Notes

Erotic Sex Shops in Germany
As pornography becomes increasingly mainstream and the internet deconstructs sexual taboos, erotic shops are reclaiming their fetish roots. These boutiques are not just selling goods, they are also promoting a particular body culture and fostering an alternative lifestyle. This is most clearly visible in Germany where kink and pleasure goods can be purchased from a wide range of retailers, from mainstream fashion chains to niche fetish stores.

Fun Factory is an erotic boutique that sells lingerie, accessories and literature in a 180-square-metre space that feels like a nightclub. Designed by interior architect Rashid, the space evokes an intimate erotic mood with its palette of black, gold and white. The ceiling and walls feature sculptural forms, while large windows obscured by patterns of gold dots offer sexy glimpses of the mannequins dressed in lingerie. At the entrance, a large golden cube is illuminated from below and the glass-fronted shop is split into smaller rooms that are dedicated to different garment styles.

Aside from the lingerie and sexual enhancers, the store offers a selection of sex toys and books. The brand’s website boasts that “Fun Factory satisfies primal desire. You will leave the shop feeling more sexually confident than when you entered.”

Founded by Beate Uhse, who was born on October 25th, 1917, the sex shop pioneer broke with social and moral conventions by opening up to a wider audience about eroticism and pleasure. Her sex shop empire, which grew with the help of an erotic mail order catalogue, helped transform the sexual landscape in postwar Germany. Even as religious and political leaders warned that her businesses were encouraging decadence, Germans flocked to her stores, and her name became synonymous with female emancipation.

In male underwear , a new generation of feminists turned to protest against the commercialisation of eroticism. Feminists argued that the sale of sex toys and magazines was a betrayal of women, turning them into objects of desire and objectification. But the nascent pornography industry was growing rapidly, and in many German households, a private porn videotheque is now standard equipment alongside the party cellar and satellite dish.

While the sex toy industry is still highly profitable, a number of adult retailers are shifting their focus to community responsibility. Other Nature is a queer-feminist sex-positive shop that prioritises sex education and the community over profit-making. Located on the edge of Berlin, it stocks everything from latex dresses to glass dildos. Its sexy merchandise is beautifully displayed on shelves that are designed by the owner to reflect the store’s aesthetic. The store is vegan, eco-friendly and free from animal products. The shop also has a small library and is open Mon-Fri 10am-1pm and Sat 11am-2pm. Guests are welcome to bring their own drinks and snacks. Entrance is free.
Website: https://tasteoflove.store/