I was in Munich, Germany, settling into my new temporary digs when my Couchsurfing host flung open the living room windows. “Lüften!” he exclaimed ardently.
The breeze felt nice, if not a bit chilly, on that late winter afternoon. But in a land where the people love cold plunging, I made like a local and embraced the briskness.
Although it was March 2020, finding fresh air had nothing to do with the impending Covid-19 pandemic. In fact, as my host explained, lüften is a German cultural tradition practiced multiple times daily.
Simply the practice of opening windows for natural ventilation, it is considered essential for well-being and doesn’t cost a dime. Even a short burst of air has a powerful impact, with the typical session lasting from five to thirty minutes.
In the modern era, Germans have emerged as trailblazers in health and social care, but they have been practicing lüften for centuries to rid living spaces of stale air, odors, and even mold by regulating humidity. For these benefits, many landlords write lüften into their rental contracts.
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Physically, lüften is a tried and true remedy for improving respiratory function, energy levels, and mood. We refresh our spaces with plants with much of the same motivation; lüften makes greenification a more immersive experience.
Lüften must invigorate a primal understanding that we are connected to the elements. When, for whatever modern reasons, we are stuck inside, we can swiftly invite in the great outdoors. Easy, breezy, beautiful.
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I’ve never been a big fan of air conditioning, much preferring air that hasn’t been tampered with. It has always been a no-brainer for me to let fresh air flow inside during warmer weather, but now I happily crack the windows during the colder months too, actively recalling my old friend and the wisdom of his ancestors.
I brought lüften back with me from Germany, an unseen souvenir — often the best kind of memento.
