Bismark celebrates 100 years of Kolk outdoor pool: festival weekend in August!

Bismark celebrates 100 years of Kolk outdoor pool: festival weekend in August!

Something very special is being celebrated in the idyllic town of Bismark: the “Bismarker Kolk” outdoor swimming pool will be 100 years old in August! A big festival is on the program on August 16th and 17th, 2025, which is all about the popular resort. The Bismark Men's Gymnastics Club 1863 founded the outdoor pool in 1925, and over the years the local recreation area has developed into a meeting place for young and old.

In mid-summer temperatures, the outdoor pool provides a welcome way to cool off. Regardless of whether children are splashing around or adults are relaxing in the water – the Bismarker Kolk attracts many visitors in warm weather. District Administrator Patrick Puhlmann visited the facility as part of his summer tour and was enthusiastic about the well-kept facility. He praised the work of the “Friends of Bismarker Kolk” support association, which has been intensively committed to the preservation and care of the outdoor pool since it was founded in 2011.

The history of the scour

The origins of the outdoor pool go back to the 19th century: there was once a clay pit on the site, the removal of which was part of Woltersdorf agriculture. In 1914 the brickworks stopped production and water filled the hollow. This is how the term “scour” came into being, which describes a small water-filled depression. A swimming pool was then built in 1925 on the initiative of the men's gymnastics club and continued to develop over the years, including through renovations in the 1960s and 2010s.

The outdoor pool was particularly popular in the 1950s, and a water polo team was even founded. The Bismarker Kolk today extends over 1.5 hectares and is used for both swimming and fishing. The water comes exclusively from precipitation and has remained a refreshing meeting place in nature for many.

Festival weekend in August

The anniversary celebration will be ushered in on Saturday evening with live music and dancing. On Sunday from 11 a.m., visitors can look forward to a colorful program that includes, among other things, the presentation of swimwear from 100 years. A bathtub race is also planned. One of the highlights of the festival will be the traditional Neptune Festival from 4 p.m. – a real crowd puller!

The support association not only has an eye on organizing the festival, but also takes care of many modernizing measures in the outdoor pool. In recent years, among other things, changing rooms and toilets have been brought up to modern standards, and a water trampoline has been added for the little ones. Parking spaces for caravans and mobile homes complete the offer.

Despite these comprehensive actions, the history of the outdoor pool goes hand in hand with challenges, such as the threatened closure in 2014, which led to the founding of the support association. Today the Bismarker Kolk is considered a popular local recreation area that contributes to the regional identity and offers many unforgettable summer days.

As [landkreis-stendal.de](https://www.landkreis-stendal.de/de/news/bismark- Feiert-im-august-seinen-kolk.html) and volksstimme.de report, preparations for the festival are in full swing. A look at history shows that open-air swimming pools are not only places for relaxation, but also important cultural sites, as nationalgeographic.de impressively demonstrates. This summer, the Bismarker Kolk will be the setting for a unique festival that will further strengthen the connection between tradition and community.