The Rise of Naturism

Social nudity emerged as a counter-cultural rebellion against the restrictive Victorian social codes and the industrialisation of daily life during the late 1800s.

The following is a timeline of key events and organisations that shaped modern naturism.

Year	Event	Significance
1876	Founding of Nakna Mäns Förening in Stockholm, Sweden.	Widely considered the first organized naturist club.
1898	Founding of Club des Amis du Nu in Le Mans, France.	First club explicitly dedicated to social nudity.
1933	Establishment of The Sunbather’s Colony in Florida, USA.	First naturist colony in the United States.
1933	First public attempt to form a nudist club (Dunedin).	Early Aotearoa New Zealand organising met hostility.
1938	Formation of the Auckland Sun Group.	One of the earliest enduring NZ naturist groups.
1947	Opening of La Plaine de l’Espérance, France.	One of the first dedicated naturist resorts.
1953	First national rally of the NZ Sunbathing Association.	Signalled coordinated growth of NZ clubs.
Mid-1950s	“Naturism” adopted more widely in NZ usage.	A shift in language towards public acceptability.
1965	Founding of the International Naturist Federation (INF).	Global coordination and advocacy for the movement.
1970s	Naturism less widely seen as shocking in NZ.	Broader cultural normalisation over time.

European Origins

The roots of organised naturism are deeply embedded in Scandinavia, Germany and France, during the late 1800s.

Sweden

Historians widely recognise Sweden as the birthplace of modern social nudity. In 1876, Gustaf Strååt established the Nakna Mäns Förening (Bare Men’s Association) in Stockholm. Strååt was driven by a belief that clothing caused disease and restricted the body’s natural functions.

Germany

Karl Heinrich Ulrichs published writings advocating for the right to be naked. Later, in 1910, the first official nudist club, Der Nackte Mensch (The Naked Man), was founded in Berlin.

France

Shortly after, the movement gained momentum in France. In 1898, Gustave de Molder founded the Club des Amis du Nu (Friends of Nudity) in Le Mans. This club is frequently cited by historians as a turning point because it moved beyond mere health gymnastics to embrace “social nudity” as a recreational and lifestyle activity for mixed groups, laying the groundwork for future resort culture.

The International Naturist Federation (INF) formed in France in 1965 under Jean-Pierre Fournier:

Aotearoa Origins

Naturism arrived in Aotearoa in its own local form shaped by our isolation and rugged landscape and culture. The framing centred around “sun and health” and outdoors rather than the more urbanised naturist communities of Europe.

Māori Aotearoa before organised naturism

Long before clubs or “sun and health” rallies, Māori societies had their own rich cultures of dress, adornment, and bodily protocol. None of that should be folded into modern naturism as if they were the same movement.

Dress and mana. Cloaks, mats, feathers, oils, and taonga carried meaning; fine kākahu and everyday garments varied by iwi, climate, rank, and occasion. Māori textile arts were sophisticated—this was never simply “everyone went naked because nature.”
Tikanga, tapu, and what could be seen. Standards for modesty and exposure followed relationships, roles, sites (including wāhi tapu), and states of tapu and noa. Those rules sat in Māori worlds of meaning, not in imported European naturist philosophy.
Snippets from journals and art. Early European travellers sometimes described bathing, swimming, or children at play with little clothing. Such glimpses are context-bound and easy to misquote; they do not describe a nationwide “social nudity” scene comparable to twentieth-century naturism.
Colonial eyes. Pākehā observers often projected shame, spectacle, or “noble savage” fantasy onto Māori bodies. Those attitudes fed later laws and norms that sat awkwardly beside tikanga—part of the backdrop when Pākehā-led naturism eventually appeared.
Keeping histories distinct. Acknowledging Māori histories of the body helps ground Aotearoa’s story in multiple traditions. Organised naturism here still traces mainly through European-influenced club culture in the 1900s—not through a straightforward “revival” of pre-colonial Māori practice.

The Pioneers (1930s)

Early naturism was shaped by the realities of the day with nude sunbathing being illegal, so people kept things discreet and organised private club spaces.

1933: First public attempt to form a club in Dunedin drew hostility.
1938: Auckland Sun Group forms, pitching “sun and health” on private bush blocks.

Post-War Growth (1940s–70s)

The real turning point came after World War II. Returning soldiers experienced different cultures and sought a more relaxed lifestyle and helped normalise the concept of body acceptance. The post-war boom in tourism also played a role where visitors to New Zealand beaches began requesting “nudist zones,” prompting local councils to consider designated areas rather than banning the practice.

1953: First national rally of the New Zealand Sunbathing Association.
Mid-1950s: Shift in terminology from “nudism” to “naturism”.
1960s–70s: Pineglades established holiday-park style naturism while stigma persists.

The Future of Naturism

Today, naturism is recognised as a legitimate lifestyle choice in many jurisdictions where public nudity is legal in designated areas.

Today, the naturist movement emphasises environmental stewardship, body positivity, and the separation of nudity from sexual activity. While still facing legal battles in conservative regions, it has established itself as a global community with organised tourism and educational programs.

The future of naturism is uncertain, but it is clear that the movement will continue to grow and evolve. The naturist movement is a positive force for society, and it is important to continue to promote the benefits of naturism.

Pre-Colonial Māori What is Naturism?