X-Message-Number: 5113 Date: Sun, 5 Nov 1995 17:01:15 -0500 (EST) From: Robin Helweg-Larsen <> Subject: Free State Christiania David Stodolsky wrote: > I would characterize people's attitude toward government in Denmark > as "healthy disrespect". A democratic system can be more or less anarchistic, > and Denmark is currently at the anarchistic extreme. There is even > a "Free City" within Copenhagen, where taxes are not collected. A > recent academic study of the administration of this "Free City", gave it > high marks, as compared to the ponderous Copenhagen Municipal bureaucracy. This should be of great interest to Libertarians; do any of you know about it? My information isn't up to date, but here's what I remember: In the early 70s a bunch of hippies, anarchists, social activists etc realized that a disused army base close to the center of Copenhagen, several city blocks in area and full of three-story buildings, would make a wonderful hangout, so they squatted it. They had free water and electricity, free housing, and freedom from civilian authorities. Drugs were sold openly as the police and municipality had no jurisdiction. Runaways from around northern Europe used it as a safe haven. There was a pub, a bakery, a post office, etc. Some of the apartments made from the subdivided barracks were very tasteful and full of antiques etc; some were rat-holes. There was a lot of dog shit in the streets. The army said it was a municipal problem; the municipality said the military was responsible; the national government didn't want to get involved; the police realized that at least they knew where all the pushers and troublemakers were, instead of being scattered. Whether Christiania was, or is, or could be, self-supporting (with or without trafficking) I don't know. Certainly a lot of money came from the state (welfare, unemployment, etc) as well as having free utilities, and cash also came in from legal (prostitution) and illegal (drugs) services and commodities. It was an interesting place to visit, but I never wanted to live there. Maybe David can correct and update this! Robin HL Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=5113