Freikorperkultur, also known as FKK, is a German movement whose name translates to Free Body Culture.  [1] This is a form of naturism.  Naturism is defined as a cultural and political movement practicing, advocating, and defending social nudity, most of which takes place on a private property. The term may also refer to a lifestyle based on personal, family and/or social nudism. [2] 

                The FKK German movement was the first worldwide and marked as the start of an increased acceptance of public nudity in Germany.  In 1898 the first Freikörperkultur club was founded in Essen. In 1900 more and more Swedish baths arose in rooms in Berlin and on the North and Baltic seas and a naturist movement began in France.  This movement was based on the ideals that the human body was NOT a source of shame. Also, it does not involve sexuality.  With political liberalization, conservative circles challenged the nude baths which had become popular among urban intellectuals, seeing them as a corruption of morality.

                The first nude beach in Germany was established in 1920 on the island of Sylt.  In 1933 when Hitler took power, nudist organizations were banned or integrated into Nazi organizations.  The first naturist Olympic Games took place in Thielle, Swtizerland in 1939. In 1942 the first documented nude wedding was celebrated in Elysian Fields, California.  InGermany during this time the ban against nude swimming was softened by allowing nud swimming in remote areas  One popular form of Freikörperkultur is Nacktwanderung, literally translated as Naked rambling, where a walking group will collectively hike through the open countryside, which is possible in Germany due to the liberal laws on non-sexual public nudity. This attitude does not extend to German speaking Austria or Switzerland.

In the later decades of the 20th century, naturism became very popular outside Germany. Beach culture was often intermixed - nude and dressed people would swim together and nudity was widely tolerated.  Today, there are only few legal restrictions on public nudity in Germany.In Austria local regulatory authorities punished public nudity with fines, which many naked ramblers refused to pay.  Many naked ramblers filed a group lawsuit, pleading for legalized nudity, but the case was dismissed in 2011. One naked rambler had to pay a fine after passing through a Christian rehab centre.  In 2012, a naturist from Austria overflew Innerrhoden by parachute, but was caught by local authorities.

1.     1.   FKK definition; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freik%C3%B6rperkultur

2. Naturism definition; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturism