Sex work in the shadows hard to grasp - Baden-Württemberg’s sex work moves from brothels to hidden online shadows
Sex work in Baden-Württemberg has shifted away from regulated brothels toward hidden online operations. Official figures show only a small fraction of workers are now registered and working legally. The trend has made it harder for support services to reach those in the industry. Since 2017, the number of licensed brothels and registered sex workers in the state has fallen steadily. Many now operate through online platforms, working from hotels, short-term rentals, or private apartments. This shift has concentrated unregistered activity in larger cities like Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg, where demand is higher and anonymity easier to maintain. Local laws add complexity to the situation. Municipalities with fewer than 35,000 residents can ban prostitution outright, while towns of up to 50,000 can apply for partial or full restrictions. Courts, however, have blocked outright bans in cities with populations exceeding 50,000. The unregulated nature of the work creates further challenges. Counselling services struggle to make contact as locations change frequently. Over 80% of sex workers in the region are migrants, and reports indicate growing demands for unprotected sex and extreme practices. The decline in registered workers and brothels reflects broader changes in how sex work operates across Baden-Württemberg. With most activity now taking place online or in temporary locations, outreach and regulation have become increasingly difficult. Authorities face ongoing challenges in balancing legal restrictions with the realities of an industry moving further into the shadows.
