Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)

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
Cover of the book “Dekolonisering in verleden en heden: postkoloniale en subalterne perspectieven voor geschiedenisonderwijs”
Postcolonial and subaltern perspectives: theory & practice

This book provides history teachers with both theoretical and practical tools for teaching about colonization and decolonization.

The first part explores historiographical developments of recent decades. It introduces key concepts and analytical frameworks related to colonialism, postcolonialism, and subaltern studies.

Building on these theories, the book then develops concrete lesson modules for history classes. The entire lesson package with teacher manuals, student booklets and presentations is available online and on demand (see resource Decolonization after 1945).

Read more
Find book in a library
Lesson package "Decolonization after 1945" online
Place & period
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
DR Congo (1960-...)
Rwanda (1962-…)
Theme
Decolonization
Diaspora
Heritage and memory
Gender
Violence
Independance
Racism
Resistance
Type
Book
Lesson package
Historical sources
Organisation
Year
2023
Language
Dutch
Target audience
3rd stage secondary
Duration
N/A
Photo of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren in 2021
A museum immersion into the colonial past

Can the past ever be shed? The Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) in Tervuren is a contested space up until present day, carrying the legacy of decades as a colonial propaganda instrument.

Today, the AfricaMuseum aims to offer a critical perspective on its own colonial roots and today's society. During a guided tour, students gain insight into pre-colonial Central African history, colonial violence, local resistance and racism. 

Admission is free for minors!

Book guided tour
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
Guided tour
Expo
Organisation
Language
Dutch
French
Target audience
2nd stage secondary
3rd stage secondary
Duration
90 min.
Portrait photograph from the personnel file of Paul Panda Farnana
Worlds Apart? Archival sources provide answers

Contemporary racism has deep roots in the colonial period. But how exactly did racism shape daily life in Congo and Ruanda-Urundi?

In this module, students explore racial segregation through four themes: education, careers, work, and housing. Using digital and interactive tools, they engage with government publications and archival records.

How was colonial society structured along racial lines? Were there exceptions to the rules? And can students draw parallels with the world they know today?

Place & period
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
Theme
Governance
Diaspora
Economy
Violence
Independance
Education
Racism
Resistance
Type
Lesson package
Historical sources
Audio
Organisation
Year
2025
Language
Dutch
French
Target audience
3rd stage secondary
Duration
100 min.
Photo of a ‘ménagère’ and her mixed-race child around 1905
A crime against humanity? A trial with archival sources

In 2020, five women of mixed-race took Belgium to court, accusing the state of crimes against humanity. They had been born during the colonial era to an African mother and a European father.

This landmark trial is the starting point for the educational module. Students step into the role of judges: they examine the charges, listen to testimony from a witness and an expert, analyze archival records as evidence, and study a reconstruction of events.

What verdict will your students reach?

Virtual expo "Métis" (State Archives)
Place & period
Belgian Congo (1908-1960)
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)
Theme
Governance
Decolonization
Diaspora
Gender
Independance
Education
Racism
Religion
Resistance
Type
Lesson package
Historical sources
Video
Testimony
Organisation
Year
2025
Language
French
Dutch
Target audience
3rd stage secondary
Duration
80 min.
Ruanda-Urundi (1919-1962)