‘Pilgrim strippers’ prepare for final dance

The number of women from Ukraine, the Dominican Republic and other countries officially working in Swiss strip clubs has fallen from 5,000 to fewer than 1,000 in ten years. The authorities may end their special residence status. It’s early evening in the Swiss capital, Bern. Outside a strip club a young man peers at photos on a poster. Inside five women from eastern Europe and the Dominican Republic dressed in short skirts wait for their first customers of the day. “We sell dreams,” says lapdance club owner Max Hufschmid, who has been in the business for 33 years. “These girls are a fantasy for many of our clients. About 80% of that feeling is in their heads, not in their trousers. We sell them illusions. They are happy to have their heart beating faster for one night, to be listened to and to have fun.” But he admits that the golden age of the strip club is a thing of the past. “The new competition from saunas, contact clubs and the internet means that we don’t ...