Far fewer sex workers registered than reality in Ravensburg
The official statistics on prostitution in Ravensburg and its surrounding areas paint a picture of a profession with very few people. However, experts and counseling centers warn that these numbers are far from reflecting the true scale of sex work in the region.
With just 13 registered individuals, Ravensburg appears to be one of the least affected areas in Baden-Württemberg, yet the reality is likely much more complex and troubling.
Officially, Ravensburg has only 13 registered sex workers
According to data from the State Statistical Office, Ravensburg is one of the two counties in the state with the fewest officially registered prostitutes. In contrast, Stuttgart tops the list. The statistics for 2023 show that Ravensburg had only 13 registered sex workers, while Constance reported 75, and the Lake Constance district 134. The Biberach and Sigmaringen districts reported no registrations at all, as prostitution is outright banned in these areas.
Social workers on the ground do not believe in the accuracy of these figures. Florian Nägele, a social worker with the Arkade association based in Ravensburg, has firsthand experience in the field and argues that the official numbers are misleading.
Nägele, who works as a street worker and leads the MISA Arkade project offering support to sex workers in Friedrichshafen and Ravensburg, estimates that up to 80 individuals are involved in sex work in the Ravensburg district alone.
As Nägele says, these statistics do not reflect the reality of prostitution and sex work. He points out that the registered numbers do not necessarily correspond to the locations where individuals actually work, and many do not register at all due to fear of stigma or legal consequences. The number of unreported cases is believed to be substantial.
The numbers started to decline during the COVID pandemic
The decline in registered sex workers since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic further complicates the issue. In 2019, Constance reported 117 registered prostitutes, but by 2023, this number had dropped to 75. Similarly, the Lake Constance district saw a decrease from 195 registered sex workers before the pandemic to 134 in 2023. Ravensburg’s numbers have remained relatively steady, with 12 registered in 2019 and 13 in 2023, but Nägele believes this consistency is misleading.
The pandemic also prompted significant shifts in the prostitution landscape. When official brothels and prostitution establishments were forced to close, and prostitution was temporarily banned, many sex workers turned to online platforms and moved their services into private apartments. There were a lot of online advertisements and apartment-based sex work during the pandemic.
Critics argue that the current system of registration and prohibition fails to protect the very individuals it seeks to regulate. By driving sex work underground, the authorities inadvertently increase the risks faced by those in the profession, who often lack access to health services, legal protection, and other vital resources.
At the moment, many sex workers are working in the shadows, unprotected and vulnerable The advisor calls for a more nuanced understanding of the issue and for policies that prioritize the safety and rights of sex workers rather than pushing them further into the margins of society.
It is safer to work in legal brothels
Independent and often illegally working sex workers face many problems during their work that aren’t issues in the best brothels. Police raids take place in all German-speaking countries to find such illegal workers, as the numbers show that many girls work illegally instead of registering as official prostitutes.
This can lead to the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, the presence of pimps and illegal gangs, and illegally working sex workers also do not pay taxes or health contributions.
On the other hand, shady customers often take advantage of the fact that illegal sex workers are not protected by law and cannot seek help from the police in cases of aggression or serious disputes. They often force the girls to provide unwanted services, leading to a high risk of physical harm and other issues.
In this article, you can read about the most common problems that independent sex workers must handle: