Kimberley Wulf

Parts of this novel are based on narrations and reports of the author from this environment. This novel describes true events. Any similarity to persons living or deceased is accidental. This also applies to the names that are used. Parts of the storyline happened in Berlin-Schoeneberg (Kurfuerstenstrasse) as well as Berlin-Mitte.

If you`re on the game long enough then you will start to see the world with different eyes. You stop believing that there is any good in a man. There are too many times when you experience men to be violent or greedy pimps or unappealing and pushy.

Even after you have stopped ‘f****** for money’, it will take a long time until you can leave everything behind you. I know what I´m talking about. I´ve made my own experiences in this business on Kurfürstenstraße.

Since 2002, prostitution is legal in Germany. This decision has turned our country into a pimp´s paradise and clients came from all over Europe.

There are more working prostitutes in Germany than there are in Thailand. It is estimated that there are 400,000 women who prostitute themselves involuntarily or ‘voluntarily’.

Every single day, 1,200,000 men visit brothels or pick up a street prostitute. 15,000,000,000 Euros are made in Germany by women who sell sex. This is three times as much as Porsche´s sales.

Between 2002 and 2014, the turnover nearly tripled. Mostly all of the money is unreported and back-handed and ends up somewhere in the channels of the organized crime.

Berlin is the capital of prostitution, more so than Amsterdam.

I will tell you about my time on Kurfürstenstraße. For decades street prostitution there has been known to be one of the toughest, however, the development of the industry varied.

There were times when the prostitutes were very young, often still kids. This is called the “Babystrich” in Germany.

There were times when it was all about heroin. Then, different gangs from various eastern European countries reigned.

For some years now, pimp gangs from southern Europe dominate the area. Thanks to the wonderful European Union, these gangs can now operate unharmed.

Since prostitution has been legalized, the payment for women has exploded dramatically.

Because of prostitution on Kurfürstenstraße this has turned into one of the toughest areas in Germany in 2009 to 2010.

It became quite normal, that women went down the drain there. If you managed to survive it, then it was worth writing about it.

I haven´t been working on the streets since August 2010, but I haven´t found peace yet. Nothing has changed there, the circumstances haven´t improved yet. Some scenes and many conversations I have had since have led me to believe it has actually gotten worse.

When I drive past, I ask myself every time, how long people will put up with this.

When I see the women standing there, then I remember my “own time” as a prostitute.

I remember very well how my first client eja***** into my right hand for the first time.  This happened nearly five years ago. I was quite surprised how little it bothered me. It was already clear to me then, that things weren´t going to stay like that forever. You only make money if you get f**** and do a good blow***.

Blow***** of all variations turned quite quickly into my specialty deals. I used up a tremendous amount of lipsticks, because I used to reapply it to my lips very heavily after I got the job done.

Bright red lips and gleaming white teeth soon became my trademark.

“Do you wanna  *****  me?” was the way I would start a conversation with my clients.

My time on the streets was no walk in the park and wasn´t a way to find myself or had anything to do with romance.

Women, who work on the streets, were exposed to a lot of danger and faced constant violence. It´s a mystery to me why society and politicians allow all of this. But it´s a fact, that prostitution is a booming business, where many participants earn a lot of money. Unfortunately though, the women, who have to spread their legs every day, are left with only a small fraction of the money. The ‘big cash’ is earned by very different people.

I have experienced prostitution in very different shapes and forms. My time on the streets was the toughest time. Next time you drive along Kurfürstenstraße, please do think of me.

“You´re on the game and you´re thinking about giving it up? Look for help and do it! Now is the right time! You are a politician and you deal with the topic of prostitution? Why don´t you finally do something? Women are in desperate situations. Pimps on the other hand are living in paradise. The reason for this is the failure and inactivity of all politicians!”