The Twentieth Century Society

Campaigning for outstanding buildings

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So is this Denmark’s “concrete jungle” ?

My current favourite TV drama, Borgen (totally fabulous, with a gorgeous, glamorous, intelligent and compassionate 40-something female lead and lots of Danish politics—we need more programmes like this….), had me hitting “hold” last night.   I wanted to check the details of the rant uttered by loathsome Svend Age Saltum, extreme right wing leader of the basically racist Freedom Party (which I am assuming is totally fictitious, and therefore represents no libel risk!).

Pushed down a flight of stairs in Norrebro (allegedly) by an immigrant thirteen year old, he  wants to lower the age of criminal responsibility in Denmark to 12 (as noted, Britain its 10–not something to be proud of) and wins public sympathy when he appears on TV with his arm in a sling yelling “They say us country bumpkins know nothing about the concrete jungle….”    (remember this is all fiction….).

Anyway my point is that Nørrebro is the bohemian part of Copenhagen.  As far as I can see it has very little concrete at all.    The Internet yields this:
It is often referred to as the latin quater of Copenhagen and it surely has it´s own vibe.  It has a mix of emmigrants and younger people because the apartments are mostly quite, small, quite old and quite cheap.   …   I have lived in many parts of Copenhagen and must say that this is by far where i felt the best community spirit and i love Nørrecro more than any other place in Copenhagen.

It is apparently very close to the center of town “right across the bridge called “Dronning louises bro”.”

My point?  “Concrete jungle” is a ridiculously overused, knee-jerk reaction insult.   Good to see it (mis)used by such an unsympathetic character…(photo below).  May it grow increasingly discredited…. as concrete appreciation grows…..

 

 

 

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