Former Occupation of Registered Prostitutes in Berlin (1873)
Which occupation the prostitute practiced before getting into prostitution is certainly an interesting question; unfortunately, the information is so unspecific that classification remains very difficult. To start with, the authors have drawn up the following categories:
| | In percent |
Farm hands and servants | 794 | 35.7 |
Factory workers | 355 | 16.0 |
Cottage industry and shops | 936 | 42.0 |
Waitress-service in catering trade | 139 | 6.3 |
| 2224 | 100.0 |
Source: Hermann Schwabe, “Einblicke in das innere und äußere Leben der Berliner Prostituirten” [“Insights into the Personal and Public Lives of Prostitutes in Berlin”] Berliner Städtisches Jahrbuch für Volkswirtschaft und Statistik [Berlin City Almanac for Political Economy and Statistics] 1 (1874): pp. 60-74, here pp. 62-66. Original German data reprinted in Gerhard A. Ritter and Jürgen Kocka, eds., Deutsche Sozialgeschichte 1870-1914. Dokumente und Skizzen [German Social History 1870-1914. Documents and Sketches], 3rd ed. Munich: Beck, 1982, p. 253.
Translation: Erwin Fink