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From “the state remembers” to the “murderer”
The Motherland Memor has an inscription on the pedestal of an impressive bronze sculpture of King Leopold II of Belgium sitting on a horse. Built almost a hundred years ago (1926), partly at the expense of the Belgians themselves, the monument is located in the center of Brussels, a few hundred meters from the European Quarter, to the left of the Royal Palace. Sitting on a horse, Leopold II turned his back on the inner garden of the royal palace, whose entrance is guarded by sculptures of two huge lions, and reflects, one of the main streets of the city, behind which are the buildings of the bank behind which is the Matonge neighborhood, home to most Congolese.
The Matonge neighborhood appeared in Brussels much later than the monument. Here, expatriates from Africa, the vast majority of the Congo, began to develop in the 1960s. But it is Leopold II’s activities in the Congo that are now causing him more debate about the fate of this and other monuments.
On Sunday, a crowd of angry youths climbed, burned, or even urinated on the monument. Now Leopold II’s bronze eyes and hands are sprinkled red, “Graffiti” spreads over the white graffiti chest (“Sorry”), on the horse – “F..racist”, on the pedestal – ” Fu..k “,” Killer “,” BLM “,” This man killed 15 million people. ‘
Won’t you go soon?
It is not the only monument to Leopold II that has been the scene of vandalism attacks in recent weeks after the Black Lives Matter protests around the world. In one of the Brussels parks, the bust of Leopold II was replaced by a bust of Nelson Mandela, in Ostend the hand of the royal sculpture was cut off, and the monuments in Ekeren, Ghent, Antwerp, etc. were spray painted.
Even before Sunday’s protests, a group called Reparons l’Histoire (Let’s Fix History) began collecting signatures for the removal of the Leopold II monuments in Brussels.
“Known as the ‘King Builder’ and not as the ‘King Destroyer’. A hero for some, but at the same time an executioner for many people. In 23 years, this man has killed more than 10 million. Congolese, who never they have trodden the Congo, “said the initiators of the petition, which was signed by 73,000 people on Thursday. people.
The city of Brussels has already begun to consider this proposal and is likely to decide to “fix” the story in the face of intense public pressure and the 60th anniversary of the independence of the Democratic Republic of the Congo this year. Other cities in Belgium, where the memory of Leopold II is immortalized, can do the same.
The University of Mons has already decided to eliminate the sculpture of Leopold II. His example was followed by the Catholic University of Leuven, which removed the king’s bust from the library. Belgium’s second largest city, Antwerp, also removed the monument to Leopold II, which was the oldest in the country, built in 1873.
“He is no more? I was shocked. I am so happy!” A Rwandan refugee told a Deutsche Welle journalist in Antwerp, adding that the occasion would be open to celebrate champagne.
Route named ISIS
Admittedly, the sculpture is still claimed to have been temporarily removed, until fixed, because it was also destroyed by vandals.
“You will not delete the history by doing it (deleting monuments – ed. Past). By doing it, it will not turn back the clock,” said Deutsche Welle, mayor Koen Palinckx of the district of Antwerp where the monument was located, adding that a plaque commemorating the Leopold II’s crimes in the Congo hung next to the monument.
There are more voices calling for a cooling down of the demolition of monuments. Right-wing journalist Marco Gombacci told La Libre, one of Belgium’s largest newspapers, that the demolition of historical monuments had recently made radicals of the Islamic State (ISIS or Daesh) famous. He also noted that many historical figures could be charged with what is considered immoral these days, and that engaging in a discussion with BLM activists could soon be accused of racism.
“While many Belgians support the idea of removing monuments, there are also many who understand that Belgium’s status in the family of European states, its economic achievements stem from its colonial experience. It is necessary to name the mistakes of the past, not erase all the history of the nation “, he wrote in the opinion section of” Le Libre “.
Interestingly, in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kinshasa, there is still the same sculpture of King Leopold II on horseback in Brussels.
A hero and a monster
On the one hand, Leopold II (ruled from 1865 to 1909) was not very fond of speaking much Flemish, and at 65 he fell in love with a 16-year-old French prostitute with whom he had lived a decade before his death. But, as already mentioned, Leopold II has received the most criticism for his actions in the Congo. 1885-1908 He was the current owner of the current territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the locals were treated especially cruelly: from forced labor to massacres. According to historians, approximately half of the local population was killed or killed during that period, of 5 million. up to 15 million
On the other hand, the era of Leopold II is considered the flourishing of Belgium. He managed to maintain Belgium’s neutrality and assert the country’s independence during the German unification wars. Until now, Leopold II has been called the “builder of kings” by the name of the current historical buildings in Brussels, such as the Palace of Justice or the 50th Anniversary Park and its triumphal arch. He was also able to push through defense reform and use it to build military forts that were useful during World War I. Leopold II’s reign is marked by the empowerment of citizens and the first steps taken by Belgium towards a welfare state.
Not surprisingly, in Brussels alone there are a dozen places named after King Leopold II. Furthermore, there are many famous places or monuments for individuals that are also associated in one way or another with Belgium’s ugly colonial past. But this is Belgium’s past, without which Belgium would not be as it is now, or would not exist at all.
2019 Belgium apologized to Congolese, Burundian, and Rwandese for the kidnapping and segregation of mixed-race children. In the same year, after the renovation, the African Museum was opened in Brussels, which provides information on Belgian colonial practices in Africa. However, there are no rumors that the education system pays too little attention to this issue and promises to change the curricula for students after the protests in recent weeks.
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