Tag: Belgium

  • Wanted: A More Complicated History of Belgium’s Congolese ‘Heart of Darkness’

    Wanted: A More Complicated History of Belgium’s Congolese ‘Heart of Darkness’

    by Eva Schalbroeck Whenever I say that I study the history of Belgian imperialism in the Congo, most people confess to not knowing that Belgium had a colony. Others describe it as a particularly nasty and violent episode’. My explanations of ‘it’s far less black-and-white’ or ‘it’s complicated’ often confuse more than they illuminate. Popular media…

  • The Congo’s and Belgium’s shared past, present and future

    The Congo’s and Belgium’s shared past, present and future

    By Eva Schalbroeck As a historian, I strongly believe in studying history for its own sake, rather than from today’s perspective. As someone who devours news from every type of media outlet, I cannot help but see the connections between the news on the Democratic Republic of Congo and my research on Belgian colonialism. Barely…