Author: Frank Meier, Institut für Transdisziplinäre Sozialwissenschaft (Institute for Transdisciplinary Social Sciences), Pädagogische Hochschule Karlsruhe (Pedagogical University of Karlsruhe) - Personal Website

Abstract: »Frank Meier examines the multifaceted pathways leading to prostitution and marginalization in medieval German cities, shedding light on the complex and often contradictory conditions under which prostitutes lived and worked in brothels. The documentation of urban prostitution in historical sources, including women’s shelter regulations, council decisions, and court judgments, offers valuable insights. It is evident that a significant number of urban prostitutes belonged to the lower classes. Similar to the situation in Byzantium, factors such as poverty, rape, and broken marriages, as well as the influence of traffickers and pimps, promoted prostitution in medieval Western cities. Notably, there were instances where town councils took action against the trafficking of women. Additionally, it is noteworthy that most prostitutes were either foreigners or from the immediate vicinity, as burgher daughters, like virgins, were prohibited from engaging in such activities.« (Source: Despoina Ariantzi. »At the Fringes of Byzantine Society: Prostitutes, Actors, and Tavernkeepers« Millennium-Studien 114 (2025): 27)

Contents:

	1 Einführung (p. 147)
	2 Prostitution im Mittelalter (p. 148)
		2.1 Arten der Prostitution: öffentliche Dirnen, Pfaffenkellnerinnen und „unendliche Frauen“ (p. 148)
		2.2 Vielfältige Wege in die Prostitution: von der Armut bis zur Zuhälterei (p. 150)
		2.3 Prostituierte im Frauenhaus (p. 162)
	3 Vom geschützten zum verfolgten Gewerbe (p. 167)
	Bibliographie (p. 174)
		Quellen (p. 174)
			Ungedruckte Quellen (p. 174)
			Gedruckte Quellen (p. 175)
		Sekundärliteratur (p. 176)

Wikipedia: History of Europe: History of Germany / Medieval history of Germany | Prostitution: Prostitution in Germany | Sex and the law: Rape / Rape in Germany