Cycles of the Copenhagen Squatter Movement: From Slumstormer to BZ Brigades and the Autonomous Movement

Abstract

Copenhagen has a vibrant history of squats and spaces for alternative forms of living. This is most visible with the continued existence of Freetown Christiania. The Copenhagen squatters’ movement is examined in five consecutive cycles. This analysis is based on a database of incidences of public squatting within the City of Copenhagen and Fredriksberg from 1963 to 2014. Steiger interprets the cycles of squatting in light of their different locations, their connections with autonomous movements and autonomous social centers, and, in particular, the mobilizations following the eviction of the Youth House in 2007.