Day 14: Saturday, June 20

Rejuvenated from sleeping in until noon, we met in Christiania around one and met our tour guide Nina. Along time resident of Christiania (she moved there from Sweden in 1977), Nina vividly – if disjointedly – painted a portrait of a city within a city. Christiana, she explained, used to be a military base for the Danish government until the 1960s, when people of many marginalized backgrounds began squatting in the structures in the area – some of which date back to the 17th century. By 1971 the community had organized to become the semi-autonomous city of Christiania, named (according to Nina) after “the kings, women liberation and all that.” Further speaking to its haphazard origins, Nina explained that Christiania’s flag (see below) was selected “because we found a lot of red and yellow paint.”



Unsurprisingly, Christiania has struggled from the beginning to maintain its quasi-anarchic, free-spirited culture. The government has repeatedly threatened to impose an urban planning scheme, but this threat has not yet materialized for a variety of reasons. Christiania’s survival is due in no small part to the work of its diverse and dedicated residents, many of whom dedicate countless hours each week to strengthening their community. Nina was keen to remind us that Christiania operates on the principle of consensus, not democracy. The result, she says, is that “if you love to go to meetings then this is a paradise.”

Today Christiania has roughly 900 residents. In spite of its perseverance, Christiana has changed in many ways since its founding nearly 40 years ago. Living expenses have skyrocketed, and it has become far more difficult to carry out the same transient lifestyle of the past. On top of other social and economic concerns, Christianians today are uncertain whether or not the right-wing government will impose further limitations on Christiania’s independent status. Nevertheless, Christiania maintains its status as a haven for free-thinking, open-minded people of all backgrounds. As Nina told us, “we have many different people here, many ideas, but what we have in common is Christiania.”

After touring the quirky and beautiful Christiania we hurried to the Youth House in Nørreboro. The Youth House was the product of a squatter’s movement in the 1970s, and is today a collective of young Danes that are united by their desire to bring an end to homophobia, racism, sexism, and overpriced alcohol. Although our group wasn’t universally convinced by their explanations of what constitutes violence and why all police are psychotic, we enjoyed the experience of engaging with the individuals behind this controversial experiment in Danish inclusiveness.

-Isaac & Trine