German swimming lake criticised for ban on non-German speakers

An open air swimming lake in the eastern German city of Halle which has refused entry to bathers who don’t speak German has been told it must lift the ban or face possible legal action. The Heidesee lake, a natural lake in a flooded former open-cast mine, recently introduced a check at the entrance to filter out visitors whose German was deemed not good enough to follow safety instructions. Mathias Nobel, the lido’s manager, said he took the controversial step after a spate of cases in which visitors had ignored safety rules and lifeguards’ loudspeaker announcements. “I’m responsible for the bathing here. If anything happened, everyone would point the finger at me. You can’t reverse death,” Nobel told local media. The decision has led to anger and condemnation from critics who accused the venue of dressing up “a blanket entry barrier for entire population groups” as a safety precaution. Mathias Nobel, the manager of the lake, said the measure was not racist or xenophobic but was implemented for the safety of swimmers. Photograph: Imago/Alamy Stock Photo/Alamy Live News. …