During a visit to the U.S., an Austrian
friend told us a how saunas came into her family.
The German army conscripted her father,
then 19 years old, into military service in the early days of World
War II and stationed his unit at Murmansk, Russia, north of the
Arctic Circle on the Barents Sea.
He and other young soldiers were not
used to the rough climate and fell sick. The nearby Finns befriended
the young Austrians. Though they had no common language, the locals
introduced them to saunas — health, warmth, cleanliness,
rejuvenation, conviviality.
Because the Austrian troops were not
allowed to leave their barracks every time they wanted to enjoy a
sauna, they scrounged for materials — used petrol barrels, large
stones and whatever wood they could
find — to build their own
somewhat-makeshift saunas.
Saunas helped them survive the war and
the bitter cold of Murmansk. They helped the young conscripts stay
strong and healthy. In his words, “saunas were a very good thing
during a very bad time.”
Has the sauna been the same for you —
a good thing during a bad time?
Nikki
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