Exposed in the Rijksmuseum: 200 years old condom causes a stir!

Exposed in the Rijksmuseum: 200 years old condom causes a stir!

In the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, an extraordinary exhibition is currently being presented, which shows an almost 200 year old condom. This historical piece is not only remarkable by its age, but also by the erotic drawing that adorns it. This representation shows a nun in a clear pose in front of three clerics. According to Exxpress.at, the drawing comes from 1830 and is interpreted as a parody of the Catholic Church.

The condom was probably made from the appendix of a sheep and could have been created as a souvenir from a brothel. It is noteworthy that this special type is only known to two copies that have been preserved to this day. The Rijksmuseum describes the condom as an object that illuminates both the playful and the serious side of sexual health. The exhibition, which deals with sexuality and prostitution in the 19th century, can still be seen until the end of November 2023. The focus of this time was strongly on the pursuit of pleasure as well as the fear of venereal diseases such as syphilis and unwanted pregnancies, such as [Tagesspiegel.de] (https://www.tachspiegel.de/sgesellschaft/souvenir-aus-bordell-museum-in-amsterdam-.

The role of prostitution over the centuries

The history of prostitution is as diverse as it is complex. Historians have different perspectives on the origins of this practice. Pierre Dufour, a French cultural scientist of the 19th century, suspected that prostitution already in the 3rd millennium BC BC began when women sold themselves as goods. He saw similarities to the temple prostitution, although current research could not find any evidence in classic antiquity, except in India. Rather, the historian Tanja Scheer positions the origins in slavery when slaves were viewed as a merchandise. This shows how the view of the body and this developed "," a role within sexuality over the centuries and the first representation of prostitution in antiquity.

The oldest known brothels are said to be in the 7th century BC BC was founded in Greece. Women from different social classes acted as sex workers, including the famous hetares who maintained significant relationships. Early Christian morality, on the other hand, represents prostitution as sinful and it was still tolerated legally, but was convicted of socially. With the Reformation in the 15th century, the social exclusion of prostitutes began, which further influenced public perception and the legal framework.

in the 18th and 19th centuries, especially with the industrial revolution, the number of prostitutes in cities increased rapidly. In 1839, London had around 80,000 prostitutes for a population of 800,000. Access to sexuality and the changed understanding of sexual health are continuously relevant, illustrates by the current discussion in the art and culture area around sexuality and its representation, as can be seen in the exhibition of the Rijksmuseum.