Topless bathing in Berlin’s swimming pools should not be a problem for women in the future either. In an internal instruction, it was clarified that swimming “topless” is equally permitted for everyone, said a spokeswoman for the Berlin baths (BBB). The Senate Department for Justice, Diversity and Anti-Discrimination had previously announced on Thursday that the company would apply the house and bathing rules in a “gender-fair” manner in the future. According to the Senate administration, the background to this is a successful complaint to the ombudsman responsible for the Anti-Discrimination Act of the State of Berlin (LADG).
The case made headlines nationwide: because of her bare upper body, a woman was expelled from a water playground in the Treptow-Köpenick district of Berlin in the summer of 2021. From the ombudsman’s point of view, this constituted discrimination. On their recommendation, the water playground supplemented its usage regulations.
However, a lawsuit against the state of Berlin for financial compensation under the Anti-Discrimination Act was unsuccessful. The Berlin Regional Court saw no basis for this in September 2022 (Az. 26 O 80/22). According to plaintiff attorney Leonie Thum, an appeal was lodged against the verdict.
