Vice and Immoral Spaces German Sperrbezirke, 1949–90

Abstract

In the aftermath of the Second World War, local authorities across West Germany implemented Sperrbezirke, or restricted areas for prostitution. These restricted areas became a central element of Germany’s system of managing commercial sex. This article considers both the legacies of former systems of state-regulated prostitution in the development of Sperrbezirke and regional variations in restricted-area regulations since the 1960s. It examines their relation to red-light districts through regulations on brothels and tolerance zones, as well as the common associations of Sperrbezirke with vice in popular culture. The article then uses prostitutes’ responses to restricted-area regulations to assess their impact in practice.