Strandkorb

Since the opening of the frontier, the island of Usedom on the Baltic sea opposed German naturists and conservative Polish. It’s the first summer that people on holiday on the island of Usedom see no wall in the middle of the beach. On this island, the frontier between Germany and Poland was erected in the sand, between two beach towels, until last December. On Christmas Eve, when the Schengen agreements were applicable in Poland, the barrier fell and suddenly, both population were face to face. The possibility of a dream came true … but German and Polish are not the ones to build sand castles together. The very catholic Polish – at least 8 religious for 10 inhabitants – do not appreciate the taste of their German neighbours for naturism (FKK : Frei Körper Kultur, culture of living naked, or culture of free body). It is allowed on this side of the beach and punished by law on the Polish side. Between German and Polish, all layed in their Strandkorb (those famous canvas chairs, protecting from the wind), It’s not yet war but already cultural choc. “here, in the east of Germany, It’s a tradition that survived to the fall of the wall. It’s not as intensive as by the time of DDR when communist regime was very favorable to it, but we kept our beaches” says local touristic manager. On the Polish side, nudity is still taboo. “there are too many people naked on the beach since the opening of the frontier”, complains a Polish woman. She took her towel far away enough from the old frontier, not to be disturbed by the view of naked bodies. For Polish, “It is unusual, on the contrary of our traditions” confirms a father, who refuses to bring his children on the German side, afraid of naked exposure. Locals of political party try to bring the subject public. Like “right and justice”, they want the town council to prevent people by putting some big format adds on the beach. No need to mention that this party is conservative and nationalist, near the Polish president, who says naturist practice is condemned sin by catholic church (find me the text, please). But this party has no majority yet and the mayor, social-democrat, does everything he can to calm down the debate but knows he’s loosing votes because his population is very attached to catholic values. “I respect personally all kind of opinions, but I can’t imagine that a small group of elected people, impose to us their position. If we have the possibility to be naked on one of the beach of the island, and the majority approves it, so I wish this stays allowed. And after all, if I was on vacation with my family in Mallorca or Canary islands, I’d probably try naturism as well”. So councils started between German and Polish. One side try to inform better on the FKK beaches (afraid of loosing german tourists) and also make efforts to make known better the polish way of life. Naked in his wood corb but 200 meters from the German frontier, this man on holiday is warning his surprised fellows by putting some red and white wood sticks in the sand (the colours of the polish flag). “If you carry on walking naked in this direction, you expose yourself of a fee of more than 1500,- euros, it’s completely forbidden. "For us, It’s completely normal, to be naked” says this woman who grew up in east Germany, “and I have little comprehension for those who easily critic naturism, especially when they implicate catholic church. It’s naked that God put us on earth and I do not understand why they are so stucked”. A few hundred meters away of the naked German, the polish mayor wears suit and tie. His leather shoes in the sand, he explains that the opening of the frontier allows to satisfy every tastes of the tourists of the island :”on the German side, they have access to this naturist beach. On the polish side, visitors have a beach dedicated to the dogs. So, in the end, on both sides, we tolerate hairy animals”.