Insufficient numbers of outdoor bathing facilities: The Left proposals include rooftop baths
In the heart of Berlin, the Left Party is proposing creative solutions to tackle the city's bathing crisis, including the construction of cost-effective, functional swimming pools.
Kristian Ronneburg, the Left Party representative from Marzahn, believes it is crucial to ensure regulated swimming at the Biesdorfer Baggersee, a popular unofficial swimming spot in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district. However, swimming is prohibited at this location due to safety and environmental concerns.
The Left Party's focus on affordable, multi-use aquatic facilities can be seen as a response to the broader deficit in swimming infrastructure in Berlin. For instance, in May 2025, a decision was made to construct a simpler, more cost-effective pool facility in Pankow by 2029. This new hall, estimated to cost between 15 and 22 million euros, will be usable for school and club sports as well as open to the public, emphasizing functionality over luxury.
While no specific interventions for lifting or modifying the swimming ban at Biesdorfer Baggersee have been documented, the Left Party's policy focus on expanding public swimming opportunities can be interpreted as a strategic approach to provide alternatives where natural open swimming sites are restricted or banned.
In Marzahn-Hellersdorf, tenants pay a fee for the use and operation of the pools and around two dozen saunas through their operating costs in the Wohnpark Alterlaa. The Left Party also advocates for the creation of rooftop swimming pools on large residential buildings, similar to the Wohnpark Alterlaa in Vienna, which boasts 14 outdoor pools, seven of which are on the roofs of high-rise buildings.
The Left Party's five-point plan to improve public swimming pools and legalize swimming spots where possible also includes reversing cuts to pools and ensuring sufficient funding for energy-efficient modernization, accessibility, and the enhancement of the attractiveness of existing pools.
Kristian Ronneburg, the Left Party politician, has expressed dissatisfaction over a breach of a campaign promise due to the lack of an outdoor pool in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. The Senate has changed course, and there is no money in the state budget for a combined indoor and outdoor pool in Marzahn-Hellersdorf. The bureaucratic lead time for the project is still far from over, and the planned construction in the Jelena Šantić Peace Park is still far in the future.
Swimming is also prohibited in the Kaulsdorfer lakes, about five kilometers away from Biesdorfer Baggersee. The Left Party believes that legal swimming opportunities, especially in parts of the city where there is an undersupply, are necessary to address the issue.
In summary, the Left Party in Berlin advocates for the construction of cost-effective, functional indoor pools, such as the Pankow pool to be completed by 2029. These pools will serve schools, clubs, and the general public, increasing swimming access despite natural ban areas like Biesdorfer Baggersee. The Left Party's policy focus on affordable, multi-use aquatic facilities can be seen as a response to the broader deficit in swimming infrastructure in Berlin, indirectly mitigating the issue by expanding access through new public pools.
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