The Hippie Town of Christiania

Hippies found a great place to live in 1971- an abandoned military base in Christianshavn, a borough of Copenhagen, Denmark. They called it “Freetown Christiania.” It was a commune based on independence, collective ownership, and marijuana.  

The area of Christiania originally consisted of military barracks. After the military moved out, a group of hippies and squatters moved in and created a small community with idiosyncratic architectures placed alongside restored shacks. The residents declared the area free from the municipality, vowed not to pay taxes, created its own flag and set up bars, cafés, grocery shops, museum, art galleries, and music venues. The town’s biggest attraction is Pusher Street, where hash and marijuana are sold openly from permanent stands. The stands were evicted in 2004 but is said to have returned.

There are about a thousand people living in Christiana today, and they pay taxes now. No cars or guns are allowed. The neighborhood has become quite a tourist attraction, and the art, food, and entertainment provided for them generates income for the residents. See more pictures of Christiana at Amusing Planet. -via the Presurfer

(Image credit: Flickr user Kieran Lynam)


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