We use cookies to improve our service for you. You can find more information in our data protection declaration. Morning, noon and night -- the demand for prostitutes is huge. The German Statistics Office estimates that around , women work as prostitutes. It's a normal job in Germany -- at least on paper. European Union members states vary in their policies concerning prostitution.
In Sweden, prostitutes are fined when caught turning tricks. The Netherlands and Germany, however, have pushed for complete legalization, with German prostitutes able to receive vacation and health benefits. The German Health Ministry intends to soon present its first assessment of the situation since prostitution was legalized three years ago.
Prostitutes go about their business in different ways. In a brothel in Hamburg, some young women prance around in stilettos and lingerie in front of potential clients. One man sits in a red velvet chair with golden armrests, admiring the women. Music videos dancing across a television screen. Other prostitutes sit in a back room and wait. They lounge around on sofas, smoking and eating chips and cookies.
She works six days a week. Chantal, who is 28, does not have to work so much. She's a "part-time prostitute. It's enough for her and her son to live on, but she doesn't want it that way. Chantal only circuits the brothel when she has time and is in the mood. Whether they work part or full-time, none of these women are "on staff" at the brothel. Doris, the brothel madame who herself worked as a prostitute for years, said most sex workers are not interested in a contract.
And they don't want it down on paper what they do. One exception, however, is Tamara. The year-old said sex was always her hobby, so she turned it into a job. She has registered her job as a sex worker at the local authorities.
