Following discussions about stricter admission rules based on German-language ability at a lake swimming area in the city of Halle, the operators and the city have agreed on an alternative solution: multilingual signage.
"I will install multilingual information boards setting out the rules in force at the Heidebad," the operator of the facility, Mathias Nobel, told dpa on Friday.
Nobel said he was keen to see whether the signs in several languages would lead to fewer breaches of the rules at the Heidebad lake.
He had come under nationwide criticism when he announced publicly that he intended to admit only those people to the lido who spoke enough German to understand the house rules and bathing regulations.
The city of Halle had subsequently called for this decision to be reversed and pointed out a possible breach of the lease agreement.
Nobel said the meeting between him and the city representatives, including the mayor, had gone "very harmoniously."
"I made it clear once again that the Heidebad is open to everyone - provided they abide by the rules." In future, he will stand by his decision to enforce the applicable rules "very strictly."
"That means if someone is breaking the rules right at the entrance, they won't be allowed in at all." However, Nobel emphasized that the language skills of the person in question play no part in deciding whether a rule has been broken.
