Europe’s most famous hippy commune is being forced to embrace capitalism to survive.

Christiania, a 40-year-old Copenhagen community comprising 1,000 squatters (it even has its own currency: the ‘Ion’) is to sell £9.4million in “people’s shares” for the 34-hectare property.

As shareholders will receive no share in the property, it is the commune’s way of asking for donations to raise the funds to keep property developers off their land, so they can continue to live there.

Christiania spokesman Risenga Manghezi explained, “Anybody and everybody can buy them. They are to be seen as donations supporting the buyout of the free town of Christiania and as such are worth more than money.”

Hippy commune embraces capitalism