Congo Free State (1885-1908)

Cover “‘Notre Congo, Onze Kongo’: La propagande coloniale belge dévoilée”
Hundreds of examples of Belgian colonial propaganda

Colonial propaganda was omnipresent and took many forms: posters, books, advertisements, postcards, illustrated albums, objects, magazines, documentaries, stamps, comics, monuments, films… All contributed to glorifying colonialism both in Belgium and in Central Africa.

This publication brings together nearly 1,000 of these propaganda sources! The book stems from the the traveling exhibition of the same name, presented since the 1990s and updated in 2012. All images and audiovisual documents are available on a DVD.

More info
Find book in libraries
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Theme
Decolonization
Heritage and memory
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Type
Book
Historical sources
Database
Expo
Organisation
Year
2018
Language
French
Target audience
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Cover of educational dossier “500 ans de colonisation au Congo”
An educational dossier based on the documentary "Kongo"

What does over 500 years of Western presence in Central Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo mean? To explore this topic with your students, this educational dossier takes as its starting point the three-part documentary series Kongo. 500 Years of Colonization, 50 Years of Independence in Congo (2010).

Through seven thematic sheets, students navigate history by examining racial segregation, the “cut-off hands” scandal, acculturation, stereotypes, exploitation of people and resources, the motives behind colonization, and land appropriation. These sheets include, among other materials, excerpts from the Kongo series, audiovisual sources, and written documents. Two additional sheets focus specifically on analyzing audiovisual discourse.

All ressources are available online for teachers in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation via the e-classe platform.

More info
Watch documentary "Kongo" (Laplateforme.be)
Place & period
Precolonial (…-1885)
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Economy
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Type
Lesson package
Documentary
Historical sources
Audio
Video
Organisation
Year
2020
Language
French
Target audience
1st stage secondary
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Cover of “La propagande au ralenti n° 2: analyse de la propagande coloniale d'hier et d'aujourd'hui”
Deconstructing colonial propaganda: a manual

How do you sell a colonial project in order to gain acceptance?

Taking this question as point of departure, this educational dossier deconstructs Belgian colonial propaganda. Proposing a framework for analysis, it examines posters, maps, calendars, advertisements, magazines, illustrated books, and short films. Can students distinguish fact from fiction?

The constructed image of the population under colonial administration also acts as a mirror: it reflects oneself today. For this reason, the dossier concludes by exploring contemporary echoes of colonial representations from the past.

More info
Teacher manual
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
Theme
Decolonization
Heritage and memory
Independance
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Type
Lesson package
Historical sources
Video
Organisation
Year
2018
Language
French
Target audience
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Painting “Délégation portugaise accueillie par le roi du Congo en 1491" by Tshibumba Kanda Matulu
The history of Africa and the DR Congo by Congolese historians

How to teach (de)colonization from an African perspective? 

The BOKUNDOLI platform – developed by Congolese historians – brings together a wealth of knowledge and teaching ressources on the history of Africa and the DR Congo!

Dossiers and quizzes highlight topics such as the ancient African empires, slavery, colonization, resistance, and democracy. Thanks to the educational database, you can quickly access historical context and sources. Scientific articles, key concepts, events, maps, statistics, artworks, and notable African figures are all “building blocks” to help you construct your lessons.

Explore BOKUNDOLI website
Educational database
Teaching module "History of Africa"
Place & period
Precolonial (…-1885)
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Rwanda (1962-…)
Burundi (1962-…)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Economy
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Lesson package
Historical sources
Database
Video
Audio
Work of art
Organisation
Year
2021
Language
French
Target audience
1st stage secondary
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Photo of five African railway workers and a European supervisor
Traces of the colonial past preserved in the State Archives of Belgium

Teacher looking for archival sources on the colonial pasts of Belgium, Burundi, DR Congo and Rwanda?

The Belgian State Archives preserve the largest collection of records on Belgium’s colonial past – over 10 kilometers of documents!

The virtual exhibition Archives I Presume? offers a curated selection from this vast collection. Dozens of letters, photographs, maps, plans, government publications, and statistics bring the Congo Free State (1885-1908), the Belgian “model colony” Congo (1908-1960), and the Ruanda-Urundi administration (1919-1962) vividly to life. Through subthemes, teachers can quickly and easily find ready-to-use sources for their lessons.

Explore virtual exposition
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
Theme
Governance
Economy
Violence
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Historical sources
Database
Expo
Organisation
Year
2010
Language
Dutch
French
English
Target audience
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Illustration from the educational dossier “Congoromans”
Colonial Congo in Flemish literature

How did Flemish writers perceive the colonization of Congo? This lesson package by the Letterenhuis examines four “Congo novels” written in Dutch:

Using text excerpts, guiding questions, additional documents, and author biographies, students explore literary representations of colonialism. The teaching materials can be integrated into History, Dutch, and Geography lessons.

More info and teaching resources
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Theme
Decolonization
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Racism
Type
Lesson package
Historical sources
Testimony
Organisation
Year
2020
Language
Dutch
Target audience
3rd stage secondary
Duration
4 x 50 min.
Logo of the TV series “Kinderen van de kolonie”
Gripping testimonies from Belgians and Congolese on the colonial past and present

What is the legacy of the colonial past? And how did it shape family histories?

In the popular TV series Kinderen van de Kolonie ("Children of the Colony"), Belgians and Congolese reflect on their experiences as colonizers or colonized. Historical context provided by experts puts their personal stories in perspective.

Using excerpts from this series, you can bring the past vividly to life for your students! 

Watch series on VRT MAX
Series on Het Archief voor Onderwijs
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Economy
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Testimony
Video
Documentary
Organisation
VRT
Year
2021
Language
Dutch
Target audience
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
6 X 50 min.
Podcast episode “Congo: colonization and decolonization” by Geschiedenis voor herbeginners
Podcasts on the colonial past that resonate

Podcasts are all the rage – and the colonial past is no exception.

The popular Dutch-language podcast Geschiedenis voor Herbeginners ("History for Beginners Again") produced a series on the shared Belgian-Congolese history. Experts and witnesses join the conversation in the studio.

The series doesn’t just focus on straight historical facts. It also explores how the collective memory related to the colonial past has changed and is constantly evolving.

To website
Listen to Series on Belgian colonialism
Listen to Bonus episode
Place & period
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Economy
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Podcast
Audio
Testimony
Organisation
Language
Dutch
Target audience
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
60 min. (aflevering)
Logo of “KlasCement”
Find teaching resources on the (post)colonial past

KlasCement is the educational platform of Onderwijs Vlaanderen ("Education Flanders"), where teachers and organizations share teaching resources. You can find full lesson plans, teaching packages, exercises, diagrams, presentations, videos, activities, quizzes, teaching tips, and more.

Explore the thematic page on (de)colonization or search specifically for other teaching materials on the colonial history of Belgium, Burundi, the DR Congo, or Rwanda.

Teachers belonging to Onderwijs Vlaanderen have access to all resources on KlasCement.

Website KlasCement
Thematic bundle on (de)colonization
Place & period
Precolonial (…-1885)
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Rwanda (1962-…)
Burundi (1962-…)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Economy
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Database
Lesson package
Historical sources
Book
Audio
Video
Game
Walk
Movie
Documentary
Expo
Testimony
Podcast
Organisation
Language
Dutch
Target audience
Primary education
1st stage secondary
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Logo of “Het Archief voor Onderwijs”
Audiovisual resources to see and hear the colonial past

Looking for audio or video on the Belgian colonial past to animate your classes?

The Flemish platform Het Archief voor Onderwijs ("The Archive for Education") by meemoo is an audiovisual database created by and for teachers. Among thousands of historical and contemporary audio and video clips, you will find many resources on Belgian colonialism. Thematic collections help you quickly locate relevant material:

Teachers belonging to Onderwijs Vlaanderen have access to all audiovisual resources on Het Archief voor Onderwijs.

Website 'Het Archief voor Onderwijs'
Place & period
Precolonial (…-1885)
Congo Free State (1885-1908)
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Rwanda (1962-…)
Burundi (1962-…)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Economy
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Education
Propaganda
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Database
Historical sources
Audio
Video
Organisation
Language
Dutch
Target audience
Primary education
1st stage secondary
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Congo Free State (1885-1908)