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
cabaret houses and other evening places. Prostitution became an organic part of the entertainment branch and catering. The endeavour to keep prostitution within brothels was ended and the introduction of this new system of regulation was an acknowledgement of this. Number of prostitutes in Budapest Year Number of prostitutes Total number of the citizien of Budapest 1875 1.914 309.208 1885 2.097 422.557 1895 2.199 617.856 1905 2.404 791.748 1915 2.434 1925 1.705 960.995 1929 1.323 1.006.184 The legislation of "Modifications in Brothel Affairs" ,6 (1884) dealt with corrections of rules and gave answers to new problems. While on the one hand the modification, released the closed form of the brothel, on the other hand it took into consideration the changed claims. A "mixed system" now came into being and the areas in which private prostitution was allowed came under regulation. Flowever, the modification was not in accordance with the reality of demand and supply resulting from economic consolidation and the modest wind of liberalization in the air. In 1885 the new chief of police, in his war against corruption, closed 36 brothels and, by this action, decreased the power of their owners. Consequently many prostitutes who lost their "working place" found employment in the catering section: hotels, spas, public baths', coffee houses, pubs, and night-clubs. As a result prostitution became a secondary job. By this time it seemed that the attempt to keep prostitution within brothels had proven to be impossible. The Decree Nr. of 1893 17 introduced the compulsory sanitary control of women staff in hotels and resthouses. Female workers were managed like prostitutes and were checked up on medically. The goal was to stop secret prostitution. In 1900 18 a new and liberal decree came into being. Sexual behaviour changed and expanded 'en masse'resulting in the rapid spreading of V.D. Sexual services were offered in various locations: private and public places, flats and many other rendezvous places. The authorities seemed to be losing their control over prostitution. The problem was frightening because contamination reached the middle classes and morbidity, caused by syphilis, increased to seven per thousand It turned out that it was not the prostitutes but the changed sexual behaviour that was responsible for the rise in V.D. infection. Increasing importance was placed on medicalization with particular interest in the quick and accurate identification of sick people. 16 Corpus Juris Hungáriáé. Rendelet a bordélyügyről (Regulation on brothel affairs). Bp. Pesti ny., 1885. 873/1888. 17 BM körrendelet (Circular Decree of Ministry for Home Affairs) 36152/1893. 114 Rendelet a prostitúcióról (Regulation on Prostitution.) B.M. 1901/16016.
