Antwerp's 'human zoo': Belgium confronts shame of colonial past

Antwerp's 'human zoo': Belgium confronts shame of colonial past - Focus - France 24

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Antwerp's 'human zoo': Belgium confronts shame of colonial past

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05:34

Issued on: 07/08/2026 - 10:57

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1 min

In 1894, when the Belgian city of Antwerp was hosting a World's Fair, 144 Congolese people were forcibly brought to the city to be exhibited in the Congo Pavilion. In this "human zoo", seven Congolese men ultimately died of disease. Today, this shocking episode still haunts Belgium as one of its colonial history's darkest chapters.

But in May of this year, the city of Antwerp began to confront this painful past by heeding demands from itsCongolese community by unveiling a monument to the victims. It's a way to confront the demons of the wealthy Belgian port city that greatly benefitted from the colonial period. FRANCE 24's Alix Le Bourdon reports.

By:

Alix LE BOURDON

Dave KEATING

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