The event, organised by the group Fluss Bad Berlin, was registered as a protest to bypass a long-standing ban on swimming in the river, in place since 1925 due to past pollution.
Berlin protesters swim in Spree to push for lifting 1925 ban
People swim in the river Spree in Berlin, Germany, to demand the lift of the hundred years old swimming ban at the river, Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
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AP Photo/Ebrahim Noroozi
Campaigners say water quality has improved significantly and is regularly monitored, with city officials considering reopening parts of the river to swimmers by 2026.
The group proposes a 1.8-kilometre boat-free stretch near Museum Island, citing Paris’ reopening of the Seine as a model.