Full house in 1930: children on the diving platform in the Plötzensee outdoor pool Photo: Ullstein
By Oliver Ohmann
Summer in Berlin – that was always a blast.
Since the early 19th century, there have been “dog day holidays” for school children in the summer. But it certainly wasn’t as happy and carefree as today.
It wasn’t until the 20th century that vacations became vacations with travel for more and more people. For most Berliners, however, it never went further than the Baltic Sea. Many only came as far as Wannsee.
Nothing like going out to Wannsee: children on a water slide in 1929 at the lido Photo: Ullstein
Heinrich Zille (a passionate swimmer himself) often painted in the outdoor pool. There he snapped many of his most beautiful old Berlin motifs. “All about the outdoor pool” is the name of one of his illustrated books on “Berliners’ favorite summer activity”.
Of course, the Berlin summer was also sung about. In May 1951, little Conny Froboess erected a hit monument to him. “Pack your swimming trunks, take your little sister and then let’s go to Wannsee” became a hit.
Elegant is also possible: in 1931, a waiter serves the ladies on the bathing lawn at Rupenhorn on the Havel
The famous lido at Wannsee was almost half a century old at the time. In 1907 the first bathing area was identified. Before that, outdoor swimming in Wannsee was strictly forbidden – because of moral reasons. Anyone caught paid a fine of 5 marks!
Cooling down! A hundred years ago, children in Berlin ran after a blasting car Photo: Ullstein
Today there are around 40 official Berlin bathing spots in addition to the outdoor pools. Father Zille would also have a lot to paint…
Even then there was water performance: 1910 artist joke in Wannsee Photo: Ullstein