Reopening: Gräfenhainichen swimming pool ready after renovation!

Reopening: Gräfenhainichen swimming pool ready after renovation!

It finally starts again on August 11, 2025: The swimming pool in Gräfenhainichen opens its doors after weeks of closure. The extensive maintenance work that caused the closure has been completed. This is a reason for the swimmers to be happy because the reopening coincides with the start of the new school year, meaning that school swimming can also start as planned. The opening times are Monday to Sunday between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m., which makes the hall an attractive place for young and old.

But what exactly was renovated in the swimming pool? The maintenance work included replacing the water in the pools, cleaning the tiles, repairing the showers and replacing a drinking water pipe. In addition, the steam bath has been upgraded: two new seats and fresh heated benches on the window front invite you to relax.

Swimming in the region

The Köthener Badewelt has also reopened after extensive maintenance work. However, the sauna will remain closed on Saturdays until October and can only be used on Thursdays and Fridays. While for many the supply is increasing elsewhere, [...]

... the renovation backlog in Saxony-Anhalt's swimming pools is becoming increasingly worrying. The investment requirement amounts to an impressive 280 million euros, almost twice as much as in 2022 MDR reported. In rural areas, children often have to travel up to an hour to learn to swim - this is not only tedious but also dangerous, considering that, according to the DLRG, around 20% of children in Germany cannot swim at all.

The Press portal shows that many swimming pools in Saxony-Anhalt are struggling with a renovation backlog before the start of the swimming season in May 2024. Only 13 of over 100 pools stated that they had construction work underway or were planning to do so. Sylvia Laumann from the Association of Cities and Municipalities of Saxony-Anhalt highlights the financial difficulties of municipalities, which often no longer see themselves in a position to finance necessary renovation measures. The left-wing faction in the state parliament has already called for a rescue fund for the swimming pools, while the state government points to several funding programs that are supported by the federal, state and EU.

The future of swimming pools

A recent call from the DLRG to improve the situation in German swimming pools could not be more timely. ZDF reports on the proposal to spend one billion euros over the next twelve years to renovate the swimming pool area. After all, more than half of swimming pools are in need of renovation. Especially in view of the declining number of safe swimmers and the worrying number of swimming deaths, action is essential.

In summary, it can be said that the reopening of the swimming pool in Gräfenhainichen is a positive sign. But the challenges facing the swimming pool landscape are enormous. It is in the hands of local, state and federal governments to take the necessary steps in the near future to preserve swimming pools for the next generation and to promote children's ability to swim.