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Bulgaria - practicing the oldest profession in Germany

Paul TutsekMay 25, 2012

The Stoliponovo district of Plovdiv is said to have one of the biggest concentrations of Roma people in the Balkans. For many of the community's women, the only way to earn a living is to work as prostitutes in Germany.

https://p.dw.com/p/152UZ
Stoliponowo gilt als eines der größten Roma-Ghettos auf dem Balkan. Viele Frauen dort sehen für sich nur eine Perspektive - in Deutschland auf den Strich gehen. Copyright: DW
Image: DW

European Journal visits Stolipnovo, where there are no sewers or running water and the unemployment rate is 90 percent. To escape the harsh living conditions, many of the Roma women go to Dortmund, where they work as prostitutes. The local authorities tried to prevent them from working the city's streets a year ago, with limited success. Meanwhile, mini-busses continue to travel between Stolipnovo and Dortmund regularly, carrying women who earn their living by servicing German clients.

Kein fließendes Wasser, keine Kanalisation und eine Arbeitslosigkeit von 90 Prozent. Die Lebensbedingungen sind bedrückend in Stoliponowo, einem Stadtteil der bulgarischen Stadt Plowdiw. Copyright: DW
Many people in Stolipinovo rely on the money from GermanyImage: DW