▁a ▁kitchen ▁ma id ▁and ▁later ▁as ▁a ▁prost itute . ▁Her ▁experiences ▁are ▁documented ▁in ▁the ▁records ▁of ▁a ▁criminal ▁investigation ▁carried ▁out ▁by ▁the ▁city ▁council ▁of ▁N örd lingen ▁between ▁December ▁ 1 4 7 1 ▁and ▁January ▁ 1 4 7 2 . ▁▁ ▁The ▁investigation ▁was ▁first ▁prompt ed ▁by ▁rum ours ▁that ▁Els ▁had ▁become ▁pre gn ant ▁by ▁a ▁customer , ▁and ▁had ▁subsequently ▁been ▁forced ▁by ▁the ▁bro th el ▁mad am ▁to ▁terminate ▁her ▁pre gn ancy ▁by ▁means ▁of ▁a ▁her bal ▁abort ifa cient . ▁The ▁inqu iry ▁later ▁expanded ▁to ▁involve ▁the ▁inter rog ation ▁of ▁all ▁twelve ▁women ▁working ▁in ▁N örd lingen ' s ▁bro th el ▁in ▁the ▁latter ▁half ▁of ▁ 1 4 7 1 , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁bro th el ▁mad am ▁Barbara ▁Tar schein fe ind in ▁and ▁bro th el - keeper ▁L ien hart ▁F ry erm ut . ▁As ▁several ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁bro th el ▁had ▁left ▁N örd lingen ▁by ▁the ▁time ▁the ▁inter rog ations ▁began ▁( including ▁Els ▁herself ) ▁the ▁investigation ▁also ▁involved ▁co operation ▁between ▁the ▁authorities ▁in ▁N örd lingen ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁coun c ils ▁of ▁N ure m berg ▁and ▁Wei ßen burg ▁in ▁Bayern . ▁▁ ▁Original ▁trans cri ptions ▁of ▁the ▁women ' s ▁testim ony ▁are ▁held ▁today ▁in ▁N örd lingen ' s ▁civ ic ▁archive . ▁The ▁case ▁record ▁offers ▁the ▁most ▁compreh ensive