We stayed in because it’s been raining all day. At times, there was even snow. When it was snowing rather heavily it reminded me of my first snow in Kalamazoo, Michigan more than twenty years ago. Kenric said it reminded him of the winters in Pullman, Washington where he spent his college years.
So, here are photos from a few days ago taken at Metelkova Mesto. Originally commissioned by the Austro-Hungarian empire, this military base was used by Fascist Italy, Nazi Germany, and most recently, by the Yugoslav National Army.
Illegally Occupied, but Tolerated
Following Slovenia’s independence in 1991, after the Ten-Day War against the former Yugoslavia, this complex was abandoned. Artists wanted it preserved, but developers wanted new buildings. In 1993, people squatted here and declared this the Metelkova City Autonomous Cultural Center. It remains a squat; an illegally occupied area, but the government has learned to tolerate it.
I’ve read that the place comes alive at night when the bars are open and the music loud. There were only a few visitors and a few squatters there when we visited. We saw one of the squatters, who was drinking, offer two ladies pot. They hurried away. This place, often described as an urban cultural center or urban squat, is a vehement supporter of the LGBT and anti-fascist communities. Each year, it hosts about 1500 art, cultural and music events.
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