Antwerp’s ‘human zoo’: Belgium confronts the shame of its colonial past.
7 August 2026
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.
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.