The Concentration Camp Brothel : Forced Sexual Labor under Nazi Rule / Robert Sommer ; translated by Dominic Bonfiglio ; foreward by Annette F. Timm.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sommer, Robert, author.

Contributor:

Bonfiglio, Dominic, translator.

Timm, Annette F., writer of forward.

Series:

World War II: the Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension Series.

World War II: the Global, Human, and Ethical Dimension

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

National socialism and sex.

World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945.

World War, 1939-1945--Women--World War, 1939-1945.

Brothels.

Women Nazi concentration camp inmates.

Rape--History.

Rape.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xix, 353 pages) : illustrations

Edition:

First edition.

Place of Publication:

New York : Fordham University Press, 2025.

Summary:

Discover the chilling untold story of sexual forced labor in Nazi concentration campsIn his seminal work, The Concentration Camp Brothel, Robert Sommer reveals the hidden hor­rors of sexual forced labor within the SS camp system, a subject long overshadowed and seldom acknowledged in the discourse on the Holocaust.Through his rigorous examination of over seventy archives and poignant interviews with more than thirty survivors, including former visitors of camp brothels, Sommer paints a vivid and harrow­ing picture of the atrocities committed. This book is the first to offer a comprehensive exploration of the establishment, operation, and profound impact of brothels in Nazi concentration camps.Sommer’s research meticulously details the brothels’ integration into the concentration camp system, their role in the Nazi exploitation of bodies for control and profit, and the complex reac­tions of the prisoner society to these establishments. He explores the desperate survival strategies employed by the women forced into sexual labor and the chilling motivations of their exploiters.The book also places the tragedy of camp brothels in the broader context of sexual violence under Nazi rule, making a critical connection between these acts of exploitation and the overall history of the Holocaust. This updated English edition incorporates new findings and perspectives since the original German publication in 2009, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. The foreword by Annette F. Timm adds further context and contemporary analysis, enhancing the book’s relevance and depth.

Contents:

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Contents

List of Tables

Foreword by Annette F. Timm

Preface

Introduction: Myths and Taboos

1. Prostitution in Nazi Germany

2. Concentration Camps and Forced Labor

3. Recruitment

4. Space and Organization

5. Sexuality in the Camps

6. The Lives of Forced Sex Workers

7. Brothel Visitors

8. Perception and Resistance

9. The Camp Brothel: An Outpost of Nazi Biopolitics

Plates

Acknowledgments

Appendix: Brief Histories and Sex Worker Statistics by Camp

Notes

Sources and Bibliography.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9781531509934

OCLC:

1512316858