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Christiania
Maja Daniels
What differentiates The Freetown from the rest of the Western society today is mainly the “Christianite” attitude towards ownership of housing, a system that they oppose in order to “contest the capitalist stranglehold of individuality and identity”. As a result, its alternative existence causes trouble for public institutions such as law, order and function, which depend on a homogeneous organization of society and its inhabitants. The Danish Eastern High Court decided in May 2009 that the government was within its powers to re-assert control over the area. The residents, however, believe that the state’s (until now) acceptance of their occupation has given them de facto rights to the neighbourhood. They have appealed the case to the Supreme Court for a final decision. Despite the constant threat of closure and normalization, the community continues to invest in the future. The initial hippie commune have been reinforced by a hard working mixed population of “alternativists” who are busy developing local businesses and giving hordes of tourists guided tours. The Freetown attracts around one million visiting tourists every year since Christiania has become a pertinent and rare example of an alternative domestic organisation. This series aspires to be a contemporary reflection on the interactive Community of Christiania, focusing on its new generation, its neighbours, visitors and ecological modernisation.