Milada, the last squat in Prague: stronghold of alternative culture
Published on
Translation by:
Jonny S
In the Holesovice quarter, two towers, part of a university hall of residence, stand amidst the suburbs. An old home sits proudly at the foot of these towers. With its anarchist flags hanging from the balconies, and revolutionary tags on the walls, the last squat in Prague seemingly ‘spits in the face’ of the rest of the world
In 1948, the owners fled their home before the arrival of soviet troops. For nearly fifty years the house belonged to the state but remained empty
Following the split of Czechoslovakia in 1989, the house was left off a register of inheritance property in Prague. Today it is still not on the legal map
The first squatters took over the place at the beginning of the nineties. Since then the faces there have often changed. The premises have even been abandoned at one stage
Currently, the fifteen permanent ‘tenants’ have under their care a real cultural centre with concerts, exhibitions, debates and film screenings
Their way of life as well as their political convictions, come from a rejection of our society and have opened the way for a space where they can share and express their alternative ideas
The government has for a long time sought to do away with this place of underground culture
M*, a resident, explains how Europe appears to be a fascist nation. It does not physically suppress its citizens but deprives them of their conscience and freedom of expression
Despite their attacks, legally, the state cannot do anything
All the more, the voices of an entire community will continue to fight for the squat
Translated from Le squat Milada, bastion d’une autre culture pragoise