Rog or the Republic of Rog is an abandoned bike factory in Ljubljana, Slovenia which during 2006 was turned into a squat and social center.
History
The building had originally been used as a tannery from 1871 to 1945, where it changed hands between capitalists as they variously died or went bankrupt. But after World War II, the tannery was nationalized by the League of Communists in Yugoslavia and converted into a bike factory, where it was run as a self-managed factory between 1953 and 1991.
The factory lay abandoned and dormant for 15 years, until the squatters decided to come in, fix it up and convert it into a social center in 2006. Now the city has also sponsored the construction of several art and recreational spaces within the spot. However, in 2016, the city government wished to dismantle the site to be used by capitalists, but was blocked by the local court.[1]
Functions
The area serves many purposes, including:
- Rog Social Center ("Socialni center Rog") – a socially engaged space providing safe space for many people who are marginalized in a society, to discuss and share stories, heal, and organize social changes
- Skate park Rog ("Skejt park Rog") – the first covered skate park in Slovenia, made using scrape materials by volunteer work of wider skate scene
- Concert hall, also known as "Hall of sighs" ("Koncertna dvorana" or "Dvorana vzdihljajev") - the largest club space in the factory organizing hundreds of events for alternative and non-established bands from all around the world, moreover, it holds many festivals and regular jam sessions; it is sound proofed with old mattresses from the nearby student dormitories, hence the name
- "Živko Skvotec" - students of philosophy and other social sciences and humanities who are providing a space for critical thinking, discussion and debates
- Blue corner ("Modri kot") – a space for experimentation of hybrid methods of learning, studying, and art creation, they held exercises in street political rhetoric
- "Cirkusarna" – a space for practicing of various circus and acrobatic routines, including trapeze and aerial silk
- Gallery against everything ("Galerija Kljub vsemu") – a gallery space with professional gallery lighting, and a proper toilet
- Studio Samorog – a studio space for visual arts and cosmology
- "Zelenica" – a gallery space where theoretical visual arts lectures are also held
- Football (soccer) hall ("Nogotmetna dvorana") – a hall for practicing indoor football (soccer), but used also for regular practices of Tai chi, Qigong, and Kung Fu
- "Društvo Gor" – hip-hop enthusiasts are managing space for breakdance practice and learning with a smaller skate park
- "Boris plac" – a small studio and exhibition space which can be converted into a multi-purpose space
- "Grafitarji" – a space managed by the graffiti collective 1107 in the second floor
- "SISTAZ plac" – a space for breakdance, music, illustration, painting, sewing, etc.
- "Atelje X" – a studio in the 3rd floor with Spanish, Ecuadorian, Finnish artists, space for visual and intermedia art