In Hamburg’s red-light district, a newly unveiled brass pavement plaque dedicated to sex workers under the Nazi regime has sparked outrage, earning it the labels “tasteless” and “superficial” from local critics and Gunter Demnig, the prominent German memory campaigner. The plaque, located near the Reeperbahn entertainment strip, serves as a memorial for sex workers active from 1933 to 1945, bearing the inscription, “Disenfranchised – Excluded – Murdered”.
The role of sex workers during the Nazi era contrasts with the regime’s approach in other parts of Germany. Historically, Hamburg’s northern port city offered some leeway, permitting sex work within specific areas such as the small Herbertstrasse. Currently, up to 250 women continue to operate from windows in this street, safeguarded from onlookers by metal barriers installed at either end. These barriers date back to Nazi instructions from 1933, a fact unbeknownst to many tourists snapping selfies at the gates.
Pastor Sieghard Wilm from the nearby St. Pauli church, one of the people behind the plaque, commented that this situation aligns with the National Socialists’ cynical and inhumane strategy of not outright banning prostitution but confining it to barracks-like areas.
Ralf Neubauer, the District Mayor, mentioned that the plaque’s QR code would direct people to a website offering information on the experiences of sex workers during the fascist rule. He revealed, “Many ended up in concentration camps and were forcibly sterilised. Even if they didn’t die, they returned from the war in a shattered state.”
Before its official reveal, the memorial had gathered a broad base of critics. Notably, Gunter Demnig criticised the oblong, machine-made brass plaque as “tasteless”. Demnig is known for creating Stolpersteine, handmade concrete and brass markers scattered outside buildings across cities from Berlin to Dublin. These markers honour individuals who suffered persecution or death at the hands of the Nazis.
In a public correspondence, sex workers from Hamburg and a city historian have questioned why those who are currently operating in Herbertstrasse were not involved in the plans for a memorial. Furthermore, they have criticised the memorial for being overly focused on women, while noting the existence of at least one non-binary sex worker during that specific era.
The letter further asks: “Why is there no open conversation about the ongoing existence of barriers, despite them being a creation of the Nazi rule?”
Despite substantial proof demonstrating Nazi atrocities committed against sex workers, the letter points out that “there are no known records supporting the assertion that prostitutes from Herbertstrasse were transported and subsequently killed”.
The conclusion of the letter conveys an acceptance of the underlying principle, stating, “We approve the fundamental concept, although this specific location is not appropriate since the National Socialist regime not only tolerated but also profited from the prostitution here.”
In response to the objections raised, the organising team referred to the plaque as “not representing the conclusion of the investigation, but rather the commencement.”