Christiania - Copenhagen's 'Alternative' Residential Zone

31 May 2014

I've heard much about Christiania since I've been in Denmark. Things like: People smoke hash freely on the streets (note the main street is called Pusher Street!), photography is forbidden and certainly not recommended 'at the risk of reprisal from residents', huge 'wild' dogs roam the streets unescorted, it's a melting pot (no pun intended!) for all sorts of weirdos (term used by a friend from Copenhagen), drug-related crime is or was high (maybe a slight pun intended this time!), there was once a grenade attack on the streets and riots used to be a frequent occurrence between residents and the Police, nobody pays rent, it used to be a military camp and when they moved out in 1971 a bunch of activists moved in having climbed over the fences, squatted, and they remain to this day, although it's fair to say that today's population of about 1000 actually own the site having bought it legitimately for 76 million DKR in 2011. All the above and more have led to Christiania becoming one of Denmark's major tourist attractions receiving over half a million visitors each year. Unconventional marketing, but it seems to have worked. Intrigued - Yes, so too was I and so GT and I pedaled down to Christiania this morning. So what did I find?

Aside from three young girls of about 14 years old giggling uncontrollably and loudly not far from the main entrance, presumably from the effects of what they were smoking, I found a busy market place where one (tourists I suppose) could buy Rasta hats, multi-coloured T-shirts, shoes, sweaters, dresses, bangles, bangles and yes, more bangles. In fact, multi-coloured was the order of the day. Christiania is an assault of colour, and when I say colour, I mean BRIGHT colour! So, if you don't like colour don't bother visiting. If you do, be prepared to be bombarded from every angle. The people, their clothes, their buildings, their bikes, their food, their drinks, their tatoos and yes, their bangles all combine to form one massive colour attack. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-colour. But, why to such Kaleidoscopic proportion? What is it an expression of? Is there an underlying fear of non-colour? What would it mean for example if a building wall was not splashed in bright colours or was absent of mantric graffiti (term used here as an expressive art form)?

OK, so, bright colours contribute to happiness. I get that, I am after-all a happiness researcher! But this is more than that. This struck me like a form of materialism, a concept the earlier settlers in Christiania would no doubt have 'activated' against. Come to think of it, I'm sure it wouldn't take too long to hear the usual anti-society rhetoric from today's residents too! Indeed, as you leave Christiania you pass under a sign that reads, 'You are now entering the EU'.  Cute - Yea, maybe!! But for me, the chuckle is short-lived. What's the underlying message being conveyed? How do these residents differ from alternative communities that have sprouted elsewhere in the world, even in my own home country of Australia? 

I'll leave you to read more about the history and the people of Christiania online, if you feel compelled to do so. Personally, I wasn't inspired by what I saw, and I certainly wouldn't hold up their model of existence as an example of natural and sustainable living. Perhaps, they don't intend it to be and the underlying message escapes me!