From two-bit whore houses to Bertha-sized Berlin brothel ...

Back in the olden days, Bertha, Brunhilda and their sisters in the red lantern district of Kiel used to service the maritime clientele who frequented that northern German port on the Baltic coast. Much later, in the 1980s, Frankfurt and other central German towns, boasted Sex Mit Herz, a line of "full service" short-order sex franchises across the German midlands. And today we've come all the way to this: "Berlin readies giant brothel for 2006 World Cup." Netscape News reports:

BERLIN, July 29 (Reuters) -- A German company is looking to cash in on an expected boom in the sex trade during next year's soccer World Cup with a 60-room brothel a walk away from Berlin's Olympic Stadium, German media reported on Friday.

Named after the virgin huntress of Greek mythology [pictured right], the "Artemis" complex is due to open for business in September with whirlpool, sauna, cinema, buffet restaurant and a staff of 100 prostitutes, mass circulation daily Bild reported.

"This is no flash rip-off joint where clients are taken for a ride," a spokesman for the Artemis GmbH investment company behind the project, told the newspaper.

"No flash rip-off joint where clients are taken for a ride"? Oh, come now! [You fill in the
blank: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _!] This is pathetic.