Le Sphinx
Encyclopedia
Le Sphinx was a brothel
, which was opened in 1931 in Paris
. In 1946, France
outlawed all brothels.
Le Sphinx was among the most expensive and best known maisons de tolérance in the Paris of the 1930's. Other famous brothels included:
After the war, Marthe Richard
, a town councillor in Paris who had been a prostitute herself, campaigned for the closure of all brothels, and the "loi de Marthe Richard" was passed on April 13, 1946, closing the legal brothels in France. Roughly 20,000 women were affected by this law and approximately 1400 houses closed.
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...
, which was opened in 1931 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. In 1946, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
outlawed all brothels.
Le Sphinx was among the most expensive and best known maisons de tolérance in the Paris of the 1930's. Other famous brothels included:
- le ChabanaisLe ChabanaisLe Chabanais was one of the best known and most luxurious brothels in Paris, operating near the Louvre at 12 rue Chabanais from 1878 until 1946, when brothels were outlawed in France....
(opened in 1878) - le Montyon,
- la Rue des Moulins,
- le One Two Two (opened in 1926 and soon became the top address in Paris)
After the war, Marthe Richard
Marthe Richard
Marthe Richard, née Betenfeld was a prostitute and spy. She later became a politician and worked towards the closing of brothels in France in 1946.-Early life:...
, a town councillor in Paris who had been a prostitute herself, campaigned for the closure of all brothels, and the "loi de Marthe Richard" was passed on April 13, 1946, closing the legal brothels in France. Roughly 20,000 women were affected by this law and approximately 1400 houses closed.