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My mom didn’t usually go on Friday, because she would make a lot of dishes on that day. She wouldn’t go every week, we used to bath also at home. When I was little, until I was ten, I used to go with my mother at the Jewish bath. When I got older, beginning with 18-19 years, I went regularly at the communal bath, at the vapor bath.
The vapors were different from the ones at the Jewish bath, they were coming through tubes – I don’t know exactly how the installation worked but I can remember very well the rooms.
There were some benches to sit on. I was still strong-built and healthy back then and I used to climb on the highest bench, I would lie down, and put a wet napkin on my face, so that I could breathe. Right outside the sauna, there was a room with beds, were you could lay down. Bath was verytiring. I would always bring my own sheets from home, but you could get them there too.
There was another room with wardrobes where you could undress and leave your clothes. My thingsnever got stolenthere. After moving in a house with bathroom, we didn’t go to public bathrooms anymore. I mean I went now and then to sauna, but only till I discovered I have high bloodpressureand I wasn’t allowed to goanymore. I don’t know, it might have been around 1950-60. I have never been there ever since.
The vapors were different from the ones at the Jewish bath, they were coming through tubes – I don’t know exactly how the installation worked but I can remember very well the rooms.
There were some benches to sit on. I was still strong-built and healthy back then and I used to climb on the highest bench, I would lie down, and put a wet napkin on my face, so that I could breathe. Right outside the sauna, there was a room with beds, were you could lay down. Bath was verytiring. I would always bring my own sheets from home, but you could get them there too.
There was another room with wardrobes where you could undress and leave your clothes. My thingsnever got stolenthere. After moving in a house with bathroom, we didn’t go to public bathrooms anymore. I mean I went now and then to sauna, but only till I discovered I have high bloodpressureand I wasn’t allowed to goanymore. I don’t know, it might have been around 1950-60. I have never been there ever since.
Location
Iasi
Romania
Interview
Rosa Kaiserman