http://www.christiania.org/
RUNDVISERGRUPPEN
Morten Kristiansen
Christiania
1407 Kbh. K
Phone: 32 57 96 70
Fax: 32 57 60 05
The story of Christiania
is colour full, long, and filled with battles, victories and defeats. Many of
the people who began the experiment do not live here anymore, but the dream
of a life lived in freedom and the idea of a city ruled by its inhabitants continues.
Now 25 years later, people from near and far still feel attracted to the magical
mixture of anarchy and love of the Freetown. It all began in 1970 when a group
of citizens knocked down the fence at the corner of Prinsessegade and Refshalevej
close to the Grey Hall. They wanted a playground for their kids and something
green to look at.
The same year an exhibition took place at Charlottenborg called "Noget for Noget" (Give and Take), where all sorts of hippies, freaks and people into macrobiotics showed themselves off, sold their goods and exhibited their art, including theatre, pictures, and happenings. An alternative newspaper called Hovedbladet (Head Magazine) was published in connection with the exhibition.
One of the articles discussed the abandoned military barrack in Badsmandsstraedes
kaserne and put forward thousands of possible ideas for their use, not least
as homes for the numerous young people who were unable to find accommodation
elsewhere. However, the squatters movement and the alternative forces "The
New Society" summer camp in Thy also needed a place for them to be able
to realize their dreams. The article resulted in a massive immigration of people
form all sections of society, who came to create an alternative life based on
communal living and freedom.
This was the birth of Christiania.
http://www.christiania.org/info2/