Ungdomshuset

Ungdomshuset as seen from the street

Ungdomshuset (lit. 'the Youth House') is a social centre in Copenhagen, currently based at Dortheavej 61, Bispebjerg. Between 1982 and 2007, it was located at Jagtvej 69, Nørrebro. That building was originally named Folkets Hus ("House of the People"), constructed by Copenhagen's labour movement in 1897.

It functions as an underground music venue and focal point for varying autonomist and leftist groups.

From the mid-1990s till 2007, Jagtvej 69 was the subject of intense media attention and public debate. This was due to an ongoing conflict between the Copenhagen Municipality and activists occupying the premises. In 2007, Ungdomshuset was evicted from Jagtvej 69 and the building demolished.[1] Police started to clear the Ungdomshuset building early on Thursday, 1 March 2007. Demolition began on 5 March, and was completed in two days.[2][3]

After the eviction, users and supporters held weekly demonstrations on Thursday evenings, demanding a new location for the Ungdomshuset. The demonstrations would start from nearby Blågårds Plads. The starting location was later changed to Gammeltorv in downtown Copenhagen.[4]

In the summer of 2007, an initiative known as G13 announced that on the 6 October they would stage a massive public attempt to squat an old public waterworks located on Grøndalsvænge Allé 13 in northwestern Copenhagen to be used as a new Ungdomshuset. The event, which gathered several thousand, was announced as non-violent, but was met with heavy opposition from the police who arrested 436 people and threw large amounts of tear gas.[5] Recognizing that the event, which had received heavy public attention, had been carried out with peaceful means, on 11 October Ritt Bjerregaard—the Lord Mayor of Copenhagen—invited spokesmen from Ungdomshuset to have negotiations concerning a peaceful solution to the conflict.[6]

The new Ungdomshuset opened successfully on 1 July 2008, it is located at Dortheavej 61 in northwest Copenhagen's Bispebjerg area,[7] after more than 16 months of weekly demonstrations.

  1. ^ "Om Ungdomshuset". www.ungdomshuset.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 30 January 2024. Retrieved 30 January 2024.
  2. ^ "Nedrivning af Ungdomshuset i gang". tv2.dk (in Danish). 5 March 2007. Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007..
  3. ^ Astrup, Søren (5 March 2007). "Nedrivningen af Ungdomhuset indledt i morges". politiken.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 7 March 2007. Retrieved 28 July 2007..
  4. ^ Andersen, Bo (9 June 2008). "Ungdomshuset: Torsdagsdemo nummer 69". Modkraft (in Norwegian). Retrieved 14 June 2024.
  5. ^ Lindblom, Martin (6 October 2007). "Rekord mange anholdte". modkraft.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 24 December 2007..
  6. ^ Wugge Christiansen, Ole; Monsun (11 October 2007). "Ungdomshusforhandlinger: Isen brudt". modkraft.dk (in Danish). Archived from the original on 6 February 2008..
  7. ^ "Aktivister har overtaget nyt ungdomshus" (in Danish). Politiken. 30 June 2008. Archived from the original on 3 August 2008. Retrieved 30 June 2008.