Robert Sommer, *The Concentration Camp Brothel: Forced Sexual Labor Under Nazi Rule.* Dominic Bonfiglio, trans. New York: Fordham University Press, 2025

Send us Fan MailIn his seminal work, The Concentration Camp Brothel: Forced Sexual Labor Under Nazi Rule, Robert Sommer reveals the hidden atrocities of sexual forced labor within the SS camp system, a subject that has been largely neglected and seldom addressed in Holocaust discussions. Through his comprehensive research involving over seventy archives and poignant interviews with more than thirty survivors, including former clients of camp brothels, Sommer crafts a powerful and harrowing depiction of the horrors that occurred. This publication is the first to offer a detailed analysis of the establishment, operation, and significant impact of brothels in Nazi concentration camps. Sommer’s investigation meticulously details how these brothels were incorporated into the concentration camp system, their role in the Nazi regime's exploitation of individuals for control and profit, and the complex reactions of the prisoner community to these establishments. He explores the desperate survival strategies employed by women forced into sexual labor and the chilling motives of their oppressors. The book also contextualizes the tragedy of camp brothels within the broader narrative of sexual violence during the Nazi period, establishing an essential connection between these acts of exploitation and the wider history of the Holocaust. This updated English edition presents new insights and perspectives since the original German publication in 2009, providing a more comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. The foreword by Annette F. Timm adds further context and contemporary analysis, enhancing the book’s importance and depth.This interview introduces listeners to the findings Sommer presents in his research.