Artemis (brothel)
Artemis is a mega-brothel in Germany, where prostitution is legal and widespread. The 'wellness brothel' opened in Berlin in September 2005, a four-story building complete with a swimming pool, three saunas, two movie theaters, and with room for up to 70 prostitutes and 600 customers. [1]
- Amenities
- Indoor Swimming Pool/Whirlpool
- Finnish Sauna and BIO Sauna
- Hamam-Sauna with massages by our Hamam-master
- Regenerating SOLARIUM
- 2 attractive erotic cinemas (transmission of sports events)
- Restaurant: you are served a large breakfast buffet from 11 – 15hrs
- as well as a warm buffet from 18 – 02hrs
- Outdoor area with spacious roof terrace
- B-B-Q evenings in summer
- Lingerie nights
- Sufficient parking available
Organization and ownership
"Although the outside of the building is about as erotic as a corporate office park, the interior is a bizarre cross between mid-1990s Las Vegas and a cheesy British 'Carry-On film.'" [2]
The Artemis is organized as a sauna club, similar to several other German brothels: customers and prostitutes pay an entry fee (80 Euros) and can then use all facilities as long as they want; food and non-alcoholic beverages are included (no alcohol is served). The women, about 30-40 on a typical night, are nude; the men are clothed in robes. Sexual services typically include oral sex without a condom, french kissing, and sexual intercourse with condoms. The payment (normally 60 Euros for half an hour) is given directly to the women after the act; the house does not receive a cut but regulates the prices and services.
The brothel has 40 employees, in addition to the prostitutes who technically are not employees. Prostitutes can stay at the brothel, renting rooms on the fourth floor which is off-limits to customers.
Artemis was created by the Turkish businessman Haki Simsek for some 5 million Euros.
The German prostitute support group Hydra has endorsed the transparent concept but has reserved judgement until the working conditions of the women could be evaluated.
Several comparable clubs exist in Germany, most of them in the area north of Frankfurt. One of them, Atlantis (brothel), which closed in 2004 after legal troubles.
Location
Artemis is located near the west end of the Kurfürstendamm in an industrial area of Charlottenburg, close to the metro and railway station Westkreuz and about 0.5 km south of the ICC International Congress Center. It is a little more than two kilometres from Berlin's Olympic stadium, famous for hosting the 1936 Summer Olympics and the venue for several games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup in football (soccer).
FIFA World Cup 2006
Various news sources reported on Artemis in relation to an expected increase in prostitution in Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup. Norman Jacob, the lawyer of the owner, was quoted in one article as saying 'Football and sex go together extremely well.' [3]. On June 30, 2006, the New York Times reported that these expectations had apparently been too optimistic. [4]
Name
Some newspaper articles have pointed out that the brothel's name is somewhat ill-fitting, as Artemis was a Goddess in Greek mythology who pledged to remain a chaste virgin.
See also
Further sources
External links
- Artemis home page
- Interview With Mega-Brothel PR Rep from GlobalSecurityReport.com
- Mega-brothel for soccer world cup, The New Zealand Herald, 09.12.05
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