Leisure time
Crowds at Berlin’s outdoor pools – entry only with ID
View of the Columbia Bad in Neukölln. It will remain closed until Monday. (drone shot) photo
© Paul Zinken/dpa
After repeated violence in Berlin’s outdoor pools in the recent past, something has changed. Operators and the state government have introduced stricter security measures.
With the police and ID checks: Despite discussions about violent incidents in swimming pools, the rush to Berlin’s outdoor pools on Saturday is great. Long queues formed in the morning and around noon in front of the Prinzenbad in Berlin-Kreuzberg or in front of the summer pool at the Insulaner in Steglitz. In Steglitz, employees used megaphones to organize visitors and informed them about the need for photo identification. In the swimming pool itself, some police officers were checking on things. A police station also stood in front of the Prinzenbad and watched what was going on.
After repeated violence in Berlin’s outdoor pools, the operators and the Berlin state government had tightened security measures. As of this Saturday, entry to the baths is only possible with an ID card. In addition to the identity card, visitors could show their driver’s license or a student ID card, it said. According to dpa reporters, the photo ID was not strictly checked upon entry.
In order to avoid overcrowded pools, admission stops should be imposed much earlier than before and the security staff should be increased. The triggers were clashes in outdoor pools in Neukölln and Kreuzberg. The Columbiabad in Neukölln was cleared again last Sunday. Since then, the popular bath has been closed due to high sick leave. It should not open again until this Monday, as the bathing companies announced.