kraakt

Kraakt is the Dutch term for the act of occupying an unused or abandoned building without the owner’s permission, usually to use it as housing, a workshop, or a social center. A kraak typically involves taking over a building for a period of time and organizing collectively, with self-management and community programs.

Origins and scope: The practice emerged in the Netherlands and parts of Belgium in the 1960s and 1970s amid housing shortages and urban redevelopment. Squats were used to protest gentrification and to provide affordable space for art, music, and activism. The movement led to numerous occupied buildings that functioned as temporary homes and cultural centers for years.

Legal status: Squatting is generally illegal in many jurisdictions, and property owners can seek eviction. In the Netherlands, attitudes and laws toward kraak have shifted over time, with periods of tolerance followed by stronger enforcement and penalties for certain forms of squatting.

Legacy: Kraak spaces contributed to debates on housing policy and urban culture and, in some cases, evolved into lasting community organizations or were legalized. The term kraakt remains used to describe the act of squatting and its historical role in European urban movements.