Stadtbad, Indoor water park in Krefeld, Germany

The Stadtbad is a bathing complex opened in 1890 on Neusser Straße in central Krefeld. It had separate swimming pools for men and women, shower and tub baths in three classes, an Irish-Roman steam bath with sauna, and a medical bath department. All tiles came from one factory and were laid without joints; each changing cabin had a crystal mirror with an oak frame.

The Stadtbad was planned from 1882 and opened in 1890 on Neusser Straße, after the Prussian Ministry of Justice refused Krefeld the district court seat unless the city had a public bath. Estimated at 200,000 marks, it finally cost 919,134.89 marks, borne by the city alone. Operations ceased in 2000 after more than 110 years; reuse remains unresolved.

The bath's name and purpose were tied to public hygiene: in the late 19th century few flats had bathrooms, so people washed at a basin or in public baths on the Rhine. The Krefeld Swimming Club was founded here in July 1893, and most Krefeld children learned to swim in these halls. Lifeguards of the Red Cross water watch trained weekly in the women's pool until closure.

The bath has been closed since 2000, and its future use remains unresolved, so there are no opening hours or visitor facilities. The building stands on Neusser Straße in central Krefeld and can be viewed from the street. The men's pool was repeatedly shut for technical problems before the final closure, and the women's pool basin was damaged in the earthquake of 13 April 1992.

The bath's tiles all came from a single factory, which needed over two years to produce the material; they were laid seamlessly, a technique few tilers still master. Each changing cubicle had a crystal mirror in an oak frame, and coconut mats on the floors reduced slipping.