Editing Prostitution in Germany (section)

== Modern era ==
=== Legislative reform (2002) ===
In 2002, a one-page law sponsored by the [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Green Party]] was passed by the ruling coalition of [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democrats]] and [[Alliance '90/The Greens|Greens]] in the [[Bundestag]]. The law, the [[Prostitution Act]] (Prostitutionsgesetz), removed the general prohibition on furthering full-service sex work and allowed sex workers to obtain regular work contracts. The law's rationale stated that sex work should not be considered as immoral anymore.

The law has been criticized as having not effectively changed the situation of the sex workers, believed to be because some workers themselves don't want to change their working conditions and contracts.<ref>[http://www.taz.de/pt/2006/10/21/a0072.1/text Horizontales Gewerbe noch lange nicht legal], ''taz'', 21 October 2006</ref> The German government issued a report on the law's impact in January 2007, concluding that few sex workers had taken advantage of regular work contracts and that work conditions had improved only for 35% workers.<ref>[http://www.bmfsfj.de/Kategorien/Forschungsnetz/forschungsberichte,did=93304.html Bericht der Bundesregierung zu den Auswirkungen des Gesetzes zur Regelung der Rechtsverhältnisse der Prostituierten] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927000151/http://www.bmfsfj.de/Kategorien/Forschungsnetz/forschungsberichte%2Cdid%3D93304.html |date=27 September 2007 }}, 24 January 2007. {{in lang|de}}</ref>

=== Post 2002 ===
[[File:Trier Hafenmelodie1.jpg|thumb|250px|Brothel Hafenmelodie [[Trier]] (Germany)]]
Between 2000 and 2003, the visa issuing policies of German consulates were liberalized. The opposition claimed that this resulted in an increase in human trafficking and sex workers entering the country illegally, especially from [[Ukraine]]. The episode led to hearings in 2005 and is known as the [[German Visa Affair 2005]].

In 2004, the Turkish gang leader [[Necati Arabaci]] was sentenced to 9 years in prison for pimping, human trafficking, assault, extortion, weapons violations and racketeering.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1096374340433.shtml|title=Rotlicht-Pate muss neun Jahre hinter Gitter|date=1 October 2004|newspaper=Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger|language=de|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120804094208/http://www.ksta.de/html/artikel/1096374340433.shtml|archive-date=4 August 2012}}</ref> His gang of bouncers controlled the night clubs in [[Cologne]]'s entertainment district, the [[Cologne Ring|Ring]], where they befriended girls in order to exploit them as sex workers.<ref>{{citation|url=https://www.youtube.com/v/PcEF7Wb7hIY|title=Bandenkrieg – Die geheime Welt der Türsteher|author=Peter Schran|year=2004|work=WDR|language=de}}</ref> After Arabaci's arrest, informants overheard threats against the responsible prosecutor, who received police protection and fled the country in 2007 when Arabaci was deported to Turkey.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.focus.de/panorama/welt/verbrechen-alle-ausradieren_aid_222954.html|title=Alle ausradieren|date=30 April 2007|journal=Focus|language=de}}</ref>

In 2004, the large [[Freikörperkultur|FKK]]-brothel ''Colosseum'' opened in [[Augsburg]], and police suspected a connection to Arabaci's gang, which owned several similar establishments and was supposedly directed from prison by its convicted leader.<ref>Klaus Wiendl and Oliver Bendixen: Millionengeschäfte mit Zwangsprostitution –
Das europaweite Netzwerk der Bordellmafia, report MÜNCHEN, [[Bayerischer Rundfunk]] (German TV), 9 January 2006. [http://huren-test-forum.lusthaus.cc/archive/index.php/t-52694.html transcript] {{in lang|de}}</ref>

After several raids, police determined that the managers of the brothel dictated the prices that the women had to charge, prohibited them from sitting in groups or using cell phones during work, set the work hours, searched rooms and handbags, and made them work completely nude (charging a penalty of €10 per infraction). In April 2006, five men were charged with pimping. The court quashed the charges, arguing that the prostitution law of 2002 created a regular employer-employee relationship and thus gave the employer certain rights to direct the working conditions. Colosseum remained in business.<ref>"Richter kapitulieren vor Bordellbetreibern", ''Süddeutsche Zeitung'', 1 September 2006. {{in lang|de}}</ref>

In early 2005, the media in Great Britain reported that a woman refusing to take a job as a sex worker might have her unemployment benefits reduced or removed altogether.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050209083744/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/01/30/wgerm30.xml 'If you don't take a job as a prostitute, we can stop your benefits'], ''[[The Daily Telegraph]]'', 30 January 2005</ref>
A similar account had appeared in mid-2003; a woman received a job offer through a private employment agency. In this case, the agency apologized for the mistake, stating that a request for a sex worker would normally have been rejected, but the client misled them, describing the position as "a female barkeeper." To date, there have been no reported cases of women actually losing benefits in such a case, and the employment agencies have stated that women would not be made to work in sex work.<ref>[http://www.snopes.com/media/notnews/brothel.asp Snopes] Debunking the claim that "Women in Germany face the loss of unemployment benefits if they decline to accept work in brothels."</ref>

In March 2007, the brothel "[[Pascha (brothel)|Pascha]]" in Cologne announced that senior citizens above the age of 66 would receive a discount during afternoons; half of the price of €50 for a "normal session" would be covered by the house. Earlier, in 2004, a 20% discount for long-term unemployed had been announced by a brothel in [[Dresden]].<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/zeitgeist/0,1518,471907,00.html German Brothel Offers 50-Percent Discount to Senior Citizens], ''Spiegel Online'', 15 March 2007</ref>

Also in 2007, authorities in Berlin began to close several apartment brothels that had existed for many years. They cited a 1983 court decision that found that the inevitable disturbances caused by brothels were incompatible with residential areas. [[Sex workers' rights]] groups and brothel owners fought these efforts. They commissioned a study that concluded that apartment brothels in general neither promote criminality nor disturb neighbors.<ref>[http://www.taz.de/index.php?id=berlin-aktuell&art=4329&id=820&cHash=1884b7c531 Bordelle machen Bezirksamt an], ''[[Die Tageszeitung|taz]]'', 6 September 2007. {{in lang|de}}</ref>

The [[2008 financial crisis]] and [[Great Recession]] led to changes at some brothels. Reduced prices and free promotions are now found. Some changes, the result of modern marketing tools, rebates, gimmicks. Brothels introducing all-inclusive flat-rates, free shuttle buses, discounts for seniors and taxi drivers. "Day passes." Some brothels reportedly including loyalty cards, group sex parties, rebates for golf players. Clients have reported reducing their number of weekly visits.<ref>[https://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53K00G20090421 Global economic crisis hits German sex industry], Reuters (20 April 2009)</ref>

In 2009, the ''[[Bundessozialgericht]]'' ruled that the German job agencies are not required to find sex workers for open positions in brothels. The court rejected the complaint of a brothel owner who had argued that the law of 2002 had turned sex work into a job like any other; the judges ruled that the law had been passed to protect the employees, not to further the business.<ref>[http://www.sueddeutsche.de/jobkarriere/63/467634/text/ Callgirl vom Amt], ''sueddeutsche.de'', 7 May 2009. {{in lang|de}}</ref>

The effects of the reforms continue to be debated. A five-part series in ''[[Der Spiegel]]'' in 2013 claimed it was a failure.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/human-trafficking-persists-despite-legality-of-prostitution-in-germany-a-902533.html|title=Unprotected: How Legalizing Prostitution Has Failed|date=30 May 2013|newspaper=Spiegel Online}}</ref> Others have argued that, while the German model still has many weaknesses, it has reduced violence against sex workers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.fairobserver.com/article/german-prostitution-model-reducing-violence-against-sex-workers|title=The German Prostitution Model: Reducing Violence Against Sex Workers - Fair Observer|website=www.fairobserver.com|date=14 September 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, a startup in Berlin launched Peppr, an app for prostitution.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sifferlin |first=Alexandra |title=There Is Now an App for Prostitution |url=https://time.com/72218/there-is-now-an-app-for-prostitution/ |magazine=Time |access-date=26 May 2020 |language=en |date=22 April 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brown |first1=Robert |title=Peppr is the Tinder of the sex industry |url=https://acclaimmag.com/culture/taking-tinder-next-level-app-turns-tricks/ |website=Acclaim Magazine |access-date=18 February 2020 |language=en-us |date=3 May 2014}}</ref>

The Criminal Code was amended in October 2016 to criminalise clients of trafficked or coerced prostitutes. This change was led by [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democrat]] Eva Högl.

The ''Prostituiertenschutzgesetz'' ([[Prostitutes Protection Act]]) came into force in July 2017. Amongst the provision of the Act are registration of prostitutes, annual health checks and mandatory [[condom]] use. Brothel operators also need to register and prove their 'good conduct' before registration. The legislation also places restrictions on advertising.<ref name="fede">{{cite web |url= http://www.fr.de/politik/prostitutionsgesetz-koalition-beschliesst-kondompflicht-fuer-freier-a-493341 |title= Koalition beschließt Kondompflicht für Freier |date= 4 February 2015 |website= Frankfurter Rundschau |access-date= 14 November 2017 }}</ref>

==== Football World Cup 2006 ====
[[Image:Pascha Köln.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Pascha (brothel)|Pascha brothel]] in [[Cologne, Germany]], is the largest brothel in Europe.<ref name=faz>[https://www.faz.net/s/RubCD175863466D41BB9A6A93D460B81174/Doc~E5CC9DBCF62BF40E4AE97BB61D42A9FA8~ATpl~Ecommon~Scontent.html „Die Welt zu Gast bei Freundinnen“], ''[[Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung]]'', 8 June 2006. {{in lang|de}}</ref> During the [[2006 FIFA World Cup]], the poster with the [[Saudi Arabian flag]] and [[Iranian flag]] was blacked out after protests and threats.]]
Officials speculated that up to 40,000 illegal sex workers, mainly from Eastern European countries, would enter Germany for the [[2006 FIFA World Cup|Football World Cup]], held in Germany in the summer of 2006. Women and church groups were planning a "[[Red card (sports)|Red card]] to forced prostitution" campaign with the aim of alerting World Cup visitors to the existence of forced sex trafficking. They asked for support from the national football team and the national football organization but were initially rebuffed.<ref>[http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/11/18/world_cup/index.html Invasion of the body pleasers] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090801094932/http://dir.salon.com/story/news/feature/2005/11/18/world_cup/index.html |date=1 August 2009 }}, Luke Harding, ''Salon.com'' (18 November 2005)</ref> In March 2006, the president of the German football federation turned around and agreed to support a campaign named "Final Whistle – Stop Forced Prostitution".<ref>[http://www.spiegel.de/international/0,1518,404955,00.html Blowing the Whistle on Forced Prostitution], ''Spiegel Online'', 8 March 2006</ref> The [[Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe]] (PACE), the [[Nordic Council]] and [[Amnesty International]] also expressed concern over an increase in the trafficking of women and forced sex trafficking up to and during the World Cup.<ref>[http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGACT770082006 "Red card to trafficking during World Cup"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060816165726/http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGACT770082006 |date=16 August 2006 }}, ''Amnesty International'', Public Statement (26 April 2006)</ref><ref>[http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=/documents/workingdocs/doc06/edoc10881.htm "Stop trafficking in women before the FIFA World Cup"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060614015447/http://assembly.coe.int/main.asp?Link=%2Fdocuments%2Fworkingdocs%2Fdoc06%2Fedoc10881.htm |date=14 June 2006 }} (Doc. 10881), ''Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly'' (10 April 2006)</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6112&lang=6 |title=World Cup concerns Nordic Council |language=sv |publisher=Norden.org |access-date=5 May 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071017235107/http://norden.org/webb/news/news.asp?id=6112&lang=6 |archive-date=17 October 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.indcatholicnews.com/traworldcu458.html|work=Independent Catholic News|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060518155902/http://www.indcatholicnews.com/traworldcu458.html|archive-date=18 May 2006|location=London|date=3 May 2006|title=Appeal to stop trafficked women being sold for sex at World Cup|author=Verena Wright}}</ref>

In March 2006, the campaign "Responsible John. Prostitution without compulsion and violence"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ban-ying.de/verantwortlicherfreier/ |title=Ban Ying – Für Prostitution ohne Zwang und Gewalt |publisher=Ban-ying.de |access-date=5 May 2011}}</ref> was started by the government of Berlin.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.berlin.de/landespressestelle/archiv/2006/03/03/35874/index.html |title=(Landespressestelle) Start der Kampagne "Verantwortlicher Freier" gegen Zwangsprostitution: Verantwortung kann man nicht in Zentimetern messen |publisher=Berlin.de |access-date=5 May 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120305163230/http://www.berlin.de/landespressestelle/archiv/2006/03/03/35874/index.html |archive-date=5 March 2012 }}</ref> It provides a list of signs of forced sex trafficking and urges sex workers' customers to call a hotline if they spot one of those signs.

In April 2006, an advertisement for the [[Pascha (brothel)|Pascha]] brothel in [[Cologne]] that featured a several story-high image of a half-naked young woman with the flags of [[2006 FIFA World Cup]] countries sparked outrage after [[Islam in Germany|Muslims]] were offended by the inclusion of the [[Saudi Arabia]]n and [[Iran]]ian flags. Pascha's owner, Armin Lobscheid, said a group of [[Muslim]]s had threatened violence over the advertisement, and he blacked out the two flags. The [[Tunisian flag]] that features the [[Muslim crescent]] remained on the advertisement.

On 30 June 2006, ''[[The New York Times]]'' reported that the expected increase in prostitution activity around the World Cup had not taken place.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/03/world/europe/03berlin.html?ex=1309579200&en=e28e47eba8978d37&ei=5089&partner=rssyahoo&emc=rss "World Cup Brings Little Pleasure to German Brothels"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', 30 June 2006.</ref> This was confirmed by the 2006 [[Federal Criminal Police Office (Germany)|BKA]] report on [[human trafficking]], which reported only five cases of human trafficking related to the World Cup.<ref name=bka>{{cite web|title=Trafficking in Human Beings 2006 |url=https://www.bka.de/SharedDocs/Downloads/EN/Publications/AnnualReportsAndSituationAssessments/TraffickingInHumanBeings/traffickingInHumanBeingsReport2006.pdf?__blob=publicationFile&v=1|website=BKA|access-date=10 April 2018|date=May 2007}}</ref>

===COVID-19 pandemic===
[[Social distancing]] as a preventative measure during the initial phase of the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Germany]] caused a marked reduction in the number of visitors to brothels, some operators reporting a 50% reduction in business.<ref name="Japan Times">{{cite news |title=Europe's sex workers face ruin as brothels shut amid coronavirus fears |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2020/03/19/world/social-issues-world/europe-sex-workers-face-ruin-coronavirus/#.XpcBQ_hKiM8 |newspaper=The Japan Times Online |access-date=15 April 2020 |date=19 March 2020}}</ref> Several federal states ordered entertainment venues to close on 14 March 2020,<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.spiegel.de/panorama/gesellschaft/coronavirus-mehrere-bundeslaender-schraenken-oeffentliches-leben-massiv-ein-a-d1563908-34d8-46ee-ae40-520e34f82c88 |title=Mehrere Bundesländer schränken öffentliches Leben massiv ein |date=14 March 2020 |access-date=15 March 2020 |work=Der Spiegel}}</ref> followed by the Central Government ordering a nationwide closure on 22 March 2020.<ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.welt.de/politik/deutschland/article206725829/Coronavirus-Bund-und-Laender-beschliessen-Kontaktverbote-Friseure-zu.html |title=Kontaktverbote über zwei Personen, Friseure zu – Darauf haben sich Bund und Länder geeinigt |date=22 March 2020 |access-date=22 March 2020 |work=Die Welt |agency=jmi mit dpa}}</ref> (Brothels are classed as entertainment venues in Germany.)<ref name="Japan Times" />

According to Susanne Bleier Wilp of the ''Association for Erotic and Sexual Services Providers'' lobby group in Berlin, 80% of the prostitutes working in Germany at the time were foreign, mainly from Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, and Ukraine. Many of them lived in the brothels. Whilst most returned to their home countries, some were made homeless by the brothel closures.<ref>{{cite web |title=Eastern European sex workers stranded in Germany as coronavirus shuts brothels |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/economy-jobs/news/eastern-european-sex-workers-stranded-in-germany-as-coronavirus-shuts-brothels/ |website=www.euractiv.com |access-date=15 April 2020 |date=3 April 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Coronavirus forces adjustments for sex workers in Germany, where prostitution is legal |url=https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-03-26/coronavirus-sex-workers-germany-prostitution-legal |website=Los Angeles Times |access-date=15 April 2020 |date=26 March 2020}}</ref>

The {{ill|Berufsverband erotische und sexuelle Dienstleistungen|de}} ({{gloss|Professional association for erotic and sexual services}}) published a new hygiene concept for sex workers. It had three parts, one for sex workers who work in their own apartments, one for escorts and one for street prostitutes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://sex-vienna.com/2020/05/28/germany-introduces-a-hygiene-concept-for-erotic-services-as-a-result-of-the-coronavirus/|title=Germany introduces a hygiene concept for erotic services as a result of the Coronavirus|date=28 May 2020|website=Sex in Vienna}}</ref>

====Thuringia====
The [[Thuringia]]n Corona Ordinance decided to keep all the prostitution-related facilities closed until 31 August 2020. The hygiene concepts referred to by brothel operators were all denied. Due to the physical closeness related to such services, it was impossible to counteract the dangers of getting infected effectively.<ref name="brothelarticle">{{cite web|url=https://sexclubwien.com/breaking-news/many-brothels-struggle-during-the-coronavirus-crisis/|title=Many Brothels Struggle During the Coronavirus Crisis|date=15 July 2020|website=Sex Club Wien}}</ref>

====Hamburg====
On [[Herbertstraße]] on [[St. Pauli]], 400 prostitutes and brothel operators protested for the reopening of brothels on 11 July 2020. According to the professional association for erotic and sexual services, the fact that body-related services such as tattoo studios, hairdressers and massage salons were allowed to work during the COVID-19 crisis was unfair.<ref name="brothelarticle" />

====Munich====
By March 2020, all brothels in [[Trudering]], [[Munich]] were closed due to the coronavirus crisis. Prostitutes continued to work outside of regulated establishments. They were allowed to set appointments with clients in the non-restricted areas of the city. As long as brothels were not allowed to open, prostitution continued to take place outside the brothels.<ref name="brothelarticle" />