Julien Ferrat
Mannheim city councilor Julien Ferrat says sex parties at city hall could attract hundreds of thousands of swingers and nudists while boosting the city's economy Julien Ferrat / Facebook

A German councillor is trying to stage a swingers' party inside Mannheim City Hall, arguing it would break taboos, attract tourists and bring politicians 'closer' to the public.

Julien Ferrat, 35, a councillor in the industrial city of Mannheim representing the Die Mannheimer voters' association, has proposed holding a swingers' gathering inside the city's town hall.

Ferrat, who has reportedly been nicknamed 'Germany's craziest councillor', claims the event would help challenge stigma around nudism and swinging.

He has also framed the idea as a tourism pitch, saying Mannheim could become a German version of Cap d'Agde, the French resort known for its naturist tourism and swingers' scene.

'Group sex with city council members would be the ultimate in closeness with the citizens,' Ferrat reportedly said.

'Swingers' Paradise' Vision for Mannheim

Ferrat says the plan is not just about shock value. He argues that a more open attitude towards nudism and swinging could help Mannheim draw visitors and generate money for the local economy without raising taxes or fees. His broader ambition is to market the city as 'Cap d'Agde's little sister'.

'The mixing of nudism and swinging is the reason why the nudist village in Cap d'Agde is doing very well compared to other nudist resorts,' Ferrat told The Telegraph. 'Nudist tourism is declining, but swinger tourism is increasing.'

He claims around 50 people have already contacted him to express interest in the proposed event. That does not mean 50 participants have formally committed to attending. German media have independently reported Ferrat's claim that roughly 50 people contacted him.

'At the moment, the focus is on determining which of the citizens who contacted me are seriously interested,' he said.

Ferrat added that some of those who reached out are already part of the local swingers' community, while others are people he has not yet met. 'This week, I will start meeting the "unknown" people in person,' he said.

City Officials Raise Doubts Over Proposal

Mannheim officials have not approved the proposal and have signalled that the plan cannot currently proceed as presented. A city spokeswoman said officials still lacked basic information, including a date, a proposed room and an explanation of how the event related to Ferrat's municipal mandate.

The city previously said there were 'considerable doubts' about the admissibility and feasibility of Ferrat's plans.

As of 21 August, however, Ferrat had not submitted a formal application for use of the premises, meaning officials had not issued a final decision on whether such an event could legally take place.

Ferrat, however, has argued that no local bylaw or City Hall rule explicitly bans swingers' parties on the premises. He has reportedly vowed to challenge a future ban, potentially taking the matter as far as Germany's Federal Constitutional Court.

'My political swinger party will definitely take place,' he said.

Not His First Nude Controversy

Ferrat is no stranger to controversy involving nudity and politics. He previously appeared naked outside Mannheim City Hall as part of a protest involving the city's budget policies.

In 2025, he placed an advertisement in Mannheim's official gazette featuring a nude photograph of himself while promoting what he described as a political educational trip to Cap d'Agde, the French Mediterranean resort known for its large naturist community and swingers' scene. The trip subsequently took place with dozens of participants.

Ferrat has since used that trip to support his argument that Mannheim could attract visitors by developing its own nudist and swingers' tourism offering.

Whether his City Hall plan succeeds remains uncertain, but the proposal has already attracted considerable attention in Germany and beyond.

Writer's pick