Prostitution in Germany

A German prostitute's self-portrait in a brothel
Engraving from the 15th century, Master of the Banderoles

Prostitution in Germany is legal, as are other aspects of the sex industry, including brothels, advertisement, and job offers through HR companies. Full-service sex work is widespread and regulated by the German government, which levies taxes on it.[1] In 2016, the government adopted a new law, the Prostitutes Protection Act, in an effort to improve the legal situation of sex workers, while also now enacting a legal requirement for registration of prostitution activity and banning prostitution which involves no use of condoms.[2] The social stigmatization of sex work persists and many workers continue to lead a double life.[3] Human rights organizations consider the resulting common exploitation of women from Eastern and Southeastern Europe to be the main problem associated with the profession.

  1. ^ "The Act Regulating the Legal Situation of Prostitutes – implementation, impact, current developments" (PDF). Social Research Institute of Applied Sciences Freiburg. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 April 2015. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  2. ^ "The new Prostitute Protection Act (Das neue Prostituiertenschutzgesetz)" (PDF). Federal Ministry of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference tampep was invoked but never defined (see the help page).