I’ve been to Copenhagen twice, and inevitably left some of my heart in Christiania, the section of the city that was established in 1971 (year of my birth). My friend Robert Lawson is currently filming a documentary about this very special and controversial place that is filled with colorful, authentic people.
Christiania, also known as Freetown Christiania (Danish: Fristaden Christiania) is self-proclaimed autonomous neighbourhood of about 850 residents, covering 34 hectares (85 acres) in the borough of Christianshavn in the Danish capital Copenhagen. From an official point of view, Christiania is rather regarded a large 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 to the state. Christiania has been a source of controversy since its creation in a squatted military area in 1971.
I took this photo during my last visit in 2004.
Thanks, Julia! This is our third and last trip here for filming, though we will likely need to come back to pay for and obtain the archive film and photos that we are currently researching.
The situation in Christiania is, as always, difficult and changing. A court case brought on by the Christianitter against the government will be decided on May 26th (and then go on into endless appeals, either way), and the vibe on Pusher Street feels more dangerous and much less connected to the rest of what Christiania is about. But moving past Pusher Street, or circumventing it altogether, and Christiania is still a place of natural beauty, inventiveness and inspiration.
I spoke with a young guy today who has taken over a small workers wagon that was falling into decay near the Moonfisher and has created a beautiful and inviting tattoo shop. He restored my faith in creating realities in Christiania that could not happen anywhere else. We’ll be interviewing him on Friday.
Anyway, thanks for the shout-out! I’ll keep you posted via Facebook!
Robert