Interwar Bucharest has remained in collective memory as a city of contrasts. Nicknamed the “Little Paris” for the elegance of its architecture, cultural refinement, and bohemian lifestyle, the city also had a hidden, discreet, but highly sought-after side: the world of brothels and houses of tolerance. Under the red lanterns, the gentlemen of the Capital lived out their fantasies alongside the “sweet girls,” charming, educated, and seductive women who knew how to blend refinement with forbidden pleasure.

Houses of tolerance, part of the “Little Paris”

Brothels were not merely places where fleeting passions were consumed, but true social and cultural institutions that reflected the aspirations, desires, and contradictions of the era.

The 1920s and 1930s transformed the Capital into a cosmopolitan city, where French influences were found both in fashion and in mentality. Social life, intense and diverse, also included the world of brothels, naturally integrated into urban dynamics.

The houses of tolerance operated on central streets such as Ion Câmpineanu, Șoseaua Ștefan cel Mare, Batiștei, or Calea Dudești. Here, clients left behind their daily worries, modesty, and inhibitions to savor forbidden pleasures.

The rendezvous houses were divided into two main categories. The luxurious ones, intended for aristocrats, businessmen, and intellectuals, were true refined salons. They had sumptuous furniture, live music, dancing, and elevated conversations.

By contrast, the brothels in working-class neighborhoods offered a more somber atmosphere and modest conditions, but remained an accessible refuge for men with lower incomes.

Strict rules and state supervision

A surprising aspect for today’s mentality is that prostitution was legal in interwar Romania. Brothels operated legally and were supervised by the authorities.

The women working there were required to register with the police and undergo weekly medical check-ups to prevent venereal diseases. The rules were strict, and breaking them brought harsh penalties.

This regulation made the phenomenon well-framed and contributed, paradoxically, to urban order. Moreover, it allowed for differentiation between luxury brothels, with exclusive services, and modest ones, intended for workers.

The “sweet girls,” educated and refined

A myth of interwar Bucharest is linked to the refinement of luxury prostitutes. They were not mere seductresses, but true cultural hostesses. Most were sent to schools abroad, where they learned foreign languages, music, good manners, and even dance.

These “sweet girls” knew how to converse on intellectual topics, quote from literature, and maintain the atmosphere of a salon. For their clients – politicians, aristocrats, writers, or artists – brothels were not only places of carnal pleasure but also spaces of socialization, where friendships were formed, business discussed, and literary inspiration born.

Beyond their beauty and seductive talents, these women fascinated through intelligence and refinement, becoming true social figures.

Famous clients and behind-the-scenes stories

In the discreet universe of brothels, well-known names could be found. Poet Ion Barbu, famous for his eccentricities, frequented these places, where he found not only pleasure but also sources of inspiration.

The most controversial client, however, remained King Carol II, the passionate monarch eager for adventure. It is said he was a consummate lover, generous with the ladies who shared his bed. A night with him was rewarded with fabulous sums, up to 5,000 lei – at a time when a worker earned around 2,000 lei per month.

Witnesses of the time tell spectacular stories. Constantin Argetoianu, the Minister of the Interior, wrote in his memoirs:

“Charles would leave in a two-seater Ford as soon as evening fell on Brezoianu and Sărindar streets, approach a prostitute, take her to the Palace, and after a longer or shorter session, send her away with a note of 500 or 1,000 lei. Upon leaving the Palace, she was picked up by Gavrilă Marinescu’s agents, who gave her another 5,000 lei and threatened her with death if she said anything.”

Such stories reinforce the monarch’s double image: king and, at the same time, a faithful client of the Capital’s brothels.

Prices, contrasts, and subscriptions to love

In luxury brothels, prostitutes earned impressive sums, between 7,500 and 10,000 lei per night. By comparison, a lawyer received a monthly salary of about 6,000 lei, and a doctor around 9,000 lei.

On the other hand, in the modest houses of the working-class neighborhoods, a night of love cost between 50 and 100 lei. The atmosphere was more sober, the conditions more precarious, but for many clients, it was the only form of escape from daily routine.

Interestingly, these establishments even offered “subscriptions” – packages of 10 visits at reduced rates. Loyalty was rewarded, and for some clients, the brothel became almost a second home.

Famous prostitutes of Bucharest’s brothels

The world of brothels gave rise to legendary figures around whom myths and stories were woven. Mița the Cyclist, known for her eccentricity and freedom, remains a symbol of female emancipation in that era.

Alongside her, names such as Lina Magazia, Zaraza, or Tanti Berta entered the history of the Capital, becoming characters in novels or songs. Their moments of glory were consumed between luxury salons and working-class neighborhoods, but their memory persists in the city’s cultural identity.

The Stone Cross – the epicenter of interwar pleasures

The most famous pleasure district of Bucharest was the Stone Cross (Crucea de Piatră), stretching from Vitan Post Office to Dristor. Here, establishments lined up one after another, and the atmosphere was effervescent, maintained by music, laughter, and promises of love.

The Stone Cross became an urban landmark, a place where desire mixed with bohemian spirit and where daily reality faded behind heavy curtains and oriental perfumes.

The end of an era and the disappearance of brothels

After the Second World War, the history of the Capital’s brothels entered an inevitable decline. With the establishment of the communist regime, prostitution was banned by law, and houses of tolerance were closed.

This decision marked the end of an era in which brothels were an integral part of social life. The world of red lanterns was replaced by silence and stigma, but memories continued to circulate, passed on through literature, journalism, and the memoirs of those who lived those times.

The cultural legacy of interwar brothels

Although controversial, houses of tolerance had a strong impact on interwar Romanian society. They fueled the imagination of writers and journalists, inspired songs and stories, and left behind a fascinating urban mythology.

Today, the Stone Cross and the tales of Mița the Cyclist or King Carol II are part of a cultural memory that speaks of the complexity of interwar Bucharest. It is an uncomfortable yet fascinating part of history, revealing a city where pleasure, luxury, and contradictions blended into a unique spectacle.

Interwar brothels were not only places of carnal indulgence but also social and cultural spaces where classes, ideas, and passions intersected. They reflected the spirit of an era in which Bucharest breathed freedom, curiosity, and the desire for an intense life.

The Stone Cross, the “sweet girls,” the famous clients, and their spicy stories remain part of a history that cannot be erased but only understood as a fragment of the complex mosaic of the “Little Paris.”