A German politician has announced plans to host a sex party at his local City Hall in an effort to transform the city of Mannheim into a 'swinger's paradise' and boost tourism.
Julien Ferrat, leader of the liberal Die Mannheimer party and a self-described swinger and nudist, believes the city could benefit economically by attracting swingers traveling to destinations like the naturist village of Cap d’Agde in southern France. Ferrat, 35, proposed that Mannheim could serve as a convenient stopover location for those traveling from northern Germany or Scandinavia.
He stated that the town hall is 'perfectly suited' for such an event and has already identified 50 potential attendees. Ferrat plans to vet these individuals to ensure their genuine interest, meeting with those he does not know personally this week. He was elected to the city council in 2024, having previously served from 2014 to 2019. The politician was notably dubbed Germany's 'craziest councillor' by the newspaper Die Zeit in 2017.
Mannheim, a city of approximately 330,000 people, is a significant industrial and university center in southwest Germany. Ferrat's proposal aims not only for economic gain but also to challenge societal taboos surrounding swinging.
However, the initiative has met resistance from local civic leaders. A spokesperson for the Mannheim city hall expressed considerable doubts about the plan's admissibility and feasibility, noting that Ferrat had not specified a date or a room for the proposed event, nor how it relates to his role as a municipal council member. The city administration is primarily led by the socially conservative Christian Democratic Union party. Germany is estimated to have 128,000 swingers, and Ferrat believes capitalizing on this community could provide an economic boost to Mannheim.