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‘Common women’ or ‘women of free morals’: the suppression of prostitution in post-war Thessaloniki (1945–1955)1

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 January 2016

Stratos N. Dordanas
Stratos N. Dordanas*
Affiliation:
University of Western Macedonia
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Abstract

During the German occupation (1941–4), the once multicultural city of Thessaloniki underwent an unprecedented decline in population, at the same time experiencing a degradation of its morals and pre-war social values with the flourishing of brothels supplying sexual services to the occupying forces. Post-war Thessaloniki, however, presented a totally different picture. Within the framework of improving the quality of society, prostitution came to be regarded as a leftover from past barbarian times that not only threatened the moral and ethical standards of society but even put the very existence of the Greek race in jeopardy. A campaign of moral cleansing was introduced, which was based on repressive measures rather than on any meaningful societal reform. Hence, the ‘priestesses of love’ became scapegoats for those in power who envisaged the creation of a modern, virtuous city by closing down its brothels; a city that wanted to sever all ties with its past merely by eradicating rather than by solving its problems and ethical dilemmas.

Type
Articles
Information
Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies , Volume 35 , Issue 2 , 2011 , pp. 212 - 232
Copyright
Copyright © The Centre for Byzantine, Ottoman and Modern Greek Studies, University of Birmingham 2011

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Footnotes

1

The author owes much gratitude to Tasoula Vervenioti and Philip Carabott for their valuable suggestions.

References

2 Historical Archive of Macedonia, Archive of the General Administration of Northern Greece (henceforth HAM, GANG), file 26, sub-file 1: Ministry of Public Order to the Governors-General and Prefects of the State, Police Headquarters of Athens, Piraeus, Patra, Corfu, and Thessaloniki, and the Directorates of the Gendarmerie, no. 5009 F.27/1, Athens, 6 June 1946.

3 Gardikas, K. G., Εγκληματολογία, I (Athens 1948) 294-6Google Scholar.

4 Lazos, G., Πορνεία και διεθνική σωματεμπομία στη σύγχρονη Ελλάδα, I. H εκδιδόμενη (Athens 2002) 84 Google Scholar.

5 Ibid., 57-66.

6 In recent years there seems to have been an increase in the literature. Unfortunately, however, the available archival material, as well as statistical data, presents many gaps and discontinuities, thus making any comparative period studies on the issue in Greece unreliable. For studies referring to the stages, changes and developments of prostitution in the last decades in Greece see indicatively Lazos, Πυμνεία και άιεθνική σωματεμπομία, Petropoulos, I., To μπουμδέλο (Athens 1980)Google Scholar, and Manganas, A. D., Ta εκδιδόμενα άτομα. Πομνεία: Παμέκκλιση ή παράβαση (Athens 1994)Google Scholar. For another perspective, associated with paid women companions (κονσομασιόν) in contemporary Athens, see Ampatzi, L., Ποτό για παμέα. Σεζυυαλική διασκέδαση στη σύγχμονη Ελλάδα (Athens 2009)Google Scholar.

7 On this marginal society in the inter-war period in Thessaloniki, see Mazower, M., Salonica: City of Ghosts. Christians, Muslims and Jews 1430-1950 (London 2004) 390-9Google Scholar.

8 Centre for the History of Thessaloniki, Occupation Authorities file (1941-1944): Verordnungsblatt für das besetzte griechische Gebiet, Herausgegeben vom Oberbefehlshaber Südost, no. 18, 17 June 1943.

9 Fleischer, H., Στέμμα κω Σβάστικα. H Ελλάδα της Κατοχής και της Αντίστασης, 1941-1944, II (Athens 1995) 57–60 Google Scholar.

10 Vervenioti, T., H γυναίκα της Αντίστασης. H είσοδος των γυναικών στην πολιτική (Athens 1994) 145 Google Scholar.

11 Ibid., 144-52.

12 HAM, GANG, file B/24, sub-file 2: Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, ‘Bulletin of Crimes and Incidents of 25 June, 1946’, to the Headquarters of the Royal Gendarmerie, Department of Public Security, no. 33/20/174, Athens.

13 Ibid., ‘Bulletin of Crimes and Incidents of 27 June 1946’, no. 33/20/176.

14 Ibid., ‘Bulletin of Crimes and Incidents of 27 June 1946’, no. 33/20/160.

15 Drosaki, E., Ev Θεσσαλονίκη... από τον πόλεμο, την κατοχή και την αντισταση (Athens 1985) 66 Google Scholar.

16 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Ministry of the Interior, 2nd General Directorate, Directorate of Urban Police to Police Headquarters of Athens, Piraeus, Patra, Corfu, and Thessaloniki and the Governors-General and Prefects of the State, no. 4521 F.27/10, Athens, 20 June 1945.

17 Ibid.

18 Government Gazette [henceforth GG], vol. I, no. 157, Athens, 25 August 1922.

19 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: City Police, Department of General Security of Patra, to the Prefect as chairperson of the Committee based on Law 3032, no. 4279, Patra, 11 July 1946.

20 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Ministry of Public Order, 1st General Directorate, Directorate of Urban Police to the Central committee based on Law 3032, no. III99 F.27/I, Athens, 25 November 1946.

21 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Ministry of Public Order, no. 5009 F.27/1, Athens, 6 June 1946.

22 Ibid.

23 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: General Administration of Macedonia to the Prefects of the General Administration of Macedonia, no. 29825, Thessaloniki, 10 March 1949.

24 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Vice Department, ‘On the closure of three brothels in the neighbourhood of Bara’ and ‘On the closure of the brothel at Irinis Street no. 27-B’, no. 19/22/22b and 19/10/20d, to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, 1 September 1950.

25 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Minutes of the Committee based on Law 3032, no. 276, Thessaloniki, 25 May 1950.

26 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Commission of the Treasury of the Port of Thessaloniki to the Tourism Service, no. 3402, Thessaloniki, 21 September 1950.

27 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Municipality of Thessaloniki, Directorate of Technical Services, On the removal of the brothel next to the White Tower Square’, to the Minister and Governor-General of Northern Greece, no. 42204, Thessaloniki, 31 October 1950.

28 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Minutes of the Committee based on Law 3032, no. 302, Thessaloniki, 23 November 1950.

29 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 1: Ministry of the Interior to the Prefect of Thessaloniki, no. 5259/5258, Athens, 9 June 1951.

30 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Letter of the members of the Committee based on Law 3032/1922 to the editor of the newspaper Nea Alitheia.

31 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Thessaloniki Prefecture to the Association of Academic Women, no. 19392, Thessaloniki, 11 July 1952.

32 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: The Prefect to the Most Holy Metropolitan Bishop and the University of Thessaloniki, no. 16495, Thessaloniki, 14 May 1952.

33 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Greek Royal Gendarmerie, Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, ‘On the closure of the functioning brothels’, no. 50/2/9c, Thessaloniki, 28 April 1951.

34 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Metropolitan Bishopric of Thessaloniki to the Prefect of Thessaloniki, no. 1961 and D.18, Thessaloniki, April 24 1951 and May 26 1952.

35 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Central Port Authority of Thessaloniki, Office of the Deputy Harbourmaster, to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, no. 2183/1029, Thessaloniki, 21 April 1951.

36 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: General Superintendence of Primary Education of the 4th Region and General Superintendence of Secondary Education, 7th Education Region, to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, no. 879 and 1275, Thessaloniki, 16 April 1951.

37 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Letter from Thrasyvoulos Margaritis to the Vice Department, Thessaloniki, 19 April 1952 and typed article by him with the title ‘The suppression of corruption and prostitution’. For this article, see also Nea Alitheia, 11 April 1952.

38 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Prefecture of Thessaloniki to the Ministry of the Interior, ‘On the brothels operating in the city of Thessaloniki’, 28 June 1951.

39 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Greek Royal Gendarmerie, Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, to the Prefect of Thessaloniki, ‘On the Founding of a certain number of “pensions’”, no. 50/2/11, Thessaloniki, 22 March 1952.

40 Ibid.

41 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Police Headquarters of Thessaloniki Vice Department, to Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, ‘On the re-establishment of a certain number of brothels’, no. 19/42/78b, Thessaloniki, 4 December 1952.

42 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Application by Marika К. to the Thessaloniki Vice Department, 30 May 1952.

43 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Greek Royal Gendarmerie, Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, to the General Administration of Northern Greece, Office of the Minister, ‘On the re-establishment of a number of brothels’, no. 50/2/1 ld, Thessaloniki, 4 December 1952.

44 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Vice Department, to the Prefect of Thessaloniki, ‘Life in the residences of women of free morals’, no. 19/42/81, Thessaloniki, 16 May 1953.

45 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Ministry of the Interior to the Governors-General and Prefects of the State, Athens, 20 January 1955.

46 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: Greek Royal Gendarmerie, Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, to the Prefecture of Thessaloniki, ‘Report on the measure to repress procurement and the sexual exploitation by third parties’ [subsequently Report], no. 38/21/2, Thessaloniki, 27 May 1955.

47 HAM, GANG, file 26, sub-file 2: ‘Report’, Thessaloniki, 27 May 1955.

48 Op. cit.

49 GG, vol. A, no. 196, Athens, 22 July 1955.

50 Collection of documents in possession of Stratos Dordanas: Thessaloniki Police Headquarters, Office of Public Security, to the Ministry of Northern Greece, no. 11/14/96, Thessaloniki, 23 September 1967.