Friendly Warnings: The Work of Jewish Protection Societies in European Ports and Stations

• In Event: Cultures on the Road

Abstract

Organizations such as the Jewish Association for the Protection of Girls and Women and the Jüdischer Frauenbund sought to protect young women travellers from the dangers of the road, articulated primarily as sex trafficking. My research examines how these groups identified vulnerability and risk in turn of the century transit hubs. In the bustle of ports and train stations, rescue workers assessed the possibility of sexual danger through religion, appearance, and destination.

Author

• Magdalene Klassen, Johns Hopkins University