Metelkova (full name in Slovene: Avtonomni kulturni center Metelkova mesto, "Metelkova City Autonomous Cultural Centre", referred to by the acronym AKC) is an autonomous social and cultural centre in the city centre of Ljubljana, Slovenia's capital city. Formerly, the site was the military headquarters of the Army of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, then it became the Slovenian headquarters of the Yugoslav People's Army. It consists of seven buildings (military barracks) extended over a total area of 12,500 m2, which have been squatted since September 1993. The squat is named after nearby Metelko Street (Slovene: Metelkova ulica), which is named after the 19th-century Slovenian Roman Catholic priest, philologist, and unsuccessful language reformer Fran Metelko.
The contested history of Metelkova as a squat begins on June 25, 1991 with the Slovenian and Croatian declaration of independence.[1] This date is considered one of many that mark the end of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After the dissolution of Yugoslavia in that year, the Yugoslavian Army left Metelkova, which shortly became a military brownfield with its leftover barracks.
In 1991 the Network for Metelkova, composed of more than 200 alternative and youth organizations, asked the municipality of Ljubljana for permission to use those barracks for peaceful and creative purposes. As a response, Ljubljana authorities gave the Network for Metelkova formal permission to stay and use the site. Nevertheless, those promises given by the municipality were never really maintained.[1] This example on the request for permission demonstrates the ambiguous role of the municipality of Ljubljana towards the Network for Metelkova, in which the municipality seems to allow them to stay there, but in fact it does not want them to stay.[2]
This ambiguous role of the municipality of Ljubljana in regard to Metelkova and its Network has remained over the years. In 1993 the cultural centre became a squat when a commissioner mandated the demolition of some barracks that were promised to the Network, with the aim of illegally reconverting the area into a commercial site. At that time, Metelkova came into being as an illegal occupation (a squat) and was redefined as an autonomous social center in 1995.[1][2]
Since then, the centre has been a site of tolerance of minorities, even though it is still threatened by the bad treatment it receives by the city and the Slovene state.[2]
Another example of the ambiguity in state and municipality actions towards the Network for Metelkova and Metelkova itself are the subsidies from Ljubljana’s city administration for the construction of a little summer lodge also known as the Small School (from the Slovene: Mala Šola).[2] Nevertheless, the lodge, planned and constructed in 2001 by volunteers,[3] was immediately defined as abusive. In fact, the construction was followed by the request of its demolition, right after another municipal office reported it to the State Inspectorate for the Environment and Spatial Planning.[2] After several failed attempts, the building was demolished on August 2, 2006.[2] Although there are plans to rebuild the building, it has not been reconstructed since then.[2]
In the 2000s, new actors became involved in the Metelkova autonomous zone, for example the LGBT community, other non-governmental organizations and even UNESCO. Although it did not help Metelkova to receive proper legal status, the area was recognized as a national cultural heritage back in 2005.[1]
Squatting activities
In September 1991 the Network for Metelkova was born, merging the Movement for the Culture of Peace and Nonviolence and The Student Cultural Centre Association.[4] When, in 1993, the Metelkova declared its independence from the communal possession, a group of young activists occupied the site. From 1993 onwards, the site has been occupied, in a declared illegal way, mainly by artists, activists and young students, organising a rich agenda of cultural activities. Nowadays, many artists have their own ateliers in Metelkova and some NGOs and LGBTassociations have their offices there. Art exhibitions, performances, concerts and engaged activities have taken place in the buildings of Metelkova.[4]
The development of the Metelkova “brand” as an alternative place can be seen as another reason that can explain the existence of Metelkova: in fact, the municipality of Ljubljana sees the presence of a space of this type in a rather positive way because it attracts a large number of tourists and contributes to the promotion of the Slovenian capital in the world.[5]
Metelkova and concepts of urbanism
Over the last few years Metelkova, like Christiania in Copenhagen, has been the subject of several studies and reflections on the phenomenon of squatting and on living with different laws and institutions that surround it. These districts mentioned above can be defined as heterotopic spaces since they have been present for decades in parallel to the cities of which they are legally part. Nevertheless, they are characterized by a particular relationship with the authorities of their cities in comparison to other districts.[6][7]
Place in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art.
Nowadays, it can be said that there are three different areas in Metelkova: one part is defined by art and social life, the second by civil engagement and the third is commercial; the squatters act in all three areas mentioned.[6] Metelkova's differentiation into three possible sub-entities can be seen through the arrival of different institutional actors in the neighbourhood, such as the Museum of Contemporary Art, different NGOs and different commercial activities, such as the Hotel Celica, which reuses some of the areas of the old barracks.[6]
Squatters represent the heart of the matter of legality and formality in Metelkova: the autonomous part is considered to be in a legal and administrative limbo defined through tolerance and legitimization toward city's authority.[2] A possible explanation for this situation is to be found in the nature of the squatting in Metelkova: in fact the old buildings of the Yugoslav army are not occupied for the sole purpose of living there, but also for the aim of producing culture.[8] From this perspective, it is possible to determine the beginning of the tolerance: since 1997, when Ljubljana was designated as the European Capital of Culture, Metelkova stopped hosting permanent residents, following an agreement reached with the municipality, whereby the city decided to dedicate the Metelkova buildings to the promotion of culture and art.[6]
Finally, the example of Metelkova can be related to the concept of informality[9] in order to explain the situation: at its very first beginning, Metelkova could be considered as completely informal since the occupation of the military warehouse by the squatters was considered illegal and not rules- and code-compliant. Nowadays the situation has slightly changed: the city of Ljubljana is now linked to the Metelkova’s site, for example thanks to the presence of different institutional actors. It is therefore possible to assume that the situation is constantly changing and that a part of Metelkova is actually normalized and institutionalized, despite the fact that the type of culture and urban development is still not compliant with building codes and urban planning regulation.[6]
This general national and international interest in Metelkova represents a sort of insurance for Metelkova’s durability. Besides, it can support the economy of Ljubljana in a context where culture adds value to cities and contributes to cities’ regeneration.[11] For example, Metelkova on its own is said to contribute for 40% of all the music concerts in Ljubljana.[12]
Metelkova is defined as a self-managed and well-organized community. There is no legal status for the site,[1] and the type of urbanism we can find is informal.[9] For example, residents of Metelkova initially illegally siphoned water from Ljubljana. However, today Metelkova is legally connected to the city's water system and power grid. Metelkova is considered as a squat and there is not a clear position of the political parties about the legitimacy of the cultural hub. This paradox around Metelkova makes it difficult to imagine future decisions, especially because military brownfields are good places for urban densification and rehabilitation through urban planning. In fact, in the last decades, theories about urban densification replaced urban sprawl.[citation needed] What could that mean for Metelkova? Does the cultural aspect overlaps environmental and social ones? This kind of cultural, alternative zones are also places where gentrification dynamisms and processes begin. Besides, some associations that defend feminism and LGBT communities are located in Metelkova. That is the reason why there are some attacks from neo-Nazi and skinhead groups.[13] Those attempts of extremist groups add up to the uncertain future of Metelkova.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Breznik, M. (2007). "The Role of Culture in the Strategies of "City Regeneration". In Švob-Đokić, Nada (Editor): The Creative City: Crossing Visions and New Realities in the Region. (11).
↑ Davidson, M., Iveson, K. (2015). "Recovering the politics of the city: From the 'post-political city' to a 'method of equality' for critical urban geography". Progress in Human Geography. 39 (5): 543–559. doi:10.1177/0309132514535284. S2CID145299777.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
1 2 Roy, A. (2005). "Urban Informality: Toward an Epistemology of Planning". Journal of the American Planning Association. 71 (2): 147–158. doi:10.1080/01944360508976689. S2CID14046644.
↑ Primorac, J. (2007). "Report on thePostgraduate course "Cultural Transitions in Southeastern Europe". In Švob-Đokić, Nada (Editor): The Creative City: Crossing Visions and New Realities in the Region (11).
The history of Slovenia chronicles the period of the Slovenian territory from the 5th century BC to the present. In the Early Bronze Age, Proto-Illyrian tribes settled an area stretching from present-day Albania to the city of Trieste. The Slovenian territory was part of the Roman Empire, and it was devastated by the Migration Period's incursions during late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. The main route from the Pannonian plain to Italy ran through present-day Slovenia. Alpine Slavs, ancestors of modern-day Slovenians, settled the area in the late 6th Century AD. The Holy Roman Empire controlled the land for nearly 1,000 years, and between the mid-14th century and 1918 most of Slovenia was under Habsburg rule. In 1918, most Slovene territory became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and in 1929 the Drava Banovina was created within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia with its capital in Ljubljana, corresponding to Slovenian-majority territories within the state. The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was created in 1945 as part of federal Yugoslavia. Slovenia gained its independence from Yugoslavia in June 1991, and today it is a member of the European Union and NATO.
Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building, usually residential, that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there were one billion slum residents and squatters globally. Squatting occurs worldwide and tends to occur when people find empty buildings or land to occupy for housing. It has a long history, broken down by country below.
Ljubljana is the capital and largest city of Slovenia, located along a trade route between the northern Adriatic Sea and the Danube region, north of the country's largest marsh, inhabited since prehistoric times. It is the country's cultural, educational, economic, political and administrative center.
Novo Mesto is a city on a bend of the Krka River in the City Municipality of Novo Mesto in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historical Lower Carniola region.
Franc Serafin Metelko, also known as Fran Metelko was a Slovene Roman Catholic priest, author, and philologist, best known for his proposal of a new script for the Slovene called the Metelko alphabet, which was meant to replace the traditional Bohorič alphabet, used since the late sixteenth century.
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Vodice is a settlement in the Municipality of Vodice in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia, just north of Ljubljana. In addition to the main population center of Vodice, the settlement includes the hamlets of Gornji Konec, Na Vasi, Lokarje, Jegriše, Mesto, Zaprice, and Pusence.
Škocjan is a settlement in the traditional region of Lower Carniola in southeastern Slovenia, best known as the birthplace of the Slovene missionary Ignatius Knoblecher (1819–1858). It is the seat of the Municipality of Škocjan and the Local Community of Škocjan within the municipality. The Municipality of Škocjan is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region.
The Croats are an ethnic group in Slovenia. In the 2002 census 35,642 citizens of Slovenia identified themselves as Croats, making them second most-populous non-Slovene ethnic group in Slovenia. Despite their centuries-old presence, Croats do not have the status of a national minority.
Punk rock in Yugoslavia was the punk subculture of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The most developed scenes across the federation existed in the Socialist Republic of Slovenia, the Adriatic coast of the Socialist Republic of Croatia, the Socialist Autonomous Province of Vojvodina and Belgrade, the capital of both Yugoslavia and the Socialist Republic of Serbia. Some notable acts included: Pankrti, Paraf, Pekinška patka, KUD Idijoti, Niet, Patareni and KBO!.
Gradac is a village in the Municipality of Metlika in the White Carniola area of southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia on the Lahinja River. It is now included in the Southeast Slovenia Statistical Region. The village is best known for well-preserved Gradac Castle.
Ivan Hribar was a Slovene and Yugoslav banker, politician, diplomat and journalist. During the start of the 20th century, he was one of the leaders of the National Progressive Party, and one of the most important figures of Slovene liberal nationalism. Between 1896 and 1910, he was the mayor of Ljubljana, and greatly contributed to its rebuilding and modernisation after the 1895 earthquake.
Božidar Jakac was a Slovene Yugoslavian expressionist, realist and symbolist painter, printmaker, art teacher, photographer and filmmaker. He produced one of the most extensive oeuvres of pastels and oil paintings, drawings and, especially, prints in Slovenia. He was also one of the key organizers in the establishment of the Ljubljana Academy of Fine Arts and the International Biennal of Graphic Art in Ljubljana. Some of his work is on display in museums in Belgrade.
The architecture of Slovenia has a long, rich and diverse history.
Javor is a settlement in central Slovenia. It lies in the hills east of the capital Ljubljana and belongs to the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is part of the traditional region of Lower Carniola and is now included, with the rest of the municipality, in the Central Slovenia Statistical Region. In addition to the main settlement, it also includes the hamlets of Brezovar, Lanišče, Roje, Žagarski Vrh, Zavrharji, and Sevšek.
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The Museum of Modern Art in Ljubljana, Slovenia, is the central museum and gallery of the Slovenian art works from the 20th and 21st centuries.
Rog Autonomous Factory, known as Rog, was a squatted bicycle factory in Ljubljana. It was used as a cultural centre and self-managed social centre from 2006 until 2021. The complex housed a music venue, a skate park, a medical clinic for asylum seekers, a football pitch and artist ateliers. After years of debate over its future, the centre was evicted by the city council in January 2021.
Squatting in Slovenia is the occupation of derelict buildings or unused land without the permission of the owner. Housing was illegally built from the 1960s onwards and informal settlements have been set up by Romani people or poor immigrants. In the capital Ljubljana, there is the autonomous zone of Metelkova and the Rog self-managed social centre was evicted in early 2021.
Squatting in Serbia refers to the unauthorised occupation of land or buildings. Following World War I, shanty towns emerged in the mostly demolished capital Belgrade, the most notable example being Jatagan Mala. The population of Belgrade rose from 593,000 in 1953 to 1,470,000 in 1981. Between 1961 and 1971, 52% of all private construction of houses in Belgrade was illegal. The percentage was also high in other cities such as Novi Sad and Smederevo. The reasons for squatting and illegal construction were the lack of affordable housing, bad governance and the bureaucracy involved in legalising land clams. Also the punishments were light.
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