November 12, 2023 – It has been quite a year for the self-proclaimed libertarian republic – a snapshot of life in Liberland as winter approaches.
2023 has undoubtedly been the most eventful year in the short history of the self-proclaimed Free State of Liberland, which attracted global headlines and more than 700,000 applications for citizenship since Czech national Vit Jedlicka came across the 7 km2 piece of land on the Croatian side of the Danube, which had been unclaimed by either Croatia or Serbia for over 20 years, and so claimed it as his own country under the Terra Nullius law.
We have been following this crazy story on the Croatian border for 8 years now, from President Jedlicka’s brief internment by the Croatian police and their robust policing of access to Liberland with patrol boats on the Danube. Croatia’s entry into the Schengen zone changed things a little, as one no longer needed to cross a Croatian border check from places such as Hungary if you were sailing down the Danube.
And while Croatian police were preventing people from entering earlier this year, things changed in July with the publishing of this viral YouTube video, in which popular YouTuber Niko Onilama produced this fascinating video of his attempts to enter Liberland and being attacked by a Croatian policeman (all on camera), which has been watched more than 8 million times.
Suddenly it was possible to visit Liberland, and Jedlicka announced a border crossing point, as well as construction of the first buildings. TCN took a trip back in August, which you can see in more detail in Visiting Liberland 2016 v 2023: A MASSIVE Difference.
It was not to last, and just a few weeks later, Croatian authorities entered Liberland and dismantled all the buildings and confiscated personal property – learn more in Croatian Police Cross Schengen Border, Liberland Settlement Dismantled.
With such harsh treatment, one might have expected the early settlers to give up and go home, but on the contrary… Things have been very active in the last few weeks. A video snapshot…
Helicopter tours of Liberland are now available.
The first church has been constructed.
And what follows the construction of a church? The first Liberland wedding, of course.
Winter approaching? How about a sauna?
And for some weekend action, you can’t beat a MMA tournament.
Accommodation is basic, and presumably the temporary nature of these constructions means they will not be destroyed by the neighbours in the neighbouring country.
A crazy year so far in Liberland, and there are still six weeks to go. What does the future have in store?
