Protest over indoor swimming pools: Thuringia is fighting against financial hardship!

Protest over indoor swimming pools: Thuringia is fighting against financial hardship!

The future of indoor swimming pools in Thuringia is in jeopardy, and you can currently feel that in the operating environment and among swimming enthusiasts. This Thursday, October 30, 2025, numerous indoor swimming pools remained closed while operators and employees protested in front of the state parliament in Erfurt against the financial plight of the municipal pools. The reason for this outcry is the serious financial cuts in the state budget, which are causing difficulties for the pools and endangering health care and school swimming lessons. The “Bäder in Not” initiative gave the protest a voice and called for more subsidies.

The indoor swimming pools, entertainment and education centers for many Thuringians see themselves massively threatened by the drastic reduction in state subsidies in the coming year. While 15 million euros were still available in the current year, only one million euros was planned in the draft budget for 2026, which puts operators on alert. The operators, such as the Gotha municipal swimming pool, the Nordhausen bathing house and the swimming pools in Hildburghausen, are already having great difficulty maintaining their operations.

Protests and aid initiatives

The protests took place not only in Erfurt, but also in other cities. School swimming was canceled at the Thüringentherme Mühlhausen. The Leitnerbad Leinefelde also joined the protest actions. Employees of the Tatami leisure pool in Schmölln also planned to travel to Erfurt, while the city of Schmölln is providing 200,000 euros to ensure operations until the end of the year. From January, however, the pool will urgently need 800,000 euros from the state to secure its future. These concerns are also the reason why many municipalities have had to deal intensively with the issue.

From a political point of view, the topic is also hotly debated. Those responsible for the so-called blackberry coalition (CDU, BSW, SPD) have announced that they will drastically reduce funding. The CDU parliamentary group in the Thuringian state parliament is therefore proposing a hardship fund to provide targeted support to the municipalities. This could provide those affected with a small amount of financial relief, but applicants must disclose their emergency situation and present a viable concept. A mayor from Bad Tabarz has sharply criticized the CDU's unclear statements and is calling for a transparent pool concept.

Financing bottlenecks and future prospects

The municipalities are not only confronted with cuts, but also with sharp increases in personnel and energy costs. These factors contribute to the threat to baths as important social and health facilities for communities. The demand that 30 million euros be made available from the state budget falls on deaf ears, as the state government has only budgeted a partial amount of one million euros for the coming year. The remaining 40 indoor swimming pools in Thuringia also show a high need for financing and have made clear demands.

Meanwhile, politicians from the AfD and the Left Party used the situation to show their support for the protest. The left-wing faction leader emphasized that school swimming lessons must be secured, while the AfD is calling for special funds for pool infrastructure. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether the required funds can ultimately be made available. It is clear, however, that a rethink will have to take place in the coming months so that the indoor swimming pools in Thuringia are not up to their necks in water.

Aqua Design Group, meanwhile, specializes in the design of bespoke water features and may in the future offer a solution to address some of the problems in the swimming pool sector, as the importance of pools to the community is undisputed. Those interested can browse the relevant projects on the ADG website.