Berlin bathers brave cold to help cut Russian gas dependence

Swimmers at Berlin’s outdoor pools need to brace themselves for chillier water this summer

BERLIN -- It’s a sunny May morning as the early crowd arrives for a dip at Berlin’s Prinzenbad outdoor pool, but the air is still crisp and the water isn’t much warmer — one of many small impacts that Germany is currently feeling from the war in Ukraine.

“Berlin’s pools have decided to heat the water a little bit less, to contribute to reducing the dependence on Russian gas supplies," said Martina van der Wehr, a spokeswoman for the German capital's public baths.

The regulars don't seem to mind.

Sabine Gutenmueller, a physiotherapist with an annual pool pass, said she was skeptical at first when she heard the water would be about 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 Fahrenheit) cooler than usual. That took it to 20 C (68 degrees Fahrenheit), about 5 degrees Celsius higher than the air temperature.