Big Sister (brothel)
Encyclopedia
Big Sister is a brothel
and associated voyeuristic pay site, located in Prague
, Czech Republic
. It is the only brothel where customers can use the women's services free, subsidized by paying Internet viewers; live video and audio stream
s and archived videos of the activity in the brothel are available on the website for a fee. These subscription fees, as well as sales of DVDs of the recorded action, represent the company's main source of income. The produced video content contains coverage of the guests with the women, as well as amateur couples that come into the house, and coverage of the shooting of adult productions that take place in the house.
in the Czech Republic is allowed for persons over 18 years of age; pimp
ing is illegal (Sec. 204 of the Criminal Code); brothels operate in a legal grey area.
The brothel is located in the Smíchov
district of Prague, Nádražní 46, 50°03′45.57"N 14°24′34.05"E.
s (about $
23); females and couples have free entrance. Reservations ahead of time are recommended. All customers are required to present identification papers and sign a multi page contract: they purchase the production of a DVD recording their actions in the club (which they can take home afterwards) and at the same time sell the rights to distribute the material online and on DVD for the same amount. The length of each visit to a room with a prostitute is limited to one hour. Visiting couples who have their sex acts recorded receive a compensation of about 30 €. Subscription to the website is 30 € per month; this includes access to the live streams, the video archive and a chat room
; live video chat with the working women has to be paid extra.
The prostitutes (about 12 every night as of late 2005) receive a fixed salary and additional money per recorded sex act and per online show for the website subscribers, for an average compensation of about 3,000 € per month. Fellatio
and vaginal sex
are almost always performed with condoms, and most women do not allow cunnilingus
or kissing on the mouth. Almost all women come from the Czech Republic or the Slovak Republic
; some are from Brazil
and Ghana
.
The club is equipped with about 58 cameras, including some in the living quarters of the prostitutes. Three employees direct the cameras and select the audio/video streams to be broadcast and archived. The name of the club is a reference to the television series Big Brother
, in which a number of contestants live in a house with cameras in every room, recording their every action.
In June 2007, a brand new block of program was introduced, officially launching the first ever online broadcasted swingers nights, where only couples and females are allowed. Couples can claim their own DVD as well as have everything (buffet and beverage) on the house.
, leading to some 40 media reports in German, English, French, Czech, Italian and Russian, including reports by the largest TV stations in Germany and the largest newspapers in Germany and Switzerland. One angle of the company's advertising is to allow women inside views into a brothel.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup
in Germany in the summer of 2006, the company undertook a unique marketing campaign together with Heat TV. They visited Munich
, Leipzig
, Hamburg
and Cologne
with their "love truck", a brothel on wheels with six prostitutes that offered customers free sex in exchange for publication rights of the recorded video.
Former European lightweight box champion René Weller attempted to boost his fledgling singing career by introducing his new music CD in Big Sister on May 10, 2006.
In October 2006, scenes for Eli Roth
's horror movie Hostel: Part II were shot in Big Sister, as was described on his blog and the Big Sister site
On the date of the US premiere of the movie, 8 June 2007, an exclusive interview with Eli Roth was released at the Big Sister website.
In June 2007, the company introduced private couples evenings on Sundays and all Inclusive swingers nights on Saturdays. On these days, no prostitutes are allowed to work there.
Brothel
Brothels are business establishments where patrons can engage in sexual activities with prostitutes. Brothels are known under a variety of names, including bordello, cathouse, knocking shop, whorehouse, strumpet house, sporting house, house of ill repute, house of prostitution, and bawdy house...
and associated voyeuristic pay site, located in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
. It is the only brothel where customers can use the women's services free, subsidized by paying Internet viewers; live video and audio stream
Streaming media
Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...
s and archived videos of the activity in the brothel are available on the website for a fee. These subscription fees, as well as sales of DVDs of the recorded action, represent the company's main source of income. The produced video content contains coverage of the guests with the women, as well as amateur couples that come into the house, and coverage of the shooting of adult productions that take place in the house.
Legal questions
ProstitutionProstitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
in the Czech Republic is allowed for persons over 18 years of age; pimp
Pimp
A pimp is an agent for prostitutes who collects part of their earnings. The pimp may receive this money in return for advertising services, physical protection, or for providing a location where she may engage clients...
ing is illegal (Sec. 204 of the Criminal Code); brothels operate in a legal grey area.
Creation, ownership, location
Big Sister opened as a regular brothel in May 2004, and the Internet operation began in April 2005. It was created for about 5 million € by two Austrian businessmen, one being Heribert Greinix. They have been active in the Prague night life for seven years and also own other Prague establishments, including the Prague sex club K5.The brothel is located in the Smíchov
Smíchov
Smíchov is a district of Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, and is part of Prague 5. It is located on the west bank of the Vltava river....
district of Prague, Nádražní 46, 50°03′45.57"N 14°24′34.05"E.
Operation and equipment
Male customers pay an entrance fee of 500 Czech korunaCzech koruna
The Czech koruna or Czech crown has been the currency of the Czech Republic since 8 February 1993 when, together with its Slovak counterpart, it replaced the Czechoslovak koruna at par....
s (about $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
23); females and couples have free entrance. Reservations ahead of time are recommended. All customers are required to present identification papers and sign a multi page contract: they purchase the production of a DVD recording their actions in the club (which they can take home afterwards) and at the same time sell the rights to distribute the material online and on DVD for the same amount. The length of each visit to a room with a prostitute is limited to one hour. Visiting couples who have their sex acts recorded receive a compensation of about 30 €. Subscription to the website is 30 € per month; this includes access to the live streams, the video archive and a chat room
Chat room
The term chat room, or chatroom, is primarily used by mass media to describe any form of synchronous conferencing, occasionally even asynchronous conferencing...
; live video chat with the working women has to be paid extra.
The prostitutes (about 12 every night as of late 2005) receive a fixed salary and additional money per recorded sex act and per online show for the website subscribers, for an average compensation of about 3,000 € per month. Fellatio
Fellatio
Fellatio is an act of oral stimulation of a male's penis by a sexual partner. It involves the stimulation of the penis by the use of the mouth, tongue, or throat. The person who performs fellatio can be referred to as the giving partner, and the other person is the receiving partner...
and vaginal sex
Sexual intercourse
Sexual intercourse, also known as copulation or coitus, commonly refers to the act in which a male's penis enters a female's vagina for the purposes of sexual pleasure or reproduction. The entities may be of opposite sexes, or they may be hermaphroditic, as is the case with snails...
are almost always performed with condoms, and most women do not allow cunnilingus
Cunnilingus
Cunnilingus is an oral sex act performed on a female. It involves the use by a sex partner of the mouth, lips and tongue to stimulate the female's clitoris, vulva, or vagina...
or kissing on the mouth. Almost all women come from the Czech Republic or the Slovak Republic
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
; some are from Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
and Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
The club is equipped with about 58 cameras, including some in the living quarters of the prostitutes. Three employees direct the cameras and select the audio/video streams to be broadcast and archived. The name of the club is a reference to the television series Big Brother
Big Brother (TV series)
Big Brother is a television show in which a group of people live together in a large house, isolated from the outside world but continuously watched by television cameras. Each series lasts for around three months, and there are usually fewer than 15 participants. The housemates try to win a cash...
, in which a number of contestants live in a house with cameras in every room, recording their every action.
In June 2007, a brand new block of program was introduced, officially launching the first ever online broadcasted swingers nights, where only couples and females are allowed. Couples can claim their own DVD as well as have everything (buffet and beverage) on the house.
Promotion and media campaigns
The start of the Internet operations in 2005 was followed by a heavy publicity campaign in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, leading to some 40 media reports in German, English, French, Czech, Italian and Russian, including reports by the largest TV stations in Germany and the largest newspapers in Germany and Switzerland. One angle of the company's advertising is to allow women inside views into a brothel.
During the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany in the summer of 2006, the company undertook a unique marketing campaign together with Heat TV. They visited Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
, Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
and Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
with their "love truck", a brothel on wheels with six prostitutes that offered customers free sex in exchange for publication rights of the recorded video.
Former European lightweight box champion René Weller attempted to boost his fledgling singing career by introducing his new music CD in Big Sister on May 10, 2006.
In October 2006, scenes for Eli Roth
Eli Roth
Eli Raphael Roth is an American film director, producer, writer and actor. He is known for his role as Donny "The Bear Jew" Donowitz in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds for which he won both a SAG Award and a BFCA Critic's Choice Award...
's horror movie Hostel: Part II were shot in Big Sister, as was described on his blog and the Big Sister site
On the date of the US premiere of the movie, 8 June 2007, an exclusive interview with Eli Roth was released at the Big Sister website.
In June 2007, the company introduced private couples evenings on Sundays and all Inclusive swingers nights on Saturdays. On these days, no prostitutes are allowed to work there.