Adultworks in the Middle Ages: there were brothels with surprisingly strict rules at that time

Adultworks from a different perspective: medieval brothels were surprisingly regulated!

In the Middle Ages, prostitution and adult work were viewed significantly differently than in modern Europe.

One would expect that the powerful Christian Church based on rigid religious doctrines would persecute the phenomenon of erotic jobs, but the reality was different.

Most of the time, the authorities did not interfere in the girls' affairs, in fact,

rather, they tried to protect both them and the community with rules and regulations.

But at the same time, an exploitative system was created that still exists today, treating women as mere tools to satisfy anyone's sexual desires if they pay the right amount for it.

The topic of prostitution and brothels is still surrounded by significant taboos.

However, the provision of sexual services has always been a part of society (for example, in the Middle Ages), even if the voice of individuals - especially oppressed prostitutes - is often painfully absent from history.

Since then we have come a long way and now have a lot of information available to us on the ways of the sex industry as it is today:

Erotic jobs and brothels during the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages, around the 11th century, the development of civilization began around the world: cities were formed, and people gradually realized that wider cooperation could be beneficial in terms of making money and decent prosperity.

The concept of brothels also began to take shape during this period.

Their creation, on the one hand, caused serious social inequalities among women, but at the same time, prostitution was strictly regulated.

In medieval Europe, a paradoxical situation developed between tolerance and condemnation

Although fornication was formally considered a crime, the authorities still considered prostitution to some extent a necessary evil. Openly experiencing sexuality during this period was forbidden, especially before marriage.

The church considered that sex work posed a serious threat to society, but at the same time believed that, if left unchecked, it would cause even greater problems, as the (male) population could degenerate due to the lack of repressed physical needs, seeking unacceptable ways to endanger the moral purity of innocent women,

not to mention the increase in rape cases.

The creation of legal brothels would therefore have given men the opportunity to enjoy their premarital sex life, which was extremely important in the Middle Ages, while protecting virtuous women from harassment.

They also believed that the existence of institutions would help curb sodomy, which was considered the greatest sin of that era.

moreover, prostitution can be treated as a commodity, so those involved will pay handsome amounts of tax to the state.

"If there were no prostitution, the rampage of adulterous desires would bring society to ruin"

Following St. Augustine's reasoning, the world almost gladly followed this direction.

In the late Middle Ages, the 14-15 century, the number of brothels increased so much that they still hold the absolute record in this regard.

The demand was enormous, as not only unmarried men, but also married men, and even members of the clergy, were happy to visit these locations, and considered the services provided by prostitutes essential.

The existence of institutions has helped the growth of the economy all over the world.

What is the lesson from this? The brothels certainly generated extra profit from an activity that men would never give up, and which they carried out in huge numbers - over women.

Adult work in practice: this is how the European brothel worked

Prostitution was often relegated to areas outside the city walls or designated zones - although this was not the case everywhere - and the exact locations and times when prostitutes worked were determined (in some cities, for example, along with lepers and the poor living on the outskirts).

Brothels were mostly owned by the city, and their managers took responsibility for legal and trouble-free operation: they were usually run by men, but sometimes by women.

The income came not only from erotic work, but also from food and drink.

The officially licensed red light houses stood on Bankside Street, London, on the banks of the Thames.

Sex workers could move in and out freely, and the operators could not charge them more than 14 pence per week for the use of the room.

In England, married women or those suffering from venereal diseases were not allowed to work as courtesans and could only be approached by a man who clearly approached them.

In Nördlingen, prostitutes were charged a special fee for food and care, and a third of their total earnings was taken.

However, the women could keep the remaining two-thirds of the money, as well as the tips given to them by more generous clients.

Prostitutes in the city of Bolzano, on the other hand, were exposed to violence and brutality, as brothel operators were allowed to harshly discipline and abuse the women doing sex work.

Once a woman got into a brothel, she had little chance of getting out.

In Hungary, those interested could also find brothels in Sopron and Buda. The institution in Sopron operated between 1330 and 1380, and according to a document from 1437, there were 322 houses in the Buda Castle area!

Most of the known brothels were established in the 14th century, and three public bathhouses were established in Buda in the 16th century (at this time, certain baths also functioned as brothels).

An almost universal restriction on prostitutes concerned dress

To distinguish them from "decent" women and avoid confusion, the church required them to wear some distinctive clothes.

They therefore often wore distinguishing marks: in Bristol, for example, a striped hood, in Switzerland, Geneva a red armband, in Toulouse an armband.

In Milan, the dress of choice was a black cloak, while in Florence the girls wore gloves and bells on their hats.



The so-called "concubine" or "mistress" was also a common status: in this case, partners entered into a formal contract, which included, for example, agreements on sexual fidelity or support obligations.

Sometimes it even happened that concubinage turned into marriage!

Unfortunately, sources on the operation of medieval brothels are incomplete, most of them are testimonies, court documents or personal memories.

An interesting piece of history is, for example, the voluminous collection made by Cologne lawyer Hermann von Weinsberg, in which the author also briefly covers his visits to brothels.

For example, she candidly recounts how she lost her virginity here, how addicted she was to visits, and how she always associated sex with drunkenness, fun, and socializing.

The "golden age" of brothels and prostitution began to decline after the 16th century

To this day, the phenomenon and its appropriate treatment are accompanied by serious debates, without, of course, a consensual solution.

One thing is certain, as long as there is a demand for it, it will never disappear without a trace - at best they try to make it invisible.

Source: ÉVA Magazin.