Berlin Volksbühne cancels Black community swimming event after racist threats

Cancellation over safety

The Berlin Volksbühne and the association Each One Teach One (EOTO) cancelled a swimming afternoon for Black children and youth scheduled for Friday, 14 August, citing safety concerns. The event, planned for the "Volksbad" pop-up pool in front of the theater at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, had become what the Volksbühne called "the target of right-wing and racist incitement." EOTO said it had received racist threatening emails, threats of violence, and discriminatory comments on social media since the public discussion began. The organisation stated it could no longer guarantee the physical and psychological safety of the children, "not even through security forces and police," and could not ensure safe arrival and departure given the exposed location of the pool.

Volksbühne director Matthias Lilienthal told Radio3 (rbb) that pool operations would be suspended on Friday between 12:00 and 18:00. He said he would stand at the Volksbad at noon and be available for conversations. A replacement event for the Black children and youth is planned, though not for Friday. Lilienthal said the Volksbühne would continue working with EOTO and would consider another action for these children and youth.

The Volksbad and its concept

The Volksbad has stood in front of the Volksbühne at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz since 7 August 2026 and is set to remain until 1 October. Entry is free and no ID is required. The pool is described as five meters long (per ZEIT ONLINE and an earlier Tagesspiegel article) or 25 meters long (per a later Tagesspiegel article), and 1.30 meters deep. On certain days, the pool is reserved for specific associations. EOTO, which works in racism prevention and empowerment of Black people and co-sponsors the Black Communities Center in Berlin-Wedding that opened this year, had been invited by the Volksbühne for exclusive use on Friday from 12:00 to 18:00. Other groups, including the street-work association Gangway and Flussbad Berlin, which campaigns for lifting the blanket swimming ban in the Spree, also receive exclusive days. The pool had been closed since Tuesday due to non-functioning showers and was expected to reopen on Friday.

Political backlash

AfD chair Alice Weidel called the event "Apartheid," referencing the former political system in South Africa, and demanded that funding be cut. CDU district councilor Aileen Weibeler (Berlin-Pankow) posted an Instagram video, commented on thousands of times, complaining she could not enter the pool because she is white, calling it a discriminatory feeling. Other social media users accused Weibeler of not being aware of her privileges, with one commenter writing that when people of color want a safe space, white people immediately complain about being excluded. CDU top candidate Stefan Evers told Bild he was "a friend of togetherness" and did not support dividing people by skin color. The Volksbühne had initially announced the event as "exclusively for Black communities" and corrected this wording the following day.

Legal framework and defense

Lilienthal defended the concept, saying the event corresponded to the binding rules of Berlin's Anti-Discrimination Law (LADG) and was welcomed by the Ombudsstelle for Anti-Discrimination of the Berlin Senate. Doris Liebscher, head of the LADG ombuds office, said time-limited offers for structurally disadvantaged groups are not discrimination, and that both the LADG and the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) permit different treatment to compensate for existing disadvantages. Lilienthal said the Volksbühne underestimated that a standard practice for public pools, reserving time for specific groups, would trigger a nationwide wave of anti-Black racism and incitement. He framed it as the responsibility of public institutions to offer such programmes. The Volksbühne stated it would continue its cooperation with EOTO and other social organisations, and the Volksbad art project runs through 1 October.