Naked Bather Gets Munich City Authorities in a Lather

Tourists traveling around Germany find it hard to resist Munich. The Bavarian capital has a multitude of cultural attractions to offer, a wealth of history and a reputation for high living, beer drinking and careless abandon.

However, despite being one of the most visited cities in Germany, the Munich local authorities are concerned that a not-so-small problem may be damaging the city's reputation among visitors. That not-so-small problem is Bille, a homeless woman who bathes naked everyday in Munich's many fountains.

Bille can regularly be seen shedding her clothes and washing her naked 150 kilo frame under the cleansing showers of Munich's 183 public fountains, complete with shampoos and bottles of shower gel.

A law unto herself

Despite being repeatedly fined for breaking public nudity laws, 44-year-old Bille continues to go about in the altogether in her bid to stay clean while living on the streets.

Instead of celebrating her resourcefulness, personal hygiene and confidence, the city authorities have slapped as many as 21 charges on Bille, including "causing public disturbance as well as breaking and entering," a Munich police spokesman told the mass-circulation Bild newspaper.

A social worker also told Bild that Bille keeps rejecting a room in a homeless center. "We can't force her," he said.