Freetown Christiania

[Havet]

Found out about this lovely commune the other day. Had you ever heard of it?

FREETOWN CHRISTIANIA (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania)

Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania (Danish: Fristaden Christiania) is a self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares (85 acres) in the borough of Christianshavn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianshavn) in the Danish (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Denmark) capital Copenhagen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen). From an official point of view, Christiania is regarded as a large commune (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commune), but its relation to the authorities has a unique status in being regulated by a special law, the Christiania Law of 1989 which transfers parts of the supervision of the area from the municipality of Copenhagen (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copenhagen) to the state.

Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971. Its cannabis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis) trade was tolerated by authorities until 2004. Since then, measures for normalising the legal status of the community have led to conflicts, and negotiations are ongoing.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6d/Christiania_%28Locator-Jpg%29.JPG


Among many Christiania residents, the community is known as staden ('the town'), short for fristaden ('the freetown').

Sounds like more of this kind of communities should be tried all around the world.

[Würzel]

Seems pretty nice area from what I've been seeing and hearing and I'll definitely stop by next time when I'm around Copenhagen.

[Demogorgon]

The Danish Government has been going to considerable lengths to get rid of it for a number of years now. A great shame and one with no logical basis. For many years they tolerated it with the (probably true) explanation that it was good for tourism and the like. Now, since there has been a more right wing Government it has suddenly become a bad thing.:rolleyes:

[Jazzratt]

Do you know how living there compares to the rest of Denmark?

It is an interesting idea, certainly communities of that scale would be useful in empirically testing models of distribution before attempting to make them global.

[Drace]

Some pics

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/52/Entr%C3%A9e_de_Christiania.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/11/Christiania_Street.JPG/800px-Christiania_Street.JPG

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5c/Copenhagen_entrance_christiania.jpg

[IcarusAngel]

Sometimes good things about bad systems make them harder to change.

Communities can technically exist within capitalism, but it's hellishly hard to compete in a system that is designed for corporations and financial markets.

[gorillafuck]

Communities can technically exist within capitalism, but it's hellishly hard to compete in a system that is designed for corporations and financial markets.
Of course there are communities under capitalism.....

[IcarusAngel]

Yes, thanks for repeating what I said: communities exist.

But if I create a community that says "we're not going to have corporate property rights - we're going to do what we want with software" do you think the government is going to recognize my rights, or the rights of the capitalistic corporations?

[Havet]

Some pics
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freetown_Christiania


Interesting, it sort of looks primitivist and in decay, in a way. I don't know if that's because of the community itself or because it hasn't been attracting more people recently due to the government messing with its previously established intersubjective consensus.

[Atlanta]

It looks like little five points in atlanta:blink:

[Sasha]

yeah it actualy does look a bit like litle five points (what i can remeber from it), they sell the same hippy shit as well.

anyway, its an nice place albeit a bit difficult.

you have some realy cool activists there, mostly 80's style autonomen who are still active in stuff like antifa an shit (they live mostly in the main central buildings).

but there are also a lot of quite useless "we found our litle niche to make art and do psychadelics so as long as i'm left alone the rest of the world could go to shit" hippys who cant be arsed to care for anything but themself. (a lot like the ruigoord (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruigoord) village close to amsterdam) they live mostly in the self built houses on the rest of the terrain.

and then you offcourse have pusher street wich is just an plain nasty drugmarket run by maffia and bikers. not nice at all.
that and the tourist trap pseudo hippy headshop shops/stalls.

[Drace]

Interesting, it sort of looks primitivist and in decay, in a way. I don't know if that's because of the community itself or because it hasn't been attracting more people recently due to the government messing with its previously established intersubjective consensus.

Its a pretty small town, what technology do you want?

I did notice the many wall graffiti. There nice.

[Havet]

Its a pretty small town, what technology do you want?

I did notice the many wall graffiti. There nice.

Well technology does help overall human prosperity. I can't help but to wonder whether the decay in the maintenance of the streets is also reflected in a decay of standard health and prosperity

[Tyrlop]

I live there. hurray :thumbup1:

[Havet]

I live there. hurray :thumbup1:

You do? Can you give us more information about how is life there?

[Tyrlop]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaau_-eD63g
actually i live in Christianshavn but i know alot of people and friends who live in christiania
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Z5Uvfxd8A0

[DenisDenis]

my god! How wonderfull! I didn't know such a place existed so close to home!
But how do they get their raw materials, like the iron?
It doesn't look very run down to me...

btw: why is this in the opposing ideologies part of the forum?
this seems like a good way to start spreading the idea capitalism isn't the only way to go

[Sasha]

please note that this is not an completly autonomus place.
its not "socialism in one neighboorhood".
they are just an squated terrain and because they are quite big they can make some money of the toerists but they are still hooked up to the danish power, water, gas grid.
most people living there still work jobs in capitalist denmark.
etc etc

[DenisDenis]

so what happens then with the money they earn?

are there any more of these communes that still exist? it would seem they are pretty hard to find...

[Drace]

In the video the girl says the place has many businesses?

[Havet]

In the video the girl says the place has many businesses?

Probably no-employee-businesses

[bricolage]

I read something about them having their own immigration policy, does anyone know anything about this?

[SouthernBelle82]

The Danish Government has been going to considerable lengths to get rid of it for a number of years now. A great shame and one with no logical basis. For many years they tolerated it with the (probably true) explanation that it was good for tourism and the like. Now, since there has been a more right wing Government it has suddenly become a bad thing.:rolleyes:

Oh of course. Reminds me of that Maoist village in China that Al Jazeera talked about a while back.

[Ele'ill]

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[APathToTake]

Lived in denmark for 5 years, so i've been quite a few times. Can't say I know a whole lot about the place, besides what's been said here already