No German, no swim: Language entry rule sparks debate

A lakeside beach in the central German city of Halle has introduced a controversial rule barring visitors without sufficient German language skills from entering, citing safety concerns, its manager told dpa on Monday, reported dpa.

"We need to be sure that visitors understand our bathing rules and be consistent enough to guarantee the safety of our guests," said Mathias Nobel, manager of the Heidebad lake swimming area in Halle.

Nobel said that where comprehension problems were noticed at the entrance, a decision would be made on a case-by-case basis. The key concern was that bathers knew how to behave in and around the water.

He said he had faced criticism for the decision but added: "We are staying firm on this."

Toddler rescued from deep water

Nobel said the new rule had become necessary particularly on hot days such as the previous weekend, when the entrance to the swimming spot was so busy that additional measures were needed alongside the information signs already posted at several points around the facility.

Since the new entry rule was introduced a few days ago, a small number of people had been turned away.

The trigger for introducing the rule was an incident the previous weekend. Nobel - himself a qualified lifeguard - had to rescue a toddler from water that was far too deep. "Our lake is up to 13 metres deep in places. That is simply dangerous," he said.

What is feasible and what is not?

Nobel said children in particular needed to understand how to behave around water and had to be supervised by people who also knew how to act. Lifeguards also needed to be able to communicate with visitors directly. If a group arrived without a single person with sufficient German, he and his team had serious concerns, he said.