Nudists Protest Proposed Neighbouring Migrant Home

Nudists in Dresden are protesting the proposal for a migrant home to be built near their nudist colony over safety fears.

A new migrant home is scheduled to be built in the town of Mortizburg outside of the eastern German city of Dresden. Neighbours of the proposed home, which is to cost €1.5 million, are up in arms over safety concerns because the town is home to a nudist camp.

The nudists have started a protest against the migrant home despite guarantees by the district office of Meissen who said there are plans to mitigate “cultural tensions”, Junge Freiheit reports.

Petra Hoffmann, who is the treasurer of the nudist group “Familiensport- und FKK-Bund Waldteichfreunde Moritzburg”, claims that many of the members of the group have legitimate fears over their own personal safety due to the high number of reports of migrant sexual assaults across Germany.

One member of the naturist group expressed their fears, saying: “If there is going to be a camp for young men, as they say, I will not stay in my caravan alone at night.”

According to Ms. Hoffmann, the group has been in the area for over a century and thus should have a say on the proposed centre as migrants may affect their ability to carry on their nudist lifestyle:

“Since 1905, our more than 400 members maintain a traditional way of life, the culture of nudity,” she said, and went on to question the decision to build the home in the location: “I do not know if it wise to set up the asylum home here”.

According to reports, soon after complaining about the migrant home publicly, Ms. Hoffmann was heavily criticised, like many others who have spoken out against migrants.  She now no longer wishes to speak to the media.

The Meissen regional council said they are looking into the concerns of the nudists and are treating their concerns with care. Spokeswoman for the district office, Kerstin Thoens, said: “This newly built home is only built as a reserve and is not intended to be used during the warm summer months,” and claimed that the district will install a large privacy screen between the migrant home and the nudist camp.

Ms. Thoens said that any migrants who come to Germany should be expected to adapt to the local culture — including accepting nudism, which finds its origins in German culture.

She said that the district would also work specifically with young migrant men to both educate them on naturist culture and ensure that they are accepting of it, explicitly that nudism in Germany has nothing to do with immortality. “With mutual respect and tolerance there is certainly a way for peaceful coexistence,” she said.

The nudists join an ever growing list of residents of towns and cities across Germany who are protesting the construction of migrant homes in their neighbourhoods over fears of safety.

The cost of migrant housing is rising.  The migrant home in Meissen alone costs €1.5 million —which will only be occupied for part of the year — but in Berlin it is estimated that migrant housing will cost the city €2 billion.