Inside the N4ZI BR0THELS: What was the LIFE of the SLAVES like?
The post-war period in Germany brought about intense scrutiny and silencing mechanisms concerning sexual violence and the role of Nazi brothels. Women forced into sexual labor and rape survivors faced lingering shame, stigma, and psychological suffering. Additionally, women who worked in these brothels were denied reparations for the traumatic experiences they endured and were mired in stigma and embarrassment.
Prostitutes in Nazi Germany were seen by society not as victims but as collaborators who deserved punishment. Even though they were compelled into this work, they faced severe legal repercussions and exclusion from social safety nets after the war. For instance, the 1953 German Law on Prostitution criminalized those who engaged in sex work, aiming to reduce the spread of STDs while simultaneously ignoring the broader systemic issues that initially enforced such sexual exploitation.