HALLE — Heidesee lake in Halle, Germany, implemented a policy requiring visitors to speak German for entry. The lake facility, located in a flooded former open-cast mine, introduced entrance checks to assess if visitors' German language skills were sufficient to understand safety instructions.

Mathias Nobel, the manager of Heidesee lake, stated the language requirement was initiated after incidents where visitors did not comply with safety rules or lifeguard loudspeaker announcements. Nobel said he is responsible for safety at the bathing area. "I'm responsible for the bathing here. If anything happened, everyone would point the finger at me. You can't reverse death," he stated. He added that the measure was not racist or xenophobic and was for safety. Nobel also noted that Heidesee lake is deeper than a conventional swimming pool and has a steeply sloping shoreline.

Authorities in Halle demanded that Nobel lift the ban on non-German speakers. A city spokesperson stated that the ban lacks proportionality. The spokesperson noted that the operator must consider the necessity of guaranteeing public access to the lido. "The operator has to take into account the necessity of guaranteeing public access to the lido," the spokesperson said. The spokesperson further stated, "The public character [of the lido] cannot be undermined by the implementation of house rules which amount to a blanket entry barrier for entire population groups." City authorities also suggested using milder communication methods, such as pictograms or displaying safety messages in other languages, to address language barriers.

A spokesperson for the national anti-discrimination agency confirmed the agency was consulted on the issue and could pursue legal action. The spokesperson drew a comparison, stating, "Imagine how much of a fuss there would be if German-speaking travellers in Mallorca had to prove their knowledge of Spanish or Catalan, or Arabic on the Red Sea, before they could go swimming?"