The Berlin Left calls for rooftop swimming pools: a solution for the city!

The Berlin Left calls for rooftop swimming pools: a solution for the city!

The discussion about outdoor swimming pools in Berlin districts continues to cause excitement. The focus should particularly be on those districts that are currently suffering from a lack of swimming opportunities. The Berlin Left is calling for more outdoor swimming pools and in this context is putting forward the idea of ​​installing swimming pools on the roofs of municipal residential buildings. Kerstin Wolter, the state chairwoman, emphasizes the need for such facilities in new building projects and looks to Vienna, where the Alterlaa residential project with a total of 14 outdoor swimming pools, seven of them on roofs, serves as an inspiring model. Here the tenants pay for the use of the bathrooms through the operating costs, which could represent a sustainable model. According to n-tv.de, almost 300,000 people live in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf district, but there is not a single outdoor swimming pool there. Long journeys and waiting times to existing facilities are a thorn in the side of residents.

The outdoor pools are not only a place for relaxation, but also important for children's swimming training. The water quality of the Spree was also taken into account. Wolter calls for measures to improve the quality of the Spree's bathing water in order to enable Berliners to swim there. In addition, she supports the idea of ​​a river pool in Berlin-Mitte, which, according to [rbb24.de](https://www.rbb24.de/panorama/teil/2025/04/berlin-freibaeder-protest-vereinzelt- Becken-doch-beheizt-.html), could advance city observations. 

Priorities for outdoor swimming pools

It is planned that Berlin outdoor pools will heat some pools in the 2025 summer season, although originally they were supposed to work without additional heating. This comes in response to popular protests that have become increasingly louder in recent years. In the Seestraße summer pool and in the Prinzenbad Kreuzberg, two pools and one pool are heated to 22 degrees.

• Beheizte Becken in verschiedene Freibäder:
• Sommerbad Seestraße: zwei Becken
• Prinzenbad Kreuzberg: ein Becken auf 22 Grad
• Freibad Wilmersdorf: ein Becken auf 22 Grad

However, the demands for heating come with costs. The annual costs for heating four pools amount to around 40,000 to 60,000 euros, although saving fossil fuels remains a goal of the pool companies. In the current year, only 9 of the 14 outdoor pools will be heated, with 6 of them not being heated. The city is also taking care of security aspects with investments of 1.5 million euros for fences, controls and staff to create a safe environment.

The river bath project

Not only the outdoor pools, but also the so-called river pool project is intended to increase the attractiveness of the water areas in Berlin. The state of Berlin has been supporting the development since 2015, with the last project phase including measures on Fischerinsel. This promises a natural design of the Spree Canal with new swimming opportunities that should increase the city's quality of life. The redesign is being celebrated as a “blue recreational area” and aims to integrate unused water areas back into everyday city life. The focus is also on the positive effects that such a project can have on coexistence in the city. Those interested can find details on this at flussbad-berlin.de.

With rising temperatures and demand for leisure facilities, this discussion and initiatives to improve the water situation in Berlin could soon lead to new developments. We can only hope that the plans come to fruition and that more people have the opportunity to experience the joy of water.