What qualifies as “hot” in Leipzig appears to be between 5 and 10 degrees Fahrenheit cooler than what a normal resident of the mid-Atlantic is expected to consider “hot.” Nonetheless, by both standards, I experienced some pretty hot days in Leipzig, and, given the lack of air conditioning in most buildings, I learned quite a bit about how Leipzigers cool down in the summer. Outside of hydration, the next best thing is ice cream. I was quite surprised by the sheer volume of ice cream stores (or, at least, stores selling ice cream) on practically every street corner.
And either when Eis (cream) doesn’t suffice or being stuck in the crowded city becomes too much to bear, locals head to one of many lakes in the region. In the suburbs directly south of Leipzig, there are quite a few from which to choose, all of which were formerly open-cast lignite mines. The fact that these beautiful, sparkling lakes are retired coal mines unsettled me initially, but once there it struck me as a very uplifting example of how, with a little support, the environment can regenerate itself in an unbelievably short span of time. For example, an island in the middle of Markkleeberger See (Markkleeberger Lake) is now reportedly home to rare species of birds!
I chose to go to Markleeburger See in part because it was very easily accessible via public transit (it is the last stop on one of the major tram lines and a 5-minute walk from there). Throughout the day, the crowds waxed and waned, but it never felt overcrowded. As is to be expected in Germany, the water was a little cold, although it felt quite nice on a very hot, sunny day. Swimming is something that I find very beneficial in the summer because I have tendonitis in my knee, and I much prefer to do it in a natural setting over the pool when possible. This duck and goose seem to agree with me.
What was perhaps most interesting to me were the differences in beach culture at German lakes versus U.S. lakes. While I did not go to a Freikörperkultur (clothing-optional) beach, that type of setting is nonetheless very popular in Germany, especially in the east. From an American perspective, the states of undress even at a non-FKK beach may initially come as a shock. Outside of some small, crowded bathrooms, there were no changing rooms, and often I saw people simply turn away from the direction of bathers to change (if privacy was truly a concern, sometimes they hid behind a tree). It was also quite a common sight to see women without a top, or children under the age of 8 completely nude. I took no offense to any of this, in part because none of it seemed to be out of the ordinary. Rather, I found the lack of self-consciousness refreshing, as it was not restricted to any age, gender, color, shape, or size. Certainly, no place is perfectly free from objectification or projections of body insecurity, but this sort of attitude helped me think more about feeling comfortable with myself, rather than worrying about the gaze of others or an expectation to look a certain way.
Taking a day to go out of the city after finishing my exams also functioned as a nice little bow to tie around my experience in Germany and reflect on how much independence I had gained over a month living in a foreign country. It made me proud that I was able to navigate the many degrees of cultural difference that I encountered as an American and as a Jewish woman so effectively, while also feeling comfortable in a new place, and pushing myself to better communicate in German. I cannot wait to share some more of my experiences in and around the city with you next time!