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One of the basic questions of the society today is if there are, and if so, where and how work the centres, in which free thinking along with its relatives, the indepent opinion and culture can be born, live and strengthen, so to be able to influence the social reality.

Well, there are such places, though not many, for they represent another system of values, that can any time mean to be a danger for any power that has become intolerant or full of itself. And since these institutions have in their basic aim to rethink and revalue the social and cultural reality, they become the centres of „revolt”, that can be operated only with great enthusiastic work, so that the common coach of the society could move ahead.

The leading representatives of these cultural and spiritual centres - where you can meet both punks with pink hair and leading social philosophers – united in 1983 and formed Trans Europe Halles, an international ally, whose only member has become the A38 from Hungary. But let us describe what it all is about through a living example.

There is a European network in which each country is represented by (more or less) one (its) leading independent cultural centre, among which they cooperate, exchange thoughts, programs, experience, and so form an international network in order to represent free thinking and contemporary cultural values.

How? Let’s tell an example. The Slovenian member, the Metelkova in Ljubljana, which was born by squatting the former Marshall Tito army camp, soon became the Nr 1 concert place of the country, the centre for civil movements, initiation of social dialogues, headquarters of non-governmental organisations, the home of different and rejected, a homelike hostel, a number of art studios and rehearsal places for artists and so much more than that.

But after a political turnover the leaders of the capital decided, that they would delete this spiritual and cultural centre that represents the colours and strength of the country, because they don’t need it, what more, they are afraid of it, so they would ruin the building, buy the artist for change and by rehousing them demolish the community.

At this point it meant a lot, that the Metelkova was the member of the TEH. They received international support, and due to their revolt and their supported response of pressure they could stay in their place, and have been working on since successfully, in the place, that is the Nr 1 pride of the country by the means of international culture.

The A38 joined this network so it would be able to add to Europe’s map in international terms all what can make it more colourful and more free from the Hungarian side.