Window prostitution is a form of prostitution that is fairly common in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and surrounding countries. The prostitute rents a window plus workspace off a window operator for a certain period of time, often per day or part of a day. The prostitute is also independent and recruits her own customers and also negotiates the price and the services to be provided.

Dutch situation

Window prostitution was originally a typical Dutch form of prostitution. This form arose through the ban on soliciting on the street or in doorways in the old

red-light district A red-light district or pleasure district is a part of an urban area where a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, and adult theaters, are found. In most cases, red-light districts are parti ...

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

around the old church. In the beginning the curtains were completely closed, as sexual morality became less strict, the curtains opened even further. When the curtains were completely open, the process continued in the form of fewer and fewer pieces of clothing that the prostitute wore. In current times, the curtains are only closed when the prostitute has a customer. There are around 1270 windows used for prostitution in the Netherlands. In Amsterdam the traditional window prostitution neighbourhoods are the

, the area around the Singel and the Ruysdaelkade. In

Rotterdam Rotterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Rotte'') is the second largest city and municipality in the Netherlands. It is in the province of South Holland, part of the North Sea mouth of the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta, via the ''"N ...

window prostitution has not been tolerated since the seventies. In

The Hague The Hague ( ; nl, Den Haag or ) is a list of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, situated on the west coast facing the North Sea. The Hague is the country's ad ...

it occurs in the Hunsestraat, the Geleenstraat and the Doubletstraat. In

Alkmaar Alkmaar () is a city and municipality in the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland, about 30 km north of Amsterdam. Alkmaar is well known for its traditional cheese market. For tourists, it is a popular cultural destination. The ...

there is a tolerance area for windows on the Achterdam. In

Arnhem Arnhem ( or ; german: Arnheim; South Guelderish: ''Èrnem'') is a Cities of the Netherlands, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality situated in the eastern part of the Netherlands about 55 km south east of Utrecht. It i ...

the Spijkerkwartier was the red-light district, but it was closed in January 2006. In

Utrecht Utrecht ( , , ) is the fourth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands, capital and most populous city of the province of Utrecht. It is located in the eastern corner of the Randstad conurbation, in the very centre of mainland Nethe ...

there was a special form of window prostitution from the 1960s: the women were sitting behind the windows of

houseboats A houseboat is a boat that has been designed or modified to be used primarily as a home. Most houseboats are not motorized as they are usually moored or kept stationary at a fixed point, and often tethered to land to provide utilities. Ho ...

moored along the Zandpad, a road along the eastern bank of the Vecht river. In July 2013, the municipal authorities withdrew the permits. Thirty percent of prostitutes in the Netherlands work behind windows.

List of cities with window prostitution

Netherlands

Belgium

And on many through roads outside built-up areas, for example on the road from Deinze to Sint-Martens-Latem, there are about 60 windows

Germany

Duisburg, Cologne and Frankfurt am Main contain Eroscenters or Laufhäuser where the women work within a building behind a window, often large buildings of more than 6 floors. Both forms are present in Hamburg.

Switzerland

* Zurich - window prostitution until 2003 *

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

- Les Pâquis, Pâquis’ four sex centres - the only places in Geneva where the women sit behind windows

South Korea

Cheongnyangni 588 Cheongnyangni 588 was a red-light district in Seoul, South Korea near Cheongnyangni station. At its peak in the 1980s it housed 200 brothels and 500 prostitutes, and was the largest red-light district in Seoul. Cheongnyangni is often referred to as ...

Seoul Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the Capital city, capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the North Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea ...

- Windows were fitted in the red-light district in a government-backed improvement scheme ahead of the

1988 Summer Olympics The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...

. The district was closed for re-development in 2016.

References

External links

Overzicht van de raambuurten in Nederland met kaartjes
(Overview of the window neighborhoods in the Netherlands) {{Prostitution in the Netherlands Prostitution Prostitution in the Netherlands Prostitution in Belgium Prostitution in Germany Prostitution in South Korea Prostitution in Switzerland