Kapronczay Károly szerk.: Orvostörténeti Közlemények 202-205. (Budapest, 2008)

TANULMÁNYOK — ARTICLES - FORRAI, Judit: History of the politics of prostitution in Hungary (19-20th c.). - A 19-20. századi magyar prostitúciópolitika története

HISTORY OF THE POLITICS OF PROSTITUTION IN HUNGARY (19-20

th C.) JUDIT FORRAI Present research study examined society's response to prostitution, this special form of sexuality, within the period of 1820 to 1926. The theme is one of the subjects less studied by social and medical history in Hungary, in spite of its existence and importance. The phenomenon can be approached in many ways: from the view of economy (marginal case of pauperism), attitudes of public morality, administration, and from the perspective of public health. The work introduces prostitution as a consequence of urbanization, the location, mode and measure of activity, as well as the connected regulations. Prostitution can be approached through an examination of its place in history. Using the general assumption that "prostitution is a social phenomenon wherein sexual service is rendered for financial compensation", we can speak about two different categories of prostituition, depending on the different forms that it takes within society. Babylonian marrriage market — Painting by Edwin Long