Od abolicionismu k policejní kontrole a represi. Proměny nacistické politiky vůči prostituci v Protektorátu Čechy a Morava
From Abolitionism to Police Control and Repression. Transformations of Nazi Policy towards Prostitution in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia

Summary/Abstract: Caught between public health concerns, racial ideology, and the desire for social control, prostitution in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia became a focal point of Nazi occupation policy. The study traces the transition from the interwar Czechoslovak abolitionist approach, which had abolished official regulation of prostitution, to a system of strict police surveillance modeled on Nazi Germany. German authorities regarded prostitution as a threat not only because of venereal diseases but also because of perceived risks to the racial and moral order of the “national community.” Efforts to protect Wehrmacht personnel led to extensive registration systems, compulsory medical examinations, the establishment of designated venues, and the creation of brothels serving German military and security forces. The article demonstrates how these measures prioritized the interests of the occupiers while subordinating the rights and autonomy of women. Archival evidence reveals the practical implementation of surveillance, registration, and control mechanisms, as well as the varied responses of local police authorities. Women suspected of prostitution could face administrative sanctions, forced labor measures, or classification as “asocial” individuals. The study further highlights the links between prostitution policy and the broader Nazi repression apparatus, including deportations to concentration camps. By examining both institutional practices and individual case histories, the article shows how regulation of prostitution became an instrument of persecution, exclusion, and ideological governance under occupation.

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