Beate Uhse

Beate Uhse was the true Queen of Porn in Germany. Born Beate Köstlin in 1919, she became a daring stunt flyer during the 1930s and flew transports for Luftwaffe during the war. After the war, she opened sales of lingerie and sex toys which moved her over to porn. She effectively used the new liberal laws in Germany regarding prostitution and the sex industry. Beate became a pioneer worldwide with her sex shops, magazines, and soon porn on films. She built an empire, probably the largest in Europe. It's still there, registered on the German stock market, run by her family. Beate died in 2001, an active businesswoman to the end.