The Federal Association of German Swimming Instructors (BDS) has called for a nationwide requirement for children and adolescents under 16 to hold a Bronze certificate, citing poor swimming skills among young people.
Peter Harzheim, the association’s president, stated to “Redaktionsnetzwerk Deutschland” that this regulation should be adopted by municipal and private public pool operators across the country. The push originates from discussions taking place in several swimming facilities in North Rhine-Westphalia, where children and youth without the Bronze badge are only allowed entry when accompanied by a parent. Harzheim described the measure as a “good and clean idea” emphasizing that the Bronze certificate ensures children are genuinely safe in the water.
For Harzheim, restricting access is not punitive, but rather an opportunity to place swimming safety back into the societal spotlight. Furthermore, he described it as a “wake-up call” to parents, reminding them of their duty to introduce their children to the water early.
The President of the German Lifesaving Association (DLRG), Ute Vogt, expressed understanding regarding the concern. Drawing a clear line of responsibility, she told the RND that the responsibility for children and adolescents lies with their guardians, a responsibility that cannot be delegated to pool staff. Christian Mankel, CEO of the German Association for Bathing (DGfdB), also found the discussions about such rules understandable, particularly given the extremely crowded public pools during the summer months.
However, the Green politician and Member of the Bundestag’s Interior Committee, Schahina Gambir, views a potential Bronze mandate as an exclusionary concept that would disproportionately affect socially vulnerable families. While acknowledging the importance of safety, she argued that the regulation does not solve the root problem. Gambir stressed that if the intention is for a mandatory Bronze certificate to be implemented nationwide, authorities must simultaneously ensure that all children have the opportunity to learn to swim. She warned that such a rule could be “indirectly discriminatory”.
Mankel of the DGfdB also voiced a concern about potential “drift movements”. Although he agrees that the declining swimming ability of the youth and the reduced attentiveness of many parents on the poolside are alarming concerns, he warned that a strict entry ban carries inherent risks. He cautioned that “the higher the entry barriers, the more likely it is that non-swimmers and unsafe swimmers will move to unsupervised bathing spots, which pose a high risk to this group of people”.
