This article was originally published by VICE Germany.There are more than 300 spa towns in Germany, each boasting a number of illustrious rehabilitation and spa centers that attract people, as well as their pets, from all over the world.
Often surreal environments that combine futuristic technology and traditional architecture, for many these towns offer the sense of having briefly reached utopia. Photographer Alexander Krack traveled to more than 30 of them in search of the aesthetic realm that is the German spa town. I caught up with him to find out a little more about his pictures.
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VICE: Hi, Alex. What is it about these spa towns that attracted you in the first place?
Alexander Krack: While researching for another project I coincidentally stayed in a small motel in one of these towns. As I was walking around the "Kurgarten"—the official park area that every spa town has—I came across this painting behind a storefront that was lit up by the evening sun. I took a photo of it and immediately felt that there was more out there that stirred my interest. I guess I liked the idea that I had certain associations with spa towns but could not really grasp a coherent image of those associations. That painting behind the glass expressed that perfectly for me.What do you think it is that attracts everyone else to these towns?
There are hundreds of these towns in Germany, so it is also a topic of general interest. People go there for different reasons, but mostly for health concerns. A lot of towns have specialized rehabilitation clinics and special treatments for chronic diseases such as asthma or rheumatism. More and more towns have also found a niche in wellness treatments. Thermal baths are one of the main attractions. A lot of people spend their holidays there and can combine recreation and health. This mixture is something I'm really interested in.So most people are just visiting?
There are loads of visitors to the resorts, but many people grow up there and keep the town running. I also met quite a few elderly people who decided to move there after retirement. I guess the nature of these towns is appealing. Not just the actual nature, which you find in the parks and gardens, but the general feeling of being a little cared for by good doctors and entertainment programs that target mostly older people.
Alexander Krack: While researching for another project I coincidentally stayed in a small motel in one of these towns. As I was walking around the "Kurgarten"—the official park area that every spa town has—I came across this painting behind a storefront that was lit up by the evening sun. I took a photo of it and immediately felt that there was more out there that stirred my interest. I guess I liked the idea that I had certain associations with spa towns but could not really grasp a coherent image of those associations. That painting behind the glass expressed that perfectly for me.What do you think it is that attracts everyone else to these towns?
There are hundreds of these towns in Germany, so it is also a topic of general interest. People go there for different reasons, but mostly for health concerns. A lot of towns have specialized rehabilitation clinics and special treatments for chronic diseases such as asthma or rheumatism. More and more towns have also found a niche in wellness treatments. Thermal baths are one of the main attractions. A lot of people spend their holidays there and can combine recreation and health. This mixture is something I'm really interested in.So most people are just visiting?
There are loads of visitors to the resorts, but many people grow up there and keep the town running. I also met quite a few elderly people who decided to move there after retirement. I guess the nature of these towns is appealing. Not just the actual nature, which you find in the parks and gardens, but the general feeling of being a little cared for by good doctors and entertainment programs that target mostly older people.
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And what about the animals? What's this dog up to?
This was taken in a special rehab center for animals called the Vierbeiner Reha-Zentrum in a town called Bad Wildungen. Animals, mostly dogs, are treated there, for example when they had an accident with a car. Inside the water tank is a treadmill. That way the joints are less strained while at the same time the muscles are stimulated by the water resistance.How many different types of treatment do you think you saw?
Roughly I would say about 30 to 40 depending on what one considers an individual treatment. One of the most extreme was definitely a cold chamber where people go in for about three minutes at minus 110 degrees Celsius. It's supposed to help with chronic arthritis or ease the pain after a spinal operation. Even though it seems bizarre, I spoke to some people who had been doing it for weeks and they definitely felt it helped. I went in myself and felt pretty relaxed afterward. Maybe some of it is just positive thinking, though.
This was taken in a special rehab center for animals called the Vierbeiner Reha-Zentrum in a town called Bad Wildungen. Animals, mostly dogs, are treated there, for example when they had an accident with a car. Inside the water tank is a treadmill. That way the joints are less strained while at the same time the muscles are stimulated by the water resistance.How many different types of treatment do you think you saw?
Roughly I would say about 30 to 40 depending on what one considers an individual treatment. One of the most extreme was definitely a cold chamber where people go in for about three minutes at minus 110 degrees Celsius. It's supposed to help with chronic arthritis or ease the pain after a spinal operation. Even though it seems bizarre, I spoke to some people who had been doing it for weeks and they definitely felt it helped. I went in myself and felt pretty relaxed afterward. Maybe some of it is just positive thinking, though.
What's going on with these old people sitting down and looking at a wall in a cave?
They are sitting in an adit. Within the adit is a microclimate that keeps a constant temperature of 8 degrees Celsius throughout the whole year. Humidity is at nearly 100 percent, and the air is almost completely free of dust particles, germs, and allergenic pollen. Therefore the air is supposedly really good for your lungs. Also there is a spring inside the adit that releases so-called reduced water, which is supposed to work as a catcher of free radicals.
They are sitting in an adit. Within the adit is a microclimate that keeps a constant temperature of 8 degrees Celsius throughout the whole year. Humidity is at nearly 100 percent, and the air is almost completely free of dust particles, germs, and allergenic pollen. Therefore the air is supposedly really good for your lungs. Also there is a spring inside the adit that releases so-called reduced water, which is supposed to work as a catcher of free radicals.
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If you didn't have captions for some of these pictures they could easily be misunderstood. Is that intentional or just the nature of these bizarre healing worlds?
That's intentional as I wanted to find "images" rather than document some treatment in the most objective and scientific manner. It goes back to what I said in the beginning. To me it is about the overall feeling of these places—at least the way I perceived it. However, I didn't want to obscure reality, and from my experience in showing the work, most people understand what they see. Maybe not right away by the single image, but with the series they do. I want them to fill in the blanks with their imagination and create their own narrative.For more work from Alexander Krack take a look here
That's intentional as I wanted to find "images" rather than document some treatment in the most objective and scientific manner. It goes back to what I said in the beginning. To me it is about the overall feeling of these places—at least the way I perceived it. However, I didn't want to obscure reality, and from my experience in showing the work, most people understand what they see. Maybe not right away by the single image, but with the series they do. I want them to fill in the blanks with their imagination and create their own narrative.For more work from Alexander Krack take a look here
