Archívum - A Heves Megyei Levéltár közleményei 15. (Eger, 1998)

TANULMÁNYOK • KÖZLEMÉNYEK - Horváth László: Adatok a gyöngyösi prostitúció újkori történetéhez • 187

public morals for a long time, the question was more often approached from the side of public health. If it cannot be eradicated it should be placed within certain limits. The first list of the women of the night derives from 1855. It still reflects the traditional situation, when the roles of a cashier, a washerwomen, an actress and a street-walker etc. were intermingled. However the rapid spread of venereal diseases forced it to take the course of a more orderly and regulated condition. In Gyöngyös already at the end of 1860'-s a regulation had appeared as well as the idea of a clasicc brothel. In the last quarter of the century the aim of the town was to force all prostitutes intő the new type of institution. They alsó tried to reform those prostitutes' colonies and brothels that had already been operating. Urged by the problems of public health and public order the town drew up the regulations referring to prostitution. The problem of brothels and how to solve it (1879), Ordinance for brothels (1893). The counthy alsó regularly dealt with this question. In 1890-s the town still had 5 brothels, in the 20

th century however, only one. By that time it became obvious that however practical the sysrem of brothels was from the point of view of control, not bee limited lechery could exclusively to them. The significance and the role of priváté, illegal and casual prostitutes continiuosly increased. Due to its numerous aggravating regulations, sanitary prescriptions, expenses on administration, rent, taxes etc. The brothel was forced intő negligence. Among others, the so-called coffee-houses took its place. World War I temporarily upset the traditional bourgeois values and morals. A recording carried out by the police in 1915 found 104 registered prostitutes, despite this the decline oft he brothel could not be stopped. The institution itself was banned in 1926 by a decree of the Ministry of Home Affairs. The end of the conventional prostituion however, was brought intő existence after 1945. Coffee-houses disappeared, hotels were closed, but evén earlier the brothels themselves died out. In the completely reformed and regulated society women ofthe night had no place either. 218