SearchPublisher and Institutes
You are here: Home :: Area CULI :: History :: Recent and contemporary history
Malte König
Between Prostitution and Emancipation
Keywords: Bordelle in Italien, Italienische Frauenbewegung
For over ten years the Italian parliament discussed the so-called Legge Merlin. However, it was only in 1958 that parliament abolished controlled prostitution and closed the case chiuse – state licensed brothels, which since Cavour′s time had provided medical care for and control of prostitutes. Justified in the 19th century as a means to combat venereal diseases, discussions surrounding the case di tolleranza became increasingly complex after the Second World War. While human and women′s rights grew in importance, the discovery of penicillin weakened health policy arguments and justifications. At the same time, international pressure increased, as even the United Nations took action against licensed prostitution in member states. Finally, the debate reflects the changing definitions of the role of women as well as the break with a number of social patterns.
Vierteljahrshefte für Zeitgeschichte, Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag
Print ISSN: 0042-5702
Volume: 55, 04/2007
Pages: 617 - 640