I reach Freetown Christiania on a sultry afternoon in summer. This bohemian area in Copenhagen was created in 1971 by a group of hippies who occupied some abandoned military barracks here. Since that early occupation and self-proclamation of autonomy, there’s never been a dull moment.
The residents established an administration independent of the Danish government. In 2012, after years of uncertainty, an agreement was reached and Foundation Freetown Christiania was formed. Debates around Christiania continue to rage, but it’s still a unique place to visit.
What better way to see this leafy and unruled corner of Copenhagen than with a local resident. I met Morten Nielsen, Christiania resident since the 70s. Like every inhabitant, he has his own personal mandate for being here. “We wanted to establish a community where everyone could express themselves freely,” he says, “and with responsibility to the community. We were hippies who wanted to live in harmony with each other and with nature. We wanted to avoid psychological pollution—the mean things that people say to each other in the workplace, for instance.”
Creative commons
Christiana still glows with the energy of its heady history. Its 84 acres are an ode to creativity. “Homemade” homes rub shoulders with old marine buildings painted with rainbows and sprites. The air smells of organic baking. Larger than life murals punctuate walls as liberally as clusters of studios. Residents and visitors alike recline by the waterfront on blankets, clearly renouncing life by a to-do list.
And how do you get to be a resident? Nielsen says, “When a room gets vacant (which is not too often), an outsider can apply at an area meeting. We choose people who can be an asset. In the old days, it was someone who could build, for instance.”
Christiania Smedie is the oldest blacksmith business here. In the 1970s, they turned their focus to supplying transport for the car-free community. In the 80s, they launched the crate bike—featuring a spacious crate in the front—that came to be known in Denmark as the Christiania bike.
Snakes and ladders
Alcohol, drugs and gangs have infiltrated the otherwise glowing reality. So, how are these issues dealt with? Nielsen says, “The highest authority is the common meeting. There we take decisions that concern us all; discussions regarding the government or whether to throw out violent people or hard drugs (which are not tolerated here). We call meetings according to need.” All residents can go to the meetings or stay home, but then they must accept that those at the meetings have a decision-making power. Uniquely, at the meetings, you can get a favorable decision even if you aren’t a majority. “Because if a minority feels that something goes against them, they can veto a decision; and the majority will discuss things and find a solution that the minority can also accept,” says Nielsen. Social support includes helping people with an alcohol problem, for instance.
The community has a vibrant social, political and cultural life. Grey Hall, a concert venue, has hosted entertainers ranging from Bob Dylan to Metallica to Manic Street Preachers. Further afield, Morgenstedet is an organic, vegetarian eatery, founded on the concept of collectivism and a voluntary workforce, resulting in a mix of cuisines and wholesome fare.
A friendly resident bicycling around with two pups in her basket tells me that every Sunday through the summer, Café Nemoland holds two concerts on its open-air stage.
Christiania may not stand out in any one area. It may still be rife with conflicting ideologies. Drug gangs and violence keeps threatening its peace. But whatever your opinion on the politics or factions, there’s too much overall energy and openness to not be glad of the plurality and the tolerance of a community that knows how to live and let live.
The writer can be found brandishing pen and camera at various travel, literary, art and research assignments across the world.
