Von der Duldung zur Reglementierung

Städtische Prostitutionspolitik in Göttingen während der 1960er Jahre

Abstract

English abstract: While the “sexual revolution” in 1960s West Germany is usually associated with more open discussions of sexuality and the partial removal of moral laws from the penal code, this article shows that female prostitutes in the city of Göttingen continued to be subject to repressions. Under the pretext of upholding their version of public order, local authorities sought to abolish street prostitution and restrict the trade to newly established brothels. Even though these measures violated federal law, authorities still aimed at controlling the female body and disciplining a segment of the population that was perceived as deviant and unruly. As the article sheds light on these local dynamics, it provides a new vista on the “sexual revolution”, highlighting how prostitutes did not benefit from social changes in this context and how local developments could diverge from broader discourses concerning sexuality, bodies, and morals.