The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-08-24
Patsy Doyle
The Droll Irish Comedian

hospital station and rickety building
with cells for changing clothing, com.
prises the "freibad."
1t costs two cents admission which
! includes the privilege of bathing and
! the use of the "garderobe" as the
/ dressing rooms" are known. There
is no restriction on the clothes you
wear or don't wear--no regulation of
the length of your bathing suit.
/! 1t was hot afternoon when the
party of Americans 800 strong includ-
I ing ladies, were taken to Wannsee by
their German hosts. More than 5000
men, women and children were splash.
ing in the lake or playing in the sand
very much like Mother Eve and
| Father Adam. There was a chorus
! Of "Ahs" and "Ohs" from the Ameri-
can women and much chuckling by
the men. Two Or three of the women
/ fled. There goes Boston" shouted
some on at the retreaters.
Liberty of dress and undress is TAX
| en- full advantage Of at Wannsee.
Here comes a couple promenading.
4 Unconventional" would hardly de-
scribe their costumes. He is wearing
a garment very little larger than what
4 he wore when he was six months old
She has a Single piece" one shoulder
band Of which has slipped completely
<,ff hny. III u.
to come off with every step she takes.
! The costume" ends two inches below
Z. the hips She doesn't mind With
her arm over his bare back and shout
der and his around her waist, they
walk back and forth through the
4 crowd utterly obliyious. No one
s notices them. There is a fantastic
variety of costumes probably unequal
led anywhere in the world in public
bathing place. The majority of men
merely wear trunks or apologies for
this garment: many of the women
very little more and not a few of the
: children not even Apologies
4 What lot of beautiful September
Morns'.' said one of the American
women. What's the use of going to
picture galleries when one may see
such superb living Apollos and Ven
uses here. Hasn't Berlin any Anthony
| Comstock?" she asked No, Berlin
, has no Anthony Comstock Anthony
: himself probably would be surprised
: at the orderliness, the lack of rowdy.
icy,, oh +1o 80 "a
{ responsibility among this crowd of
several thousand men and women in
near to nature" garments There
isn't blush to be seen and not a
policeman in sight. Only two lifesav-
ing patrols. almost nude, their skin
burned to the hue of coffee.
There is fun--lots of it-and free,
dom and unconventionality galore, but
complaints of annoyance or insults
few. Yonder September Morn look
ing like the model of the famous pic
ture, is obligingly holding tiny mir.
ror for the benefit of a passerby who
!. is having trouble in tying his fourth.
hand. Near them another September
Morn Is talking to December Dusk
white bearded old man thin as a
rail looking like Father Time. 1t is
! her grandfather. Yonder two muscu.
lar youths each with a Venus astride
of his shoulders, are running race
: along the beach. There are also gro.
tesque sights-huge waddling ele,
plants of human flesh.
At one end of the beach stretch
Y fifty yards long Is fenced off for WON
! en- and girls either too timid to battle
: on the main beach or who have come
i unescorted. AT the other end is the %
q cent bath for the better-to-do class
: There respectable" garments are
worn. There are comparatively few
I bathers and less spectators. Who
: would pay % cents to see two-piece
e bathing suits and skirts when they
!. NAV see the others for two cents
The two cent family beach is and
. remains the favorite fer Fathers and
= spectators alike. A roundtrip from
3 Berlin to Wannsee costs Is cents TIC
$ man OF family of five and who
t earns but 2 dollar a day even the
g pleasures of the two cent baths repre-
sents nearly days wages. The fam
d ily is certain to be found with hin
! en- the beach Lunch is brought ant
II Sunday if at all pleasant. is spent OF
). the beach. II represents fresh air
: an outing and bath-the only batl
OF the week as few Of the homes o