The free city of Christiana

Merry Christmas to all!!

Has anyone ever heard of the free city of Christiana in Denmark???
I found it on wikipedia and it sounds so awsome.... i might travel there in my semester break in avril... but i would be interested, if anyone of you has ever been there....

Thanks....

Fred

 

Oh yes, indeed I've been there!

Come and visit this beautiful oasis, before it's to late. The government has decided to get rid of it, and build penthouse-appartments at the place. The place is occupied by ridicoulous big amounts of police 24/7, and the famous Pusher Street is already gone (which has resulted in that the sale of cannabis has been spread to pushers all around Copenhagen, who also sell hard drugs, which was strictly forbidden in Christiania).

www.christiania.org

love,
-wolf-

 

thanks for your answer, man... and sorry for havèn`t thank you so long... i had no internet for about 2 weeks... :-(

the place itself and also that, you told me, sound so awful and i will go there in my easter holidays for sure....

the police is just there, because the fucking state wants everyone to be in order and to be equal.... free opinion and an alternative life style always frighten the establishment...

but nevertheless i will go there... i need to come out of saarbrücken!

Thx

Fred

 

How long do you think that place has got?

 

Well, it's hard to say...

The residents of Christiania are tough. They have won many big battles with different governments, which all tried to get rid of the place the last 30 years. Christiania has becomed used of being threatened, and they know which strategies to plan by their historical experience of resistance.

Remember one thing (and here come my optimistic pep-talk ): Any government will be overthrowed, when people had enough of it... ofcourse it will be replaced by another government, but in difference Christiania will always be Christiania and in difference to shifting governments they'll just get wiser and wiser thru all their bitter experiences.

Christiania has been able to sue the state, because maybe the single resident of Christiania is poor, but together they're rich - and they can afford to buy the fanciest lawyers etc... (It's clever when individuals push in same direction, isn't it? )

I think they won many big struggles during the whole process. Maybe I was too dramatical in my future-scenario earlier. Christiania will always exist, but I'm afraid in which spirit. The struggle is all about its spirit, and there is no doubt that the establishment/system/government wanna eliminate this oasis for free spirits and replace it with expensive appartments for rich people.

Look around at christiania.org and its links...

I especially like their peaceful happening "clown army"... at http://www.klovne.net/ - I think it's translated to english - clown-english ofcourse!

love and understanding,
-wolf-

 

hey everybody...


i am by now pretty sure, that i will manage to go to Christiana in my semester break

i will also visit Taize, a french community, but only for one week in the very end... so i think, i will have time enough..

i am planning to go there by train... do you have any idea, how much money you need there? and what are the possibilities of resting there (cheap hostels???)...

Thanks for your reply...

Fred

 

You're welcome, brother.

Do you mean places to rest in France or places to rest in Copenhagen?
If you mean Copenhagen, I must apologize for having no answer, since I'm living far away from Copenhagen - I'm living in Aalborg, Jutland. But I'll suggest that you go to Christiania and speak with folks & offer some of your time working there - they always need some free hands, and if you're ready for that, some people there will probably also offer you a bed/sleeping bag, a meal, and a joint.

love and understanding,
-wolf-

 

This place sounds amazing.

 

Yeah I couldn't have put it better than wolf, I've been there quite some times, both before the big police raid and after... And altho (much of) the weed is gone, it's still the same in spirit and the people there are really nice if you know them

And if the government ever really decides to bring the place down, I know that thousands of people will come to their aid...
I personally know a whole bunch of people who'll take the day/week off from work and/or school to stand in front of the dozers if they come!

 

Yeah, that's the spirit, Laks!

I'm not gonna be violent - that's against what I'm believing in.
I'll just be there with the folks from Christiania, if they're letting their big machine loose. If they're gonna do any harm to Christiania, they can just as well do some harm to me.
Same about Ungdomshuset... despite I'm no punk myself, I'll go there if the system get violent. I'm trying to create some mobilization amongst hippies where I'm living to go to Nørrebro in case, cuz it's not fun to be the sole hippie among alot of angry black-dressed...

I wish the respect went both directions...

love and understanding,
-wolf-

 

thanks for your answers...

yeah, i ment places to stay, when in Christiana, but i think it will do they way you proposed.I don`t have a problem with helping people and so some work... it sounds so awful and i can hardly wait, to come there and see the place!!
I am really excited...

Thanks again for your replies! It`s a shame, that our so called "democratic" gouvernments doesn`t accept freedom in a way, that is not exactly as they define it :-(

Have an nice day!

Fred

PS: By the way...what`s "Ungdomhusest" ? It sounds like a strange place name from the "Lord of the rings"

PPS: Alright... i just found the thread some lines below ;-) have a look first, than ask your questions... ;-)

 

Yesterday I heard about Christiania on the TV. I've heard about it before but now I'm really interested and want to go there. It sounds like a really beautiful and nice place!

I read that you, Dorian Gray, wanted to go to Christiania. Have you been there yet? If you have - Please tell me what you think about it!

I'm sorry that my english is not so good. Jag är bättre på svenska.

 

If you'd only heard about Christiania on your television, and if you want to go there - go there, instead of relying on the TV version of Christiania... If you want to get to know 100% of the truth about Christiania, instead of the 1% the television are providing you...

love & understanding,
-wolf-

 

Thanks for your answer "wolf at door". Your'e right!!

 

im going there next summer, it will still be there, good over evil always

 

There has been no further development in the negotiation between the state and Christiania for a long time.

The situation is frozen, and Christiania is still occupied by the police, and inhabitans are still daily harrased by its occupators.

Christiania has recently rejected the latest unjust overture by the government in the negotiational process. Unjust because it implied abolishment of the tradition of common property in the commune (instead the government demand individual property right regulated by market forces, so that capitalists can profit on renters - and that will open the gates for property speculators to invade the commune. Obviously Christiania deny this overture, since that would tear the commune apart).

Further, the government demand many settlements in the outskirts of Christiania removed. The governments purpose is that these outskirt areas should be preserved because of its nature ressources.
Funny, since anybody knows that the government will allow the property speculators to build skyscrabers at these areas, if the suggestion would be accepted by the inhabitans of Christiania. Funny, because the government never care about preserving nature elsewhere in Denmark. Funny, because the residentials at these areas in Christiania in fact are some of the most environmental sustainable residentials in my whole country - actually lots of these houses won architect prices during the 70's and 80's by the very same reason! -So imo the government should preserve these fascinating houses instead!

In the 17th/18th century Denmark and Sweden were often at war with eachother. At that time Christiania was a military fort which purpose was to protect Denmark from military attacks from the seaside (Christiania lies on the shore of the sound that divide Denmark and Sweden).
Still, nowaday the negotiation sort under the ministry of war (in danish newspeak called Ministry of Defence), despite the threat by Sweden is sooo history. For decades, even centuries, this huge area - in the middle of Copenhagen - was empty, untill hippies and revolutionary anarchists settled down there in the early 1970's.

So fact is that the conflict between the state and the commune of Christiania in fact is a conflict between this socalled Ministry of Defence and the commune, why the occupation of Christiania in fact is a military occupation.

Latest news is that new generation of hippies and other anarchists has settled down in an area next to Christiania to form some kind of 'a new Christiania'.
I haven't been in Copenhagen myself for a long time, so I haven't visited this new commune yet, but I'll inform you as soon I hear something new about this exciting initiative.

Love,
-wolf-

 

I certainly have heard of it. Wouldn't mind visiting there and the rest of Copenhagen.

 

P.S.

Check out -

http://christiania.org/modules.php?name=Side&navn=linkeng

- for more info... unfortunately still not all pages at Christianias site are translated into English (because they are a bunch of lazy hippies!!)

 

Hey, I live in Copenhagen, and I go to Christiania every day to buy cannabis. This has (unfortunate for some) overruled the purpose of Christiania or "Staden"... The hippie spirit is kinda dying out, but you can still feel the warmth there, it's a real chill environment, and I suggest you go there, and if you can, puff a joint by the lake