• Germany edition
Society
Photo: DPA

Job centre offers teen work at brothel

Published: 7 Feb 13 10:54 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/society/20130207-47821.html

A 19-year-old German woman was left appalled after receiving a letter offering work in a brothel by her local job centre. Good looks, however, were a prerequisite for the position.

The unnamed teen had been looking for work since last November and was thrilled when the job centre finally sent her an offer last week. But serving drinks at a nude bar at one of Bavarian city Augsburg's biggest brothels, the Colosseum, was not exactly what she had in mind.

The trained housekeeper told the Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper she was “totally horrified” at the suggestion as was her mother, who screamed after reading about the 42-hour working week, with shifts on mostly evenings and weekends.

Augsburg's job centre told the newspaper that they knew they were offering positions in a brothel but were careful to ring potential applicants to talk about the job before sending a letter, to see if they were suitable and explain the job.

This had not happened in the young woman's case though, which director of the centre Roland Fürst told the newspaper was a mistake. “We would never offer jobs in prostitution,” he stressed, but added that “we knew the establishment was operating in the red light district.”

That the centre had not spoken with the 19-year-old on the phone first was, Fürst said, “something that should not have happened.” He added that “we are very sorry.” Eight other potential brothel employees received phone calls.

After apologising to the woman, the job centre said it would no longer be offering work at the Colosseum and would try to check more carefully the companies who advertise through the state-run office.

The Local/jcw

What do you think? Leave your comment below.


Your comments about this article:

11:56 February 7, 2013 by Berlin fuer alles
Anything to get the unemployed statistics down. 400€ jobs, internships and now this. Dr. Merkyl and Mr. Hyde are peddling our asses in order to fuel their Eurozone scam.
12:09 February 7, 2013 by photogroffee
So the 'teen' is actually a 19-year-old woman and the work offered is serving drinks at a legal business. You clearly aimed for a sensationalist headline indicating that an underage female was offered work as a sex worker,

all fit with the usual and unoriginal stock image. Very, very poor of The Local.
13:22 February 7, 2013 by grazhdanin
but she is just a baby
13:39 February 7, 2013 by ichbines
No one should be allowed to be a prostitute nor work in such places unless they are 25 or older. That is not the case here. Women can legally work as a prostitute here at the tender age of 18 - a tragic, tragic shame! Also teenagers are allowed to drink alcohol and view pornographic material at 16 - also a tragic shame.
13:55 February 7, 2013 by simski
"the job centre said it would no longer be offering work at the Colosseum"

Just because of one overreaction? The Colosseum should sue, in my opinion. Oldfashioned Christian morals and prudishness reign supreme. If a woman wants to work at a topless bar, strip club, brothel or whatever, she should be able to do so without feeling ashamed because of the unfair stigmata of those professions.
14:13 February 7, 2013 by tedesco
As long as it is only offering and not forcing, no one should have a problem with it.

@ichbines go back under the rock you crawled from.
14:35 February 7, 2013 by SchwabHallRocks
50 years ago this would have been unthinkable and @ichbines represents such thinking.

Ssimski and @tedesco represent the "new thinking."

The "new thinking" is consistent with the fact that Germany is a dead nation and a dead people. Germany (and Russia - great company) have only a 1.35 fertility rate, and a 2.1 rate is required to maintain a xero-growth population.

The "new thinking" has no respect for and no desire for life...
15:03 February 7, 2013 by tedesco
@SchwabHallRocks Sure dude. I hate life with all my strength. Look my angry face >:(

And Germany is a dead nation, just like your brain.
15:14 February 7, 2013 by dank
Tragic! I can't believe she'd have to do a 42-hour working week in Bavaria. Still, at least she'd get a lay-down every now and then
16:40 February 7, 2013 by bwjijsdtd
I don't know whatt she is complaining about ... she would have received a paycheck, health insurance, free education and the ability to meet new and exciting friends. She wouldl not have had to worry about ruining her clothes or having to dress a certain way ... besides, in a short time should would have the business knowledge to branch out and open her own place ...

If anybody knows of where I can get a similar position, please let me know ... I'm 65 but well perserved ... LOL
17:07 February 7, 2013 by MattyB
14:35 February 7, 2013 by SchwabHallRocks

You hit the nail on the head. However, don't expect sympathetic ears. Most people today don't want messy, dirty, inconvenient, things like "reality" and "truth" getting in the way of their selfish "all-for-me, screw the next generation" way of life. Standards, morals, traditional values, pfft.....who needs them?
18:51 February 7, 2013 by raandy
It could be her calling,or her destiny,who really knows good luck bad luck.
19:22 February 7, 2013 by supernova
F**k €, Merkel should start part time shifts herself in Brothels to rescue €. History witnesses that Germans have broken all the records of embarrassing acts.
20:07 February 7, 2013 by Englishted
@tedesco #6

But you are forced because if you turn down a job they can cut you unemployment.

@ dank

And like any job it has its ins and outs and ups and downs :-)
20:14 February 7, 2013 by Bigfoot76
She gets an offer, she turns it down, she reports the job center about the employer and moves on. A tragedy indeed........
20:59 February 7, 2013 by SchwabHallRocks
@tedesco...

Write me in 30 years when your boyfriend is tired of changing your diapers and you can't find anyone else to do it, for lack of a work force.

Well, if you do find someone they won't be speaking German, heh, heh.
22:32 February 7, 2013 by smart2012
Tedesco, u r too short time in Germany I see. Just wait 10 years and u will see I ended up in no better than where U were before. It happened to me as well
07:07 February 8, 2013 by RainerL
The one that slipped the Net. yet one does wonder if some where along the line boundaries will be pushed or perhaps as in this case treid to see what the Public reaction would be? Obviously most would be appalled with the offerings of selling one's Body.
15:41 February 8, 2013 by DoubleDTown
The job seeker is a "trained housekeeper". What does that mean? Maybe she ought to work on more Ausbildung.
03:29 February 9, 2013 by yuri_nahl
I am available if they are still hiring.
05:08 February 9, 2013 by Icke Ricke
I applaud the girl for her morals.
00:49 February 10, 2013 by alf2
That job blows.
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