Christiania is a special quarter of Copenhagen based on alternative living and consensus democracy, ... [+]
Just steps from modern Scandinavian waterfront apartments and some of Copenhagen’s most important historic and cultural landmarks lies the enigmatic neighborhood of Christiania.
Unique in Denmark, this partly autonomous enclave, with its distinctly relaxed ambiance, offers a stark contrast to its sophisticated surroundings. It presents an atmosphere that feels worlds apart from the city’s hustle and bustle, and as such has become an unlikely tourist attraction.
Locals give guided tours of the district, but photography is discouraged due to the presence of organized criminal groups. In recent years, gang-related activity and violence reached an unwelcome new level with a series of shootings, resulting in local residents requesting help from the authorities to shut down the marketplace on Pusher Street.
Now, the future of the district has been confirmed, with its residents saying Pusher Street will be “dug up” later this month to make way for a new social housing development.
It will mark the final closure of the organized, illegal drug trade that for so long defined the area. Hulda Mader, press spokesperson for Christiania has lived in the district for 40 years and says “we don't want the violence anymore.”
The Story Of Christiania
Christiania's origins trace back to the 1970s, born from the pioneering spirit of a group of squatters who found sanctuary within the walls of disused military barracks.
Pusher Street in Christiania will no longer be a site for open sales of drugs and other illegal ... [+]
The barracks, already equipped with the essentials of habitable buildings and electricity, provided a foundation for the establishment of their own ideal community. Here, they set about crafting an autonomous 'freetown,' a place governed by its own rules and distinguished by a laid-back lifestyle that defies conventional city life.
On the 40th anniversary of the district’s creation, the Freetown Christiania Foundation was created in order to better manage the area. The group has been in discussions and negotiations with the Danish government and Copenhagen police for many years.
Despite bans, the neighborhood has long been known for its open drug use. Copenhagen residents and tourists flocked to Christiania in order to buy products not easily available elsewhere, but the growth in drug trade was fueled largely by outsiders.
What’s Next For Christiania?
Almost 1,000 people live in Christiania today, and there is a need for new housing with high demand from prospective residents. Plans are now in place to build new collective accommodation to house up to 300 new residents within four years.
Mader explains that the plans are not about creating a “new Christiania,” rather getting back to a Christiania without the influence of organized crime: “There will be a lot of new cultural projects with theater and living art. We want everyone to come and visit us and participate, like it was at the beginning.”
Mader says prospective new residents would be expected to involve themselves in the community, joining in the various cultural events and community meetings.
This isn't the first time attempts have been made to clean up the district, but Mader says this time is different: “Previously, the police or the government have imposed initiatives top-down. This time, the changes are coming from us. We have a consensus democracy and that’s why it is going to work.”
She says the atmosphere within the community is already “much better” since the decision was made.
