Why one normandy beach has german deckchairs

THESE ‘STRANDKORBS’ ARE POPULAR AND OFTEN FULLY BOOKED - AND HAVE HISTORY DATING BACK TO 1880S The intriguing beach chairs are on a beach in Normandy and protect you from both the wind and

the sun.  “They are very popular. As soon as it is sunny, they are completely booked,” Sylvie Dupont, the deputy mayor of Merville-Franceville in charge of culture, animation, heritage and

twinning, told The Connexion.  “Some rent them for the week, some even for two weeks. They are used by a mix of people, from locals to French tourists to foreign tourists.”  The strandkorbs

are placed on the beach in the beginning of June and then removed in early September.  Constructed from wicker, wood and canvas with reclining backrests, they can usually seat two people.

Some have extra features such as footrests and folding tables.  The hooded design was designed to protect the user from any potential unpleasantness on the beach, originally the harsh winds

of the Baltic Sea but also from the sun and any sand.  They were invented in 1882 when a woman, Elfriede von Maltzahn, who lived on the coast of the Baltic Sea wanted to visit the beach

despite her rheumatism. Physician Wilhelm Bartelmann’s solution was to invent the strandkorb, or the beach chair. Strandkorb, the factory which produces them, has been located in Heringsdorf

since 1933.  This small German spa town is twinned with Merville-Franceville whose mayor and his deputy decided during a visit to introduce the chairs to Merville-Franceville. The first ten

strandkorbs were put on the beach around ten years ago and their numbers have since tripled to 30.  A chair costs €7 for a half-day rental, €12 for a full day, €60 for a week and €210 for a

month.