Volksbühne theater opens pop-up swimming pool in Berlin

The Volksbühne theater in Berlin has opened a pop-up swimming pool, dubbed the ‘Volksbad’, on Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz. The 25-meter-long, 1.30-meter-deep pool is the first project under new director Matthias Lilienthal and is scheduled to remain open until October 1.

Access to the pool is free of charge, though visitors must book specific time slots online. The project has faced criticism regarding its total cost of approximately 300,000 euros, which includes 90,000 euros for the pool itself and 210,000 euros for personnel, security, and sanitary facilities. Critics have suggested these funds could have been used for theater productions or other urgent renovations.

Lilienthal defended the initiative, stating that the theater cannot resume regular operations until October due to ongoing work on its stage machinery. He described the project as a way to offer an additional public swimming option to the city and as an effort to connect the theater to its socialist tradition of being ‘amusement for the people’ rather than just a temple of art.