Det gamle Mjølnerparken
The old Mjølnerparken
FOR FORTÆLLING
Y, er ligesom alle hans venner, født og opvokset i Mjølnerparken. Fortællingen er et nostalgisk portræt af et helt unikt fællesskab.
En ung mand ser tilbage på det gamle Mjølnerparken – et sted hvor alle kendte hinanden, dørene stod åbne, bænkene besat, og det stille liv fortsatte langt ud på natten. Det er en fortælling om fællesskab som familie, om hverdagens omsorg og om alt det, der kan gå tabt, når et kvarter forandres. Hvor tæt på sammenflettet hverdag og fællesskabet har været i MP er tydeligt i fortællingen.
PREFACE
Y, like all his friends, was born and raised in Mjølnerparken. His voice brings us a nostalgic portrait of a community challenged by distance.
A young man looks back on the old Mjølnerparken – a place where everyone knew each other, doors were open, the benches were full, and the quiet life carried on late into the night. It is a story about a community acting as family, about everyday care, and about all that can be lost when a neighborhood changes. The story makes clear just how closely one’s day-to-day and neighbourly togetherness were interwoven in Mjølnerparken.
Oplev fortællingen med os.
Listen in
Dyk ned i historien og få indsigt i Mjølnerparkens unikke stemning.
Dansk
Jeg vil høre om du kunne fortælle mig, hvad fællesskabet i det gamle Mjølnerparken har betydet for dig, i den tid du har boet der?
Det har betydet rigtig meget. Vi har alle sammen kendt hinanden. Vi har allesammen været naboer. Det var hvor vi bare bankede på hinandens døre og gik ind. Alle forældre og ældre mennesker sad ude sammen i gårdene – spiste fuglefrø og hyggesnakkede til sent om natten. Vi havde et rigtig godt fællesskab, alle kunne lide hinanden. Vi spillede bold sammen. Vi havde det alle sammen godt sammen dengang. Du gik bare igennem gårdene på tværs, alle snakkede godt sammen og hyggede både forældre, børn og unge. Så det betød rigtig, rigtig meget for os dengang.
Jeg har altid boet her. Jeg er født opvokset her.
Og dine forældre, hvornår flyttede de hertil?
I 1991. De kom fra Libanon. Til at starte med, boede de i Sjællandsgade i 1988, i to år. Så kom de hertil [til Mjølnerparken]. Siden de har boet her i 35 år nu, så det må betyde noget. De var superglade. De havde det godt med alle naboer. Alle naboer kendte nærmest hinanden. Vi havde et rigtig tæt bånd. Alle forældrene, som jeg sagde før, de sad sammen derude. Flere kvinder, der hyggede sig. Mændene havde en klub, hvor de spillede kort.
Var det i gårdene?
Det var faktisk i gård 4, i kælderen. De lavede en klub for de ældre herrer, hvor de sad og spillede kortspil. Det var forældrenes klub, kan man sige.
Var det bare på tværs af alle gårdene?
Ja, alle var velkomne. Der var slet ikke noget der.
Fedt. Har du nogle yndlings minder, du kan beskrive?
Altså, alt det jeg siger nu, det er mine yndlings minder. Det kan jeg lige så godt sige. Det gamle Mjølnerparken var fantastisk. Det kan godt være, at vi ikke havde lige så mange ressourcer, som vi har nu. Nu har vi lige pludselig en bager ved siden af det hele. Men det var bare langt federe dengang – sammenholdet, fællesskabet, det hele. Det er slet ikke det samme nu, som det var dengang.
Er der nogle specifikke begivenheder – f.eks. en gårdfest – som du husker meget tydeligt?
Ja, de holdt fødselsdag en gang om året i Mjølnerparken. De åbnede flere boder i gård 4. Så kom der flere hoppeborge, legeaktiviteter, mad og alt muligt. Det kan jeg sagtens huske. Der var også flere gange, hvor vi tog til Djurs Sommerland eller Sommerland Sjælland. Der kom flere busser og hentede os, og så tog vi af sted, og hyggede os. Det gjorde vi også med Mjølnerparken. Det var sjældent, men det er stadig minder.
Og f.eks. da det var Ramadan, så var alle ude til 3-4 om natten. Det var meget normalt, at folk sad på bænken kl. 4 om natten. Bænkene var nærmest fyldt op.
Før solopgang, så skal man spise, når man faster. Så før solopgang spiser man, så man kan holde dagen ud. Så sad alle sammen før solopgang. Så var der nogen, der kom ud med noget her, og så var der nogen, der kom ud med noget der. Så sad man og spiste på kryds og tværs. Det var meget hyggeligt. Vi sad og spiste udenfor. Folk gik hen til den anden bænk, den tredje bænk, og fjerde bænk, og så delte vi bare mad og spiste. Det var meget hygge. Vi legede ‘politi og røver’ alle sammen – måske 40 stykker – imens forældrene sad og hyggede. Det var meget fedt.
Hvor ofte brugte I så tid sammen som naboer?
Det gjorde vi hele tiden. Vi er født og opvokset sammen, alle sammen. Mig og mine venner, vi er alle sammen født her. Så det var hver dag. Det var meget normalt på en hverdag at komme hjem fra skole, sætte min taske, tage to-tre bidder mad, løbe ud. Hvis du ikke ser nogen i gården, så går du bare op, banker på, kommer ned [til gården], så kommer han ned. Så går vi over til den tredje, banker på. Og så er vi lige pludselig 20 stykker nede i gården. Så havde vi et eller andet… det kommer an på, hvor gamle vi er. Da vi var blevet lidt ældre, så tændte vi op for nogle vandpiber og lidt musik og hyggede. Men da vi var unge, så var det nede med bolden. Så spillede vi noget, der hedder ‘Englænder’.
Hvad går det ud på?
Hver en har et mål – et hegn. Og det er hans mål. Så starter man – [vi var måske] 10 spillere – og hver gang der kommer et mål ind på ham, ryger man ned [i point]. Dem, der taber, skal selvfølgelig have røv. Og det er hvor de går ned i målet, og så skyder vi bolden på deres numse.
Smart.
[begge griner]
Og så da i blev lidt ældre, så var det mere vandpibe?
Ja, da vi blev lidt ældre, var det sådan noget med [at samles om] vandpibe og lidt musik. Vi spillede stadig bold, men vi varierede det lidt.
Var der så nogle specifikke områder, hvor i brugte mest tid? Eller hvor du brugte mest tid?
I boldbanen brugte vi. 3. gårdens fodboldbane. Der brugte vi meget tid. Eller i gård 4 på bænkene brugte vi også rigtig meget tid.
Hvad var det, der gjorde gård 4 så specielt i forhold til de andre gårde?
Det er den største gård. Det er der, de fleste bor. Så det er klart, at de fleste er der. Derfor var det bare specielt. Boldbanen lå i gård 3, men de fleste bor i gård 4.
Så det var den sociale gård på en eller anden måde.
Ja ja. Men det var alle [gårdene] jo. Vi var alle sammen venner, men de fleste boede bare der. Det er ikke fordi, der skal være en aktivitet, før vi samledes. Overhovedet ikke. Det gælder også forældre. Det var heller ikke sådan. De mødtes også hver dag ved bænkene – [hvor de] hyggesnakkede og spiste fuglefrø, og… Det var en hverdagsting.
Er der en historie, du synes, som folk udefra burde kende til om livet i Mjølnerparken?
De burde kende til fællesskabet, hvordan det var. Sammenholdet. Det er det, jeg synes, de burde kende til, før man kender til alt det andet.
Det, der gjorde Mjølnerparken unikt, var fællesskabet. Og den kærlighed, der var blandt folk. Det var nærmest en kæmpe familie. For eksempel, når jeg skal flytte. På et tidspunkt skete der vandskade i min lejlighed, så vi skulle flytte til en anden opgang i Mjølnerparken. Folk fandt ud af at jeg skulle flytte. Da jeg stod op dagen efter, så stod der måske 20 mennesker og var klar til at hjælpe. Det er ét eksempel.
Og det var ikke nogen, du havde spurgt?
Overhovedet ikke. De havde bare hørt, at jeg skulle flytte. Så kom de og hjalp med det samme. Uden at jeg havde spurgt dem. Det er et eksempel. Nu skal jeg sgu ringe til nogle flyttemænd. Kan du se forskellen?
Ja. [Griner]
Det sætter det lidt i kontrast.
Nu når jeg tænker tilbage, så var det det bedste, der har været i mit liv.
Det vigtigste er, at der hvor du bor, at du har et godt fællesskab. Det er det. Det er sådan min optik er. Hvis du har et godt fællesskab og i passer på hinanden og godt kan lide hinanden, og der er kærlighed, så lever du et godt liv der hvor du bor. Og det havde vi. Det kan man lige så godt sige. Det kan godt være, at der er sket mange ting i Mjølnerparken, men det ændrer ikke på, at folk stadig elsker hinanden og ønsker hinanden det bedste. Og holder sammen.
English
Could you tell me a bit about what community in the old Mjølnerparken has meant to you during the time you’ve lived there?
It has meant a great deal. We all knew each other. We were all neighbors. It was the kind of place where you’d just knock on someone’s door and walk right in. All the parents and elderly people would sit outside together in the courtyards – eating sunflower seeds and chatting late into the night. We had such a strong sense of community; everyone liked each other. We played ball together. We all got along back then. You could just walk through the courtyards, and everyone would talk and hang out – parents, kids, and young people alike. So it meant a lot to us back then.
I’ve always lived here. I was born and raised here.
And your parents – when did they move here?
In 1991. They came from Lebanon. At first, they lived on Sjællandsgade in 1988, where they stayed for two years. Then they moved here [to Mjølnerparken]. Since they’ve lived here for 35 years now, that must mean something. They were really happy. They got along well with all the neighbors. Pretty much everyone knew each other. We had a very close bond. All the parents, as I mentioned before, would sit outside together. Several of the women would just hang out. The men had a club where they played cards.
Was that in the courtyards?
It was actually in courtyard 4, down in the basement. They made a club for the older men where they’d sit and play cards. It was basically the parents’ club, you could say.
And was it open across all the courtyards?
Yes, everyone was welcome. There was no division like that.
Nice. Do you have any favorite memories you can describe?
Well, honestly, everything I’m saying now are my favorite memories. I might as well say it straight. The old Mjølnerparken was amazing. Maybe we didn’t have as many resources as we do now. These days, we suddenly have a bakery next door and all that. But it was just so much better back then; the togetherness, the sense of community, everything. It’s not at all the same now as it was back then.
Are there any specific events – e.g., a courtyard party – that you remember particularly clearly?
Yeah. They used to celebrate Mjølnerparken’s birthday once a year. They’d open several stalls in courtyard 4 too. There were bouncy castles, games, food – all sorts of things. I remember that really clearly. There were also times when we’d go to Djurs Sommerland or Sommerland Sjælland. Several buses would show up to pick us up, and we’d all go together and have a great time. We did that as a neighbourhood [all of Mjølnerparken were invited]. This happened rarely, but those events are still memories.
And for example, during Ramadan, everyone would be outside until 3 or 4 in the morning. It was totally normal to see people sitting on the benches at 4 a.m. The benches were practically full.
Before sunrise, when you’re fasting, you have to eat. So before sunrise, you make sure to eat, in order to get through the day. Everyone would sit together [in the courtyard], and people would show up, bringing food from their homes – one person here, another person there – and we’d just sit together and share food across the benches. It was really cozy. We’d sit outside, eat together, go from one bench to another, sharing and chatting. It was really wholesome. We’d play cops and robbers – maybe 40 of us – while the parents sat and socialized. It was great.
How often did you spend time together as neighbors?
All the time. We are all born and raised together, all of us. Me and my friends, we were all born here. So literally every day. On a regular weekday, it was totally normal to come home from school, drop my backpack, take a couple of bites of food, then run outside. If you didn’t see anyone in the courtyard, you’d just go knock on someone’s door, and then they’d come right down. Then we’d go to a third friend’s door, knock again, and suddenly there’d be 20 of us down in the courtyard. Then we’d do something like… well, it depended on our age. When we got a bit older, we’d set up some hookahs, play music, and hang out. But when we were kids, it was all about the ball [football/soccer]. We’d play a game called Englænder [‘Englishman’].
What’s that about?
Everyone has a goal – a fence. That’s your goal. There’d be maybe ten of us, and every time someone scored on you, you were out. The ones who lost had to get “punished.” They’d go stand in their goal, and we’d kick the ball at their butt.
Smart. [both laugh]
And when you got older, it was more about hookah?
Yeah, when we got older, it became more about hanging out with hookah and music. We still played football, but we mixed it up a bit.
Were there specific spots where you spent the most time?
Yeah, we spent a lot of time on the football court in courtyard 3. Or on the benches in courtyard 4. We hung out there a lot too.
What made courtyard 4 special compared to the others?
It’s the biggest courtyard. That’s where most people lived, so naturally, most people hung out there. That’s what made it special. The football court was in courtyard 3, but most people lived in 4.
So it was kind of like ‘the social courtyard’.
Yeah, exactly. But really, they all were. We were all friends, but since most people lived there, that became the meeting spot. It wasn’t like there had to be some event for people to gather. Not at all. Same with the parents. They’d meet every day on the benches – talking, eating, snacking on sunflower seeds. It was an everyday thing.
Is there a story you think outsiders should know about life in Mjølnerparken?
They should know about the sense of community – what it was like. The solidarity. That’s what I think people should understand before anything else.
What made Mjølnerparken unique was its community – and the love people had for each other. It was like one big family. For example, once there was water damage in my apartment, and we had to move to another building in Mjølnerparken. When people found out I was moving, I woke up the next morning to, maybe, twenty people outside, ready to help. That’s just one example.
And they weren’t people you had asked for help?
Not at all. They’d just heard I was moving. They showed up right away to help. Without being asked. That’s an example. These days, I’d have to call movers. You see the difference?
Yeah. [laughs] That really puts it in perspective.
Looking back, it is the best thing to have happened to me.
The most important thing is that, wherever you live, you have a strong sense of community. That’s it. That’s how I see it. If you have a good community, you look out for each other, you like each other, and there’s love – then you live a good life where you are. And that’s what we had. I might as well say it. Sure, a lot has happened in Mjølnerparken, but that doesn’t change the fact that people still love each other, wish each other the best, and stick together.