[[This is a very touchy topic and I would appreciate it if you guys could keep it as neutral as possible. The debate is really 99.9% between people who want to keep the statues as a reminder of what happened and those who want to remove them completely. Nobody listens to the racists and those who want to keep the statues should not be conflated with them. I’d like the article to reflect that. :) ]]
King Leopold II of Belgium is a very controversial figure in the country due to the atrocities that were committed in the Congo under his rule. Despite this, there are a lot of statues of him in Belgium. One example is the Monument Léopold II, a particularly large one on the royal square of Brussels.
The statue dates back to 1926 and depicts Leopold II mounted on a horse, overlooking the city. It has been vandalized and graffitied several times, with increasing frequency in recent years, as ever more heated debates rage on about whether or not the former king should have a place in the public square. There are two main sides in this debate. One argues for removing the statues so as to not idolize the former king. The other side, while not excusing Leopold’s actions, argues for keeping and recontextualizing the statues so that the past will not be forgotten.
The Belgian government is also divided between these sentiments and it has been decided that each statue should be either removed or recontextualized in a meaningful way. It has also been agreed that a small sign on the base of the statue is not meaningful enough. How this will be done in the future and which direction will be chosen is not yet known, as historians and Congoneese representatives are still being consulted.
According to Professor Goddeeris of the KU Leuven, these statues are patriotic propaganda placed to increase nationalistic feelings and help quell the international scandal of what was happening in Congo during the reign of Leopold II. This has been compared to how Confederate statues were placed in the South after the American Civil War. On the other hand, there is a statue of Leopold II in Congo, and the locals seem in no rush to remove it. When asked about it Jose Batekele, director of collection at the national museum said: “For us, the statue of Leopold II, it reflects a history, a memory. It is a reference for our children.”
In both cases, it is a very emotional topic with different sides arguing for different solutions. Let’s hope that one can be found soon.
https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2020/06/30/buste-leopold-ii-weggehaald-in-gent/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_statues_of_Leopold_II_of_Belgium https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/leopold-ii-wankelt-maar-niet-overal~b3465407/
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The statue is freely accessible.
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