They say its the oldest profession in the world, and in Vienna it has quite a history. On the whole, prostitution has been widely tolerated if not always embraced in Vienna.
Despite crackdowns after a syphilis outbreak in the 16th century and under the staunchly Catholic Maria Theresia by there were supposedly some 20, prostitutes working in Vienna. But where did this expression come from? There is no definitive answer. It is thought that it originates from the late 18th century, when policies surrounding prostitution were relaxed after the reign of Maria Theresia. During that time, prostitution established itself as a booming trade in the Graben.
Though it had been legalized, prostitutes were restricted to areas behind an outlined demarcation. A separate and lesser-known euphemism also sprung up around Spittelberg, at the time still outside the city walls, and home to a thriving prostitution scene in the 18th century.
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