German military brothels in World War II
In World War II the German military (Wehrmacht) ran brothels in occupied Europe for the use of their soldiers. These were sometimes existing brothels they took over or sometimes new brothels which they established. The women working there had mostly been prostitutes before or hired later, but not prisoners.[1] Until 1942 there were 500 bordels of this kind in France and Eastern Europe.[2]
France
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 | This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. (March 2010) |
The idea to set up these brothels came up in the course of the Battle of France.
The leaders of the Wehrmacht were interested in running their own brothels, where sexual disease spread among the soldiers. In the controlled brothels, the women frequently had a medical check for her own and the German soldiers' benefit.
Besides sexual diseases, the Wehrmacht also feared espionage. On 29 July 1940 the order was issued to regulate the soldiers' sex life and prevent diseases. From that point forward, free prostitution was forbidden and persecuted by the French police. As before, the prostitutes were paid. The soldiers had to bring up the money themselves from their regular guerdon.
Forced prostitution
Some historical research disputes the idea that women were directly forced to work as prostitutes.[3][4] Generally the women, were prostitutes before, but had to be registered.[3] However, Ruth Seifert, a professor of sociology at the University of Applied Sciences in Regensburg claims that women were forced to work in these brothels.[5]
See also
- Łapanka
- Comfort women (Japan)
- German camp brothels in World War II
- German war crimes
- Joy Division
- Recreation and Amusement Association (Japan)
- Sexual Slavery
Notes
- ^ Eine degoutante Realität. Die Wehrmacht unterhielt während des Zweiten Weltkrieges Bordelle in den besetzten Ländern
- ^ Helge Sander/Barbara Johr (Hrsg.), Befreier und Befreite - Krieg - Vergewaltigung - Kinder, Frankfurt a.M. 2005
- ^ a b Christl Wickert: Tabu Lagerbordell, in: Eschebach/Jacobeit/Wenk: Gedächtnis und Geschlecht, 2002, S. 54 Cite error: The named reference "wickert2002" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
- ^ Franz W. Seidler, "Prostitution, Homosexualität, Selbstverstümmelung - Probleme der deutschen Sanitätsführung 1939-1945; 1977, S. 154
- ^ Ruth Seifert. "War and Rape. Analytical Approaches1". Women's International League for Peace and Freedom. Retrieved 2010-03-12.
References
- Template:De icon Franz W. Seidler, "Prostitution, Homosexualität, Selbstverstümmelung - Probleme der deutschen Sanitätsführung 1939-1945
- Template:De icon Max Plassmann "Wehrmachtbordelle", in: Militärgeschichtlichen Zeitschrift Heft 1/2003, hrsg. vom MGFA