2. Bare Through the Ages: A Human History of Nudity

From Olympic athletes training in the nude to Victorian households terrified of exposed ankles, humanity’s relationship with the unclothed body has swung like a pendulum. In this historical journey, we travel from ancient Greece’s celebration of the naked form to Christianity’s powerful reframing of the body as a source of shame. We then jump forward to Germany’s early 20th‑century Freikörperkultur movement, which embraced nature, health, and body positivity long before the modern wellness trend. Finally, we examine today’s global patchwork of attitudes—why nudity is socially normal in parts of Europe yet restricted or stigmatized in countries like India and Thailand.