Destination Dystopia: Christiania

DIS students have Wednesdays set aside for field studies--3 hour trips to places around town as a supplement to class material.  We usually have about two of these per class, which means that some days, we have an entirely free day.  My friends and I decided it would be worthwhile to take a trip to Christiania--the "free town" on the southern outskirts of Copenhagen in Christianhavn.  My host family referred to it as a "special place," and were surprised when I said I hadn't heard of it before.  It's famous for its antics around Europe. 

I must say that we were a little disappointed.  The concept of a "free town" sounds incredible (though not necessarily ideal), and I was envisioning a bustling little village of hippies.  That is half-true, but Pusher Street (yes, you heard me right) was the only place the slightest bit lively, and even then, it was mostly drug paraphernalia, rasta-related souvenirs, and your regular hippie clothing and accessories (though I did see a purse I liked . . . thinking of going back to get it).  It was surprisingly unoriginal.   

There were some very cool parts, too.  It is a very open community that has an emphasis on sharing resources and rules by consensus.  I also loved the murals on the walls, mosaic sculptures hidden in bushes, a few art studios, and several make-shift hand-painted playgrounds with tree forts, tire swings, and old equipment (I really wanted to play on them, but I also just kept wondering, "Kids live here??").  Since the land the town rests on used to be military area, the majority of non-residential buildings are warehouses, which means that cafes tended to have this welcoming, open atmosphere..  One of them--The Moonfisher--not only had a giant mural of a man sitting on the moon, smoking a joint and fishing, but it also proclaimed itself the "Safest Cafe in the World--over 6000 armed police inspections since March 2004." 

That being said, this was all in the context of a rather dingy area, with overgrown plants, neglected roads and pathways, and houses that ranged from the visionary to something so make-shift that it was almost slum-like.  Since the residents are essentially squatters on land owned by the state of Denmark (although the rest of the town has to approve for them to build there), residents don't pay property tax (they still pay income tax if they have a job and they recently started paying taxes on utilities).  Personally, I think that's a little selfish of them to take advantage of Danish welfare while not fully participating.  It's stupid that instead of focusing on how to make Christiania more self-sufficient, residents instead declare their freedom with frivolities like minting their own currency.

I know it could be argued that without Christiania, there would be a lot more people who can't afford to live in the Copenhagen area.  To be honest, I think the town should stay--there's no reason to get rid of it.  The issue with pot trade could probably be dealt with a lot better, but I have no opinion about it.  However, despite its "free" nature, I wish the country and the town could come together to arrange an official agreement about their status.  It might make it easier for everyone, or even improve the state of living within the town.

(on the back of the entrance gate to Christiania)