Amid the political uncertainty engulfing Europe, it might be hoped that broader cultural life would stay the same. Apparently not. The news that the traditional German love of public nudity is in decline shows that nothing is sacred, especially at a time when naturism in Britain is growing in popularity. The let-it-all-hang-out Germans covering up while the notoriously prudish Brits strip off? Whatever next! It’s as if Oktoberfest had been cancelled due to a lack of interest in beer and sausages.

For more than 100 years Germany has been renowned as the fatherland of modern naturism. Yet now the Freikörperkultur (FKK) — or “free body culture” movement, founded in 1898 — has announced that more and more Germans prefer to preserve their modesty. Beaches previously