Artemis (brothel)
Encyclopedia
Artemis is a large 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 pool
, three sauna
s, two cinemas
, and with room for up to 70 prostitutes and 600 customers.
The Artemis is organized as a sauna club, similar to several other German brothels: customers and prostitutes pay an entry fee (€80) and can then use all facilities as long as they want. The brothel is open from 11 am until 5 am, seven days a week. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are included in the entry fee; alcoholic beverages are served for €10 a drink and limited to 3 drinks per customer. About 30-40 women work on a typical night; they are mostly nude or near nude. The men are also allowed to go naked, but are usually clothed in robes or towels. In the food area everybody must be clothed. Sexual services typically include oral sex
without a condom
, and sexual intercourse
with condoms. The payment (normally €60 for half an hour, ejaculating at most once) is given directly to the women after the act; the house does not receive a cut but regulates the prices and services. There are also male masseurs by the pool who charge €40 for 30 mins.
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.
The German prostitute support group Hydra has endorsed the transparent concept but has reserved judgment 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, was closed in 2004 after legal troubles.
in an industrial area of Charlottenburg
, close to the metro and railway station Westkreuz and about 0.5 km south of the ICC
. It is a little more than two kilometres from Berlin's Olympic stadium, famous for hosting the 1936 Olympics
and the venue for several games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in football (soccer).
. Norman Jacob, the lawyer of the owner, was quoted in one article as saying 'Football and sex go together extremely well.' http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1552463.html?menu=news.quirkies.sexlife. On June 30, 2006, the New York Times reported that these expectations had apparently been too optimistic.
was a goddess in Greek mythology
who pledged to remain a chaste virgin.
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, where prostitution
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
is legal and widespread. The 'wellness brothel' opened in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
in September 2005, a four-story building complete with a pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
, three sauna
Sauna
A sauna is a small room or house designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these and auxiliary facilities....
s, two cinemas
Movie theater
A movie theater, cinema, movie house, picture theater, film theater is a venue, usually a building, for viewing motion pictures ....
, and with room for up to 70 prostitutes and 600 customers.
Organization and ownership
One review in a German online publication wrote "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."The Artemis is organized as a sauna club, similar to several other German brothels: customers and prostitutes pay an entry fee (€80) and can then use all facilities as long as they want. The brothel is open from 11 am until 5 am, seven days a week. Food and non-alcoholic beverages are included in the entry fee; alcoholic beverages are served for €10 a drink and limited to 3 drinks per customer. About 30-40 women work on a typical night; they are mostly nude or near nude. The men are also allowed to go naked, but are usually clothed in robes or towels. In the food area everybody must be clothed. Sexual services typically include oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
without a condom
Condom
A condom is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases . It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner...
, and sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
with condoms. The payment (normally €60 for half an hour, ejaculating at most once) is given directly to the women after the act; the house does not receive a cut but regulates the prices and services. There are also male masseurs by the pool who charge €40 for 30 mins.
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.
The German prostitute support group Hydra has endorsed the transparent concept but has reserved judgment 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
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
. One of them, Atlantis, was closed in 2004 after legal troubles.
Location
Artemis is located near the west end of the KurfürstendammKurfürstendamm
The Kurfürstendamm, known locally as the Ku'damm, is one of the most famous avenues in Berlin. The street takes its name from the former Kurfürsten of Brandenburg. This very broad, long boulevard can be considered the Champs-Élysées of Berlin — full of shops, houses, hotels and restaurants...
in an industrial area of Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg
Charlottenburg is a locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, named after Queen consort Sophia Charlotte...
, close to the metro and railway station Westkreuz and about 0.5 km south of the ICC
Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin
The Internationales Congress Centrum Berlin , located in the Westend locality of the Berlin borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf, is one of the largest conference centres in the world...
. It is a little more than two kilometres from Berlin's Olympic stadium, famous for hosting the 1936 Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
and the venue for several games of the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in football (soccer).
FIFA World Cup 2006 in football (soccer)
Various news sources reported on Artemis in relation to an expected increase in prostitution in Germany during the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. Norman Jacob, the lawyer of the owner, was quoted in one article as saying 'Football and sex go together extremely well.' http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1552463.html?menu=news.quirkies.sexlife. On June 30, 2006, the New York Times reported that these expectations had apparently been too optimistic.
Name
Some newspaper articles have pointed out that the brothel's name is somewhat ill-fitting, as ArtemisArtemis
Artemis was one of the most widely venerated of the Ancient Greek deities. Her Roman equivalent is Diana. Some scholars believe that the name and indeed the goddess herself was originally pre-Greek. Homer refers to her as Artemis Agrotera, Potnia Theron: "Artemis of the wildland, Mistress of Animals"...
was a goddess in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
who pledged to remain a chaste virgin.
Further sources
- Germany backs bigger brothels to fight World Cup sex explosion, The IndependentThe IndependentThe Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
, 9 December 2005 - World Cup amenity: a 4-story brothel, MSNBC, 30 September 2005
- Brothel to Open Near Berlin Soccer Stadium, Deutsche WelleDeutsche WelleDeutsche Welle or DW, is Germany's international broadcaster. The service is aimed at the overseas market. It broadcasts news and information on shortwave, Internet and satellite radio on 98.7 DZFE in 30 languages . It has a satellite television service , that is available in four languages, and...
, 24 September 2005 - Soccer Fans Will Get a Kick out of Berlin's Latest Brothel, Der SpiegelDer SpiegelDer Spiegel is a German weekly news magazine published in Hamburg. It is one of Europe's largest publications of its kind, with a weekly circulation of more than one million.-Overview:...
, 23 September 2005 - It's going to be an invasion, The GuardianThe GuardianThe Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, 18 November 2005 - Artemis, « McDonald's » du sexe, accueille 250 clients par jour, Le MondeLe MondeLe Monde is a French daily evening newspaper owned by La Vie-Le Monde Group and edited in Paris. It is one of two French newspapers of record, and has generally been well respected since its first edition under founder Hubert Beuve-Méry on 19 December 1944...
, 26 February 2006 - Eros alla berlinese, L'EspressoL'Espressol'Espresso is an Italian newsmagazine. It is one of the two most prominent Italian weeklies, the other being Panorama. Since the latter has been acquired by right-wing tycoon and politician Silvio Berlusconi, l'Espresso enjoys the reputation of being the main politically independent newsmagazine...
, 24 July 2007 - Interview With Mega-Brothel PR Rep from GlobalSecurityReport.com
- Mega-brothel for soccer world cup, The New Zealand HeraldThe New Zealand Herald- External links :* * *...
, 09.12.05