[Avodah] When does mixed swimming mean?

[Zev Sero]

Micha Berger wrote:
> On Mon, Apr 28, 2008 at 07:16:45PM -0400, Zev Sero wrote:
> : 1. At Marienbad did one take the waters in a communal pool, or in
> : individual baths?
> : 2. If a communal pool, was it mixed?  Surely not!
> 
> My understanding is that these health spas had a communal bath without
> separate hours. That with 19th cent bathing suits (and care to avoid
> negi'ah), many of our greatgrandparents' role models had no problem
> mixed swimming.
> 
> Your surprise is just presuming your conclusion. ("Could it be that
> Yaakov walked /without/ a yarmulka?")

I'm actually surprised that 19th and early 20th century European
goyim would have had mixed bathing.  I know that Germany after WWI
went through a period of "nature" worship that included public
nudity and such like, but I would have thought Marienbad, which was
for older people, would have remained more conservative.

-- 
Zev Sero               Something has gone seriously awry with this Court's
zev at sero.name          interpretation of the Constitution.
                       	                          - Clarence Thomas