PRACTICE

In the 1960s and 1970s, Amsterdam, like many other European cities, experienced a shortage of affordable housing. This led to a growing movement of young people who began squatting abandoned buildings, primarily in the city center. These squatters saw themselves as part of a broader countercultural movement that rejected mainstream society and embraced alternative forms of living.

The first high-profile squat in Amsterdam was the Lucky Luyk, a former hotel on the Lijnbaansgracht, which was occupied in 1968. Over the following years, many more buildings were squatted, and the movement gained momentum. Squatters formed collectives, organized protests, and even published their own newspaper, the Bluf!

In the 1980s, the Dutch government introduced a policy of “tolerance” towards squatters, which allowed them to remain in occupied buildings as long as they met certain conditions, such as maintaining the property and not causing a public nuisance. This policy led to a period of relative stability, as squatters were able to negotiate with the government and property owners to legalize their occupancy. However, in the 1990s, the government’s attitude towards squatting began to shift. In 1994, a new law was introduced that made squatting illegal in the Netherlands. This led to a wave of evictions and clashes between squatters and police, particularly in Amsterdam.

Squatting, or the practice of occupying and using an abandoned or unoccupied building without the owner’s permission, has a long and complex history in Amsterdam.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Amsterdam, like many other European cities, experienced a shortage of affordable housing. This led to a growing movement of young people who began squatting abandoned buildings, primarily in the city center. These squatters saw themselves as part of a broader countercultural movement that rejected mainstream society and embraced alternative forms of living.

The first high-profile squat in Amsterdam was the Lucky Luyk, a former hotel on the Lijnbaansgracht, which was occupied in 1968. Over the following years, many more buildings were squatted, and the movement gained momentum. Squatters formed collectives, organized protests, and even published their own newspaper, the Bluf!

In the 1980s, the Dutch government introduced a policy of “tolerance” towards squatters, which allowed them to remain in occupied buildings as long as they met certain conditions, such as maintaining the property and not causing a public nuisance. This policy led to a period of relative stability, as squatters were able to negotiate with the government and property owners to legalize their occupancy.

However, in the 1990s, the government’s attitude towards squatting began to shift. In 1994, a new law was introduced that made squatting illegal in the Netherlands. This led to a wave of evictions and clashes between squatters and police, particularly in Amsterdam.

Despite the illegality of squatting, there are still some squatters in Amsterdam today. Some argue that squatting is a necessary response to the city’s ongoing housing crisis, while others see it as a form of anarchism that has outlived its usefulness.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Amsterdam, like many other European cities, experienced a shortage of affordable housing. This led to a growing movement of young people who began squatting abandoned buildings, primarily in the city center. These squatters saw themselves as part of a broader countercultural movement that rejected mainstream society and embraced alternative forms of living.

The first high-profile squat in Amsterdam was the Lucky Luyk, a former hotel on the Lijnbaansgracht, which was occupied in 1968. Over the following years, many more buildings were squatted, and the movement gained momentum. Squatters formed collectives, organized protests, and even published their own newspaper, the Bluf!

In the 1980s, the Dutch government introduced a policy of “tolerance” towards squatters, which allowed them to remain in occupied buildings as long as they met certain conditions, such as maintaining the property and not causing a public nuisance. This policy led to a period of relative stability, as squatters were able to negotiate with the government and property owners to legalize their occupancy. However, in the 1990s, the government’s attitude towards squatting began to shift.