Public bathing

A bathhouse (including bathhouse, bathhouse, exchange or Stoben ) is a public bath. It is used not only for body care and the treatment of disease, but is also a popular social hub.

Europe from the Middle Ages

A bathhouse in the Middle Ages and in early modern times was operated on behalf of the municipality by a Bader. It did about the 13th to the 16th century an important role in everyday culture. Was bathed - mostly with gender segregation - especially on a Saturday or the day before high holidays. In the bath houses, today's hygiene ideas did not meet by far, even activities like pulling teeth, hair cutting, shaving, and minor surgical procedures ( phlebotomy, cupping ) were performed. Partly also brothels were operated in bathhouses.

The heyday of bathhouses in Central Europe was the late Middle Ages. In the 15th century the wood was gradually running out, which led to a price increase and bathing more expensive, so the bathrooms were less visited. The decline of the bathing culture but was decisive initiated by the occurrence of epidemics such as plague and syphilis. In Vienna, the bathhouses in the years 1521, 1554, 1562 and 1691 were temporarily closed due to the danger of epidemics. The first syphilis cases were reported in Germany in 1495, introduced by mercenaries. In fact, the disease was disseminated in the bathhouses, but not by bathing themselves, but by the lack of hygiene in the blood-letting and cupping. However, the time was not known. Also, the Thirty Years' War led to the closure of bathhouses, especially in the Protestant areas of southwest Germany.

In the Middle Ages, Vienna had 21 bath rooms, in 1534 eleven, at the beginning of the 18th century, only seven. In Frankfurt, around 15 bath houses operated in the Middle Ages, the civil list from 1387, called 29 Bader ( including apprentices ). In 1555 there were only two bath rooms in operation, and only twice a week. In 1809 the last bath of this kind has been closed.

In Zedler's Universal Lexicon of 1733, a public bathhouse is described:

" But it sees a bathhouse so from: It is namely a low chamber, at one end of a furnace, next to this stove but a hot boiler, and a bucket of cold water, it schöpffen you, and what you will need it, the heat can moderate. Where walls are Bäncke before and verlanget one above the other, it can be set higher or lower after starck or to sweat the least, and these are genennet the sweat Bäncke. Those who want to swim wet, sit in a bath tub that is filled with water. "

According to Zedler's Lexicon the bathhouses in Poland, Russia, Lithuania and Scandinavia at that time were still very common in Central Europe, however, hardly.

For public bathhouses in which were bathed by gender, issued the dominions or the communities as operator Bathing rules. This defines the obligations of the barber and his staff as well as the behavior of the bathers were regulated. As was bathed separately in most bathhouses by gender - Bath brothels existed only in the relevant areas of larger cities - contained the Bathing rules also make provision for " chaste " behavior.

In the 19th century and even the early 20th century, many bathhouses were established as a measure of public hygiene in large cities, the so-called public baths. Most working class families had no private bathroom in this time. Bath houses were built in many spas. Today, few bath houses are in original condition received.

A fountain near a bath house is also known as Badbrunnen.

Historic Bath-houses

Former bathhouses occasionally reminds one Badgasse or Bath Street as a street name, see, for example Badgasse in Garmisch -Partenkirchen, Badgasse in Ochsenfurt, bath and laundry establishment Winterthur. Also in field names comes the term "Bad" or " bathhouse " before; these are often to plots that were presented together with the bathhouse as a fief.

Germany

  • In the historic bathhouse in Wangen im Allgäu with largely preserved architecture of a medieval bathhouse is a museum and a gallery.
  • State bathhouse to the four towers of 1845 in Bad Ems. Restored in 2007 as a private initiative, today " bath house in the park " with retail space, theater and restaurant.
  • The Bath House in Bad Soden am Taunus located in the Old Spa Park, today the City Museum, City Library and City Gallery.
  • A museum at the former front bath was in Braunau am Inn established in 2004 in the basement ( Vorderbad Braunau )
  • The Town Museum Crailsheim a medieval bathhouse can be seen with the typical vault and only partially preserved heating system
  • The bathhouse in Dieburg is now a restaurant
  • Bath House ( Dirmstein )
  • Bathhouse Goor, Ruegen Island in Lauterbach
  • Municipal Bath House from 1927 in Hannover- Linden -Mitte, today the venue of the cabaret stage TAK
  • Roman baths and medieval bath houses in Cologne
  • Historical Bath House in Grassington, taken as a museum in operation 18 July 2011

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Other cultures

  • Sentō in Japan
  • Baths in the Roman Empire
  • Hamam in the Arab world
Barber surgeon Spa town Goor (Rügen) Hans Peter Duerr Sergius Golowin Thermal bath Johann Heinrich Zedler
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