim as Berlin was plagued by what local newspapers described as a "wave of violence" at municipal pools. Almost every other day, there was a headline about a water-adjacent rampage. Forget the war in Ukraine. Even Germany's Chancellor, Olaf Scholz, ended up commenting on Berlin's public pool scraps. They also made the international news. In one incident, about 50 teenagers took control of a giant slide and refused to leave.
In another, neo-Nazis gathered to protest against immigrants coming for a paddle. At several pools, lifeguards got into fist fights with punters. In an open letter published by Berlin newspaper Der Tagesspiegel, pool staff described their jobs as "psychological terror".
This story is from the September 09-15 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the September 09-15 2023 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
First-world problem
Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.
Applying intelligence to AI
I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.
Nazism rears its head
Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.
Staying ahead of the game
Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?
Grasping the nettle
Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.
Hangry? Eat breakfast
People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.
Chemical reaction
Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.
Me and my guitar
Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.
Time is on my side
Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?
The kids are not alright
Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.
