Freetown Christiania

On an island in Copenhagen, Denmark (or is it Denmark?), Freetown Christiania is an autonomous zone that has tried to set itself up as its own territory outside of the nation-state. Founded when squatters took over a army barracks in the 70s, Christiania is home to many of Copenhagen’s artists and features murals, experimental architecture, and plenty of public art. Symbolically, the town then created itself with the idea of communal living, anarchism, and art-making as an antidote to policing and militarism. Denmark more or less recognizes the commune’s autonomy, with the exception of a once-a-year bust on the drug sales that are legal in Christiania but not legal in the rest of Denmark. As with many things anti-capitalist, Freetown Christiania has also managed to capitalize on its punk aesthetic and has become a tourist attraction for visitors and a marketplace for the sale of drugs. Stores and stalls now manage to cash out on the anti-capitalist enclave. Nevertheless, the community’s quirky homes and continued squatters keep Christiania a space for experimentation in anarchism and communal living.