IDENTICAL twins Martine and Louise Fokkens never dreamed their lives would lead them to the Red Light District – let alone running one of Amsterdam’s most most popular brothels.
After decades in prostitution, the sisters have lifted the lid on a hidden world of bizarre clients and surreal encounters – from gnome-obsessed fantasists to brushes with royalty.
Martine and Louise Fokkens, 83, are the world’s oldest twin sister prostitutesCredit: Supplied
The pair display themselves in the Dutch capital’s windows in the notorious Red Light DistrictCredit: Alamy
The pair have been dubbed the ‘oldest window girls in Holland’Credit: Supplied
Shedding light on how they made a name for themselves in the industry, the pair opened up about growing up in a poor household where money was extremely tight.
The twins were raised in the Dutch capital, home to the iconic Red Light District – which to them was simply a part of life, not a dark seedy underbelly some make it out to be.
Everyone knew what it was without saying the quiet part out loud, Martine explained.
But it was Louise who stepped into the world of sex work first – after she was introduced to it by her very own husband when she was 17-year-old.
The married couple were on a seemingly normal night out – Wimpie had decided to treat Louise to a funfair trip.
Louise said she was “pushed” into “just trying” it out – and never claims any credit that it was her own idea.
She wasn’t stupid either – Louise knew that her family may have seen her in a different light.
But knowing exactly what she was getting into, Louise thought she would have a look inside.
Moments later, she was stood in one of Amsterdam’s many Red Light District windows – common display booths where sex workers can advertise their services.
“That is how fast it went,” she said.
“You do not have time to think. It just happens.”
Back at home, her lips remained sealed – and even her sister had little idea of what Louise was up to.
But soon enough the family found out – and Martine was ordered to put an end to her sister’s behaviour.
Despite being encouraged to get out of her new line of work, Louise didn’t budge.
She said: “As if you can tell your twin what to do, we never listened to anyone.”
They made a name for themselves in Amsterdam’s iconic Red Light DistrictCredit: Alamy
The pair still see each other everydayCredit: Supplied
For Martine, her career only kicked off years later when she was settled down with a husband and kids.
She worked as a cleaner in a brothel – doing shifts which usually stretched into the early hours of each day, when the windows were dark and the streets were quiet.
Martine would sometimes be asked by punters if she would join them, but she would always decline, chuckling at the idea of it on her journey home.
But her whole life turned upside down when her husband lost his job in a crippling builder’s strike.
The family went from living pay check to pay check to going completely broke.
And without a consistent source of income, Martine and her husband came under mounting pressure to start finding cash.
The fact Louise already worked in the industry made entering the world of prostitution a lot less intimidating, Martine said.
“Without her I would never have done it,” she said.
“But with her it felt less frightening.”
After being given the lowdown by other workers at the brothel, Martine was posed up in a window in no time.
Martine and Louise Fokkens are the world’s oldest prostitutesCredit: Supplied
Window girls in the Red Light District advertise their services standing behind a display screenCredit: Alamy
Making a name for themselves
During decades in the industry, the sisters became well-known figures in the district.
They eventually opened their very own brothel and opened a traditional Dutch eatery called De Twee Stiertjes – which became popular among locals.
The twins were known for their trademark thigh-high leather boots, which they used to stuff cash into.
At the end of the night, banknotes would literally spill out.
Anyone who wanted the boots to come off had to pay extra – a lot extra, Louise revealed.
The pair also revealed that many men would pay just to talk to them.
Martine said this made her feel like a social worker at times rather than a prostitute.
What is Amsterdam’s mega brothel?
Amsterdam’s “mega brothel” refers to the Erotic Centre – a controversial project proposed by Mayor Femke Halsema to relocate a significant portion of the legal prostitution windows from the historic Red Light District to a single, multi-story building.
The building is designed to house approximately 100 rooms for sex workers, alongside bars, restaurants, entertainment venues, and a health centre.
Often referred to by critics and media as a “sexscraper,” the proposed design by Moke Architects features a sleek, modern high-rise. The mayor has compared the vision for the interior atmosphere to a high-class version of the Moulin Rouge.
The project is part of a broader “clean up” campaign to reduce overtourism, curb anti-social behaviour, and improve safety for sex workers.
Many sex workers are strongly opposed, arguing that moving to a peripheral location is less safe – leaving a secure building late at night in a quiet area – and less profitable than the high-traffic historic center.
The pair claim they met Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands when she was a PrincessCredit: Reuters
The sisters never hung up their bootsCredit: Supplied
Dirty little gnomes and a horny Easter
Over their illustrious career, the twins remember a list of memorable punters – including a self-proclaimed “filthy little gnome”.
Louise said the man was shaking with excitement at the pure thought of his “dirty little gnome” wife finally appearing before him.
“He looked like he was about to burst into confetti,” she said.
Then there was the Easter Bunny – a grown man determined to make a children’s holiday deeply unfit for children.
The sisters also fell victim to dine-and-dash clients.
But one punter who tried to make a run for it without paying ended up leaving behind one crucial belonging – his prosthetic leg.
The twins locked the wooden limb in a locked cupboard as if it were a left behind handbag in lost property.
It wasn’t long until he made the walk of shame back before paying the fee and hopping out the door.
Louise also revealed that she fell in love during work with a regular customer.
The tall, dark and handsome client went on become a quiz master on a well known Dutch quiz show, she said.
For Martine, she nearly ended up being sent to the US.
An enthusiastic American client wanted to jet her whole family off to the the States – but in the end she chose the life she knew.
A royal visit
In 1965, a Salvation Army officer named Major Bosshardt who was well-known for her work with prostitutes in the Red Light District strolled into their brothel.
Alongside her was a not so familiar face – a neatly dressed woman who referred to herself only as “Toos”.
The mystery woman wanted to know how things worked – firing off a couple of questions before studying the room like it was some sort of museum.
Her eyes darted from the bed to the washbasin, the heater to the windows, taking it all in as if she were trying to memorise all the details.
The longer she stayed, the more irritated the siblings became – they felt like the woman’s curiosity was more like an inspection.
After she was firmly shown out the building, Bosshardt later returned to explain that the lady with her was the then Dutch Princess Beatrix – who later went on to become the Queen of the Netherlands.
She had been on a fact finding visit when she entered the twin sisters’ brothel.
Netflix deal?
Now, the pair have an urge to do something, and need time to figure out how to attract an audience once again.
They have never heard of OnlyFans or TikTok, but the instinct is there, Louise said.
Their fascinating journey could be spun into a Netflix series, Martine suggested.
They would want it to reflect the reality of being a prostitute, warts and all.
The humour, the rules, the mess, the loneliness, the joy and much more.
They don’t want a glossy lecture empowerment, or a tidy moral lesson packaged for social media.
They want the real thing, told the way they lived it; funny, blunt, sometimes filthy, sometimes unexpectedly tender.
The inseparable twins still walk arm in arm through Amsterdam everyday – and have always lived near one another.
The identical twin sisters say they could be part of a Netflix series about their livesCredit: Supplied
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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