Editing Prostitution in Germany (section)

=== {{Anchor|BRD}}Federal Republic of Germany (BRD 1945–2001) ===
In West Germany, the registration and testing requirements remained in place but were handled quite differently in the regions of the country. In [[Bavaria]], in addition to scheduled [[Sexually transmitted infection|Sexually transmitted disease]] (STD) check-ups, regular tests for [[HIV/AIDS|HIV]] were required from 1987, but this was an exception. Many sex workers did not submit to these tests, avoiding the registration. A study in 1992 found that only 2.5% of the tested workers had a disease, a rate much lower than the one among comparable non-sex workers.<ref name=leopold/>

In 1967, Europe's largest brothel at the time, the six-floor Eros Center, was opened on the [[Reeperbahn]] in Hamburg. An even larger one, the twelve-floor building now called ''[[Pascha (brothel)|Pascha]]'' in [[Cologne]] was opened in 1972. The AIDS scare of the late 1980s had an effect on the business, and the Eros Center closed, as well as several other brothels in [[Hamburg]].<ref>[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=940DEED71438F937A25756C0A96E948260&sec=&spon=&pagewanted=print A Red-Light District Loses Its Allure], ''The New York Times'', 14 May 1988</ref><ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,515535,00.html Willi Bartels ist tot], ''Spiegel Online'', 5 November 2007. {{in lang|de}}</ref> The ''Pascha'' continued to flourish, and has evolved into a chain with additional brothels in [[Munich]] and [[Salzburg]].

Anything which led to the "promotion of prostitution" (''Förderung der Prostitution'') remained a crime until 2001, even after the extensive criminal law reforms of 1973. This placed operators of brothels under the threat of potential legal action. Most brothels were, therefore, run as a bar with an attached but legally separate room rental. Many municipalities built, ran and profited from high rise or townhouse-style high-rent ''Dirnenwohnheime'' (lit.: "whores' dormitories"), to keep street-based sex work and pimping under control. Here workers sold sex in a room they rented by the day. These establishments, called "Laufhäuser" in Johns' jargon are now mostly privatized and operate as ''Eros Centers''. Even before the 2001 reform, many upmarket sex workers operated in their own apartments, alone or with other women. Luxurious country houses, called "FKK-Sauna-Clubs" are the higher-priced end of prostitution in Germany. There, women and men pay the same entrance fees ranging from about €50 to 100 and usually include meals and drinks and the sex workers negotiate their deals with the individual [[Client (prostitution)|clients]], thus avoiding the appearance of pimping ("Zuhälterei"). Illegal variations on that business model, like "Flatrate-Clubs" and "Pauschalclubs" also exist and advertise openly in daily newspapers and the Internet. These establishments charge an "all-you-can handle" fee of about €75 to €90.

Before the 2002 prostitution law, the highest courts of Germany repeatedly ruled that sex work offends good moral order (''verstößt gegen die guten Sitten''), with several legal consequences. Any contract that is considered immoral is null and void, so a sex worker could not sue for payment. Sex workers working out of their apartments could lose their leases. Finally, bars and inns could be denied licenses if sex work took place on their premises.

In 1999, Felicitas Weigmann<ref>see German Wikipedia, [[:de:Felicitas Weigmann|Felicitas Weigmann]], version 2 September 2009. {{in lang|de}}</ref> lost the licence for her Berlin cafe ''Psst!'', because the cafe was being used to initiate contacts between customers and sex work and had an attached room-rental also owned by Weigmann. She sued the city, arguing that society's position had changed and sex work no longer qualified as offending the moral order. The judge conducted an extensive investigation and solicited a large number of opinions. In December 2000 the court agreed with Weigmann's claim. This ruling is considered as precedent and important factor in the realization of the Prostitution Law of 1 January 2002. Only after an appeal process though, filed by the Berlin town district, was Weigmann to regain her café license in October 2002.

The compulsory registration and testing of workers was abandoned in 2001.{{cn|date=November 2020}} Anonymous, free and voluntary health testing has been made available to everyone, including [[illegal immigrant]]s.{{cn|date=November 2020}} Many brothel operators require these tests.