Bruchstraße, Braunschweig
The street is characterized by its historical half-timbered houses.
Its history as a red-light district stretches back to the middle ages. The Bruch was originally a marshland enclosed by the arms of the River Oker, but was reclaimed by draining and dumping, resulting in the establishment of a haphazard settlement. Because of its position on the edge of town and its lack of supervision, this became an ideal hiding-place for persons escaping from the law. Prostitutes also set up shop despite a prohibition against prostitution issued in 1594 - previously they had worked in brothels in Echternstraße and Mauernstraße.
Spared from bomb damage during the war, 33 of these half-timbered houses still stand and are used for prostitution.There are iron gates on both ends of the street. The one from Wallstraße mostly stands open, while the other from Friedrich-Wilhelm-Straße allows a permanent narrow entrance.