Bruchstraße
Street in Braunschweig, Germany
Bruchstrasse from the direction of Wallstraße
LocationFriedrich Wilhelm district, Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany
Coordinates52°15′39″N 10°31′16″E / 52.26089°N 10.52103°E / 52.26089; 10.52103
FromWallstraße
ToFriedrich-Wilhelm-Straße
Other
Known forWindow prostitution

The Bruchstraße is a cobbled street in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, Germany. The street has many historic half-timbered houses and is the centre of the city's red light district[1] and has a number of "windows".[2] There are iron gates at both ends of the street, at the junctions with Wallstraße and Friedrich-Wilhelm-Straße.[3]

History

Prostitution in the Bruchstraße dates back to the Middle Ages,[1] and is possibly the oldest red-light district in Germany.[3] At the beginning of the 15th century, there were 5 brothels in Echternstraße, including one called the "Rote Kloster" (Red Monastery). Prostitution was overseen by Braunschweig's hangman. There was also a brothel called "Fruwenhus" in Mauernstraße.[1]

Around the same time, the marshland between the two branches of the Oker river was being drained and landfill were being dumped there. This led to an undulating landscape. Being beyond the city walls, the nature of the area, it was used as a hideout for criminals. The prostitutes also settled here and disreputable bars opened. Prostitution continued here despite the 1594 law prohibiting fornication.[1]

In 1806 the city came under the control of the French and troops were stationed in the city.[4] There were concerns about STIs amongst the soldiers and the prostitutes were subjected to compulsory health checks.[1]

The street was named Bruchstraße in 1858.[1] During World War II Braunschweig was bombed 42 times. An Allied air raid on 15 October 15, 1944 destroyed most of the city's churches, and the Altstadt (old town).[5] The 33 half-timbered houses in Bruchstraße survived the bombings.[1]

Modern times

In 2013 there were proposals to open up the gated street and add restaurants and bars as part of the regeneration of the Friedrich Wilhelm district.[6] This was opposed by the police, spokesman Wolfgang Klages saying the current arrangement "is actually the ideal situation to keep a close eye on it." The head of the Braunschweig health office, Sabine Pfingsten-Würzburg, also opposed the proposal.[7]

From 1 July 2017, all prostitutes and brothel operators were required to be registered Under the Prostitutes Protection Act. In 2018, there were 167 prostitutes registered in Braunschweig.[8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Panitzek, M. "Die Bruchstraße in Braunschweig" [The Bruchstrasse in Braunschweig]. www.verstecktes.de. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  2. ↑ Weitzer, Ronald (1 December 2011). Legalizing Prostitution: From Illicit Vice to Lawful Business. NYU Press. ISBN 9780814770542.
  3. 1 2 Duin, Harald (31 December 2003). "Braunschweiger Zeitung, Wolfsburger Nachrichten, Salzgitter-Zeitung" [Dashing Dolly and the iron gate]. newsclick.de. Archived from the original on 26 July 2010. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  4. ↑ Horst-Rüdiger Jarck; Günter Scheel, eds. (1996). Braunschweigisches Biographisches Lexikon – 19. und 20. Jahrhundert (in German). Hannover: Hahnsche Buchhandlung. p. 92. ISBN 3-7752-5838-8.
  5. ↑ "Braunschweig: Steeped in History". Deutsche Welle. 2005-03-02. Retrieved 2015-07-17.
  6. ↑ Wallasch, Alexander (28 November 2013). "Prostitution und Moral in Deutschland" [Prostitution and morality in Germany]. The European. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  7. ↑ Fengler, Michael (14 January 2014). "Bordellstraße: "Ein bisschen Rotlicht geht in dem Bereich nicht"" [A little red light is not possible in the area]. DIE WELT. Retrieved 23 April 2020.
  8. ↑ Kühne, Bea (20 March 2018). "Geschäft mit dem Sex: So viele Prostituierte arbeiten hier" [Business with sex: So many prostitutes work here]. www.news38.de (in German). Retrieved 23 April 2020.

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