Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network – New Books in History
Host: Yana Byers
Guest: Elwin Hofman, Assistant Professor of Cultural History
Book Discussed: The Business of Pleasure: A History of Paid Sex in the Heart of Europe (Leuven University Press, 2022)
Date: January 17, 2026

This episode delves into the historical evolution of paid sex—commonly framed as "prostitution" or "sex work"—in Central Europe, focusing on the Belgian region from the late Middle Ages to the present. Through an engaging conversation with editor Elwin Hofman, the episode traces how the regulation, perception, and lived experiences of those in the sex trade have shifted over centuries. The episode highlights the importance of moving beyond persistent myths, examines the complexities of historical sources, and explores why sex work has held a central place in government policy and public morality.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Debunking the World’s Oldest Profession Myth

[02:17 - 04:09]

• The oft-repeated phrase “the world’s oldest profession” is sharply criticized.
• Elwin Hofman debunks it as "the worst. The world's oldest myth or something... there's really nothing to it." (B, 02:25)
• The origin likely stems from a mistranslation, conflating any woman in an ancient text working in hospitality with prostitution.
• Host Yana Byers agrees, noting the phrase denies women's agency and perpetuates the idea that sex work is ahistorical and unchanging.

Quote:
"It's a terrible myth that we should definitely end now, do our best."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 03:28

How (and When) Prostitution Becomes a Historical Phenomenon

[04:43 - 07:12]

• Commercial sex acquires a recognizable, regulated form only from the late Medieval period—that is, when cities and states begin registering, taxing, and restricting it.
• Sex work is historically defined more by the attention and stigma of authorities than by the acts themselves.
• The earliest consistent records and regulations in Europe start appearing in the 13th–14th centuries.

Quote:
"It's something that has always been there and it's always the same. And one of the things we want to show with the book we wrote is: Well, that's not true. There is a history to it. Much has changed."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 04:09

Who Is Visible in the Record? Women, Men, and the Stigma

[08:19 - 10:10]

• Men have always engaged in selling sex, but are less visible in historical documents; when found, they were often prosecuted under laws concerning homosexuality rather than prostitution.
• The historical record is shaped by what authorities chose to document, often framing sex work around criminality, deviance, or public nuisance.

Quote:
"There are more women selling sex or... visible, at least in the historical record. But from late Middle Ages, there are also traces of men selling sex."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 08:30

Navigating Historical Sources

[11:03 - 15:46]

• Most sources about sex work come from governments: city records, legal prosecutions, regulations, and later policing and “medical” inspections.
• There is a scarcity of direct testimony from sex workers themselves.
• Historians must read these sources “against the grain,” seeking glimpses of sex workers’ lives and agency within hostile or limited evidence.
• Sources include city records, legal files, archaeological finds, images, literature, and, in the modern era, memoirs and interviews.

Quote:
"But overall, if we have to characterize the whole 700 years or so, it's mostly sources created by the antagonist, right, by the government, by trying to police women and men who work in prostitution."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 13:34

Evolution of the Historiography and the Language Around Sex Work

[17:12 - 22:03]

• Systematic historiography on prostitution began in the 19th century, often moralizing and institutional.
• Major shift beginning in the 1970s, aligned with feminist and social history movements, focused on the lived experience of women and challenging stigma.
• The term "sex work" emerged via the prostitute rights movement (Carol Leigh, 1979) to reclaim dignity and focus on labor rights rather than victimhood.

Quote:
"The term sex work was invented in 1979... She said, no, it's a form of work. Women in prostitution are sex workers. And that term became really a sort of rallying cry."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 21:10

The Volume: Structure and Scope

Conceiving a Long-term, Regionally Focused Volume

[22:17 - 27:11]

• The book was made possible by three scholars at Leuven University, each specializing in a different era (medieval, early modern, modern/contemporary).
• The regional focus is Belgium—small but central, with cross-border influences and colonial history (notably, Belgian Congo).
• Inclusion of a chapter on colonial prostitution and a contribution from a former sex worker enrich the temporal and thematic scope.

Quote:
"We could really cover the whole period from the late medieval period to the present day, basically. And we found also a former sex worker who was prepared to reflect on her own work since 1970s in the sex trade."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 23:09

Case Study: The Early Modern Period ("Wantons on the Scaffold")

[27:25 - 33:24]

• Hofman’s chapter examines ca. 1550–1830—a time of transition from relative toleration to harsh ideological (but largely symbolic) repression.
• After the Reformation, attitudes toward commercial sex hardened drastically, especially in Protestant cities (closing of state brothels, severe punishments).
• Grandiose punishments (e.g., public humiliations, banishments) were mostly theoretical; in practice, toleration and hypocrisy prevailed.
• Regulation and punishment often amounted to "image control" instead of genuine suppression, as public order and morality battles played out.

Quote:
"So there's this discourse that prostitution is terrible, must be abolished at any cost. In practice, not that much happens. In many cities, every ten years or so, they close a brothel or they arrest a woman who was selling sex... but mostly, no, I mean, we'll just leave this."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 31:37

Shifts in the 19th and 20th Centuries: Regulation, Medicalization, Abolition

[34:11 - 43:31]

• By the 18th century, prostitutes start to be seen as victims (of poverty, of pimps), and medical anxieties (e.g., syphilis) drive intense regulation.
• The 19th century sees the rise of "hyper regulationism": frequent medical checks, police registration, and special permits—for the sake of public health, especially the military.
• The system often pushed prostitution underground, as few wanted official status.
• In the early 20th century, international abolitionist movements (e.g. led by Josephine Butler) brought together feminists and conservatives, demanding the end of official regulation.
• After WWII, Belgian law shifted to decriminalize the selling of sex but continued to criminalize most associated activities—a gray area that lasted into the late 20th century.
• Since 2022, Belgium has one of the most progressive legal frameworks, allowing sex work as formalized employment with benefits (e.g. maternity leave, pensions).

Quote:
"In 2024, [Belgium became] one of the only countries in which it is possible to work as an employee in sex work and get maternity leave and build up a pension."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 42:15

Why Is Prostitution So Central to Regulation and Morality?

[43:39 - 45:23]

• Sex remains a taboo and source of fascination, especially in Christianized societies.
• Regulation of sex work is about more than public order; it reflects deep anxieties about morality, boundaries, and social control.
• The persistent focus on managing prostitution, more than eradicating it, speaks to the conflicted societal interest.

Quote:
"I think it's definitely the sex itself, which has been... a sort of taboo and at the same time something that is very desired because it is a taboo."
— Elwin Hofman (B), 44:09

Memorable Quotes

• "There is no such thing as a perfect source. There is no source that... should be read just and taken at face value, that does not exist. Also, if you don't use problematic sources, you don't write the history."
  — Yana Byers (C), 16:51

• "But these records are very important... and overall, if we have to characterize the whole 700 years or so, it's mostly sources created by the antagonist."
  — Elwin Hofman (B), 13:34

• "And then they would arrest one or a few women. But mostly they say, no, I mean, we'll just leave this. As long as they are not too visible... we won't intervene."
  — Elwin Hofman (B), 31:47

Timestamps for Significant Segments

• Debunking the “world’s oldest profession” myth: 02:17–04:09
• Defining and tracing the start of the sex trade: 04:43–07:12
• Visibility of male vs. female sex workers: 08:19–10:10
• Evaluating sources and historical methods: 11:03–15:46
• Historiography shifts and sex worker rights: 17:12–22:03
• Book conception and regional focus: 22:17–27:11
• Medieval and early modern transitions: 27:25–33:24
• 19th century regulation and health policies: 34:11–38:46
• Abolitionism and late 20th–21st century reforms: 38:50–43:31
• Societal fascination with prostitution: 43:39–45:23

Closing and What’s Next

• Hofman describes his current work on the history of criminal interrogation, inspired by the same types of records used to study sex work—records that reveal marginal and otherwise invisible lives.
• Host and guest reflect on the value, challenges, and ethical considerations of using legal/criminal sources.

This episode offers a nuanced overview of how “the business of pleasure” evolves with society, state formation, regulation, and shifting attitudes toward sexuality, stigma, and labor. The book, and Hofman’s commentary, illuminate why the study of sex work is so crucial to understanding European history and social change.