Frankenbad

The Frankenbad is a public indoor swimming pool in Bonn’s Nordstadt district. It stands on the former Frankenplatz, a square bordered by Vorgebirgsstraße, Adolfstraße, Am Frankenbad and Hochstadenring. The building has been a protected monument since 1996 and was designed by local architect Hans Spoelgen after his competition entry took second place in 1959. Construction began in 1960 and the pool opened in June 1963. Around the four-wing structure lies a 30 by 40 metre courtyard and a broad forecourt with fountains, benches and children’s play equipment. The complex contains three pools: a heated 25 by 15 metre sports pool, a 25 by 12.5 metre multi-purpose pool and an 8 by 12 metre learner pool. A five-metre diving tower and springboards are installed, though only the one- and three-metre boards are open to the public. The terraced spectator stand seats up to 400 people and has facilities for underwater filming. From 1989 to 2017 it hosted the German Open for synchronised swimming, and in the 1980s it was the venue for the arena swimming meetings. Visitors find a landscaped forecourt known as the Frankenbadplatz that serves as a local meeting point. Inside, the entrance to Tribune A is marked by a stone relief called Wettschwimmen, created by sculptor Ernemann Sander. The building also once housed a milk bar and public washrooms, though these are no longer in use. Today the pool is used by university groups, school classes and swimming clubs as well as local residents.