Sex workers are now allowed to return to work in the northern states of Hamburg, Bremen and Schleswig-Holstein after a further easing of coronavirus restrictions.
Brothels were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, a court has ruled that they can reopen again in North Rhine-Westphalia, with other northern states set to follow.
Prostitution has long been legal in Germany, and the country has been called "Europe's biggest brothel". But forced prostitution continues to be an issue as well. Here's a look at the history and policies.
Moves to reform Germany's controversial prostitution law are based on bad information and don't have sex workers' best interests at heart, argues expert Sonja Dolinsek.
A resolution by human rights organization Amnesty International (AI) calling for sex work to be decriminalized worldwide has reignited debate about the sex industry in Germany.
After months of negotiations, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and Social Democratic Party (SPD) MPs agreed the final details of a new law governing sex work on Tuesday night – but prostitutes say it isn't fit for purpose.