This article was originally published by VICE GermanyThere are over 300 spa towns in Germany, each boasting a number of illustrious rehabilitation and spa centres and attracting people from all over the world, plus their pets.
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 travelled to over 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.
Annons
Hi Alex, What is it about these German Spa towns that attracted you in the first place?
While researching for another project I coincidentally stayed in a small motel in one of these spa 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 their for different reasons, but mostly for health concerns. A lot of towns have specialised 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.Most people are just visiting then?
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 around and entertainment programmes that target mostly older people.
While researching for another project I coincidentally stayed in a small motel in one of these spa 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 their for different reasons, but mostly for health concerns. A lot of towns have specialised 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.Most people are just visiting then?
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 around and entertainment programmes that target mostly older people.
Annons
And what about for animals, whats this dog up to?
This was taken in a special rehab centre 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 30-40 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. Its 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 afterwards. Maybe some of it is just positive thinking though.
This was taken in a special rehab centre 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 30-40 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. Its 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 afterwards. Maybe some of it is just positive thinking though.
What exactly are all these people doing sitting down and looking at the wall in that cave?
They are sitting in an adit. Within the adit is a micro climate 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 theres 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 micro climate 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 theres is a spring inside the adit that releases so called reduced water which is supposed to work as a catcher of free radicals.
Annons
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.
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.
