GREATER BRUSSELS 85

The grand façade of the Musée Royal de l’Afrique Centrale in the suburb of Tervuren

THE BELGIAN CONGO

During the “scramble for Africa” in

the 19th century, Belgium was one

of several nations that vied for a slice

of that continent to colonize and call

its own. In 1878, Belgium’s King

Léopold II commissioned the explorer

Henry Morton Stanley (who famously

sought and found Dr Livingstone)

to map the uncharted Congo Basin.

As a result, Belgium laid claim to a

vast territory whose rich resources –

gold, diamonds, timber, plantation

crops – brought great wealth to the

country. Known as the Congo Free State, this land remained

the private fiefdom of Léopold II and eventually became

notorious for brutality and exploitation. When this was made

public knowledge, the Belgian govern ment was forced to

take over, in 1908. In 1960, amidst growing internal unrest,

indepen dence was hastily granted. The country’s name

was changed to Zaire in 1971, during the dictatorial rule

of President Mobutu, and since his overthrow in 1997, it

has been known as the Democratic Republic of Congo.

essentially authentic Oriental
buildings, commis sioned by
King Léopold II at the start
of the 20th century. These are
the only completed pieces of
a grandiose scheme to create
an architectural world tour in
his domain; they are now out-
posts of the Musées Royaux
d’Art et d’Histoire (see p77).
The Pavillon Chinois (Chinese
Pavilion) contains a fine col-
lection of Chinese ceramics,
while the Tour Japonais
(Japanese Tower) is a pagoda
decorated in Japanese and Art
Nouveau styles, and contains
a collec tion of samurai armour
and weapons. An additional
museum space is devoted to
exhibitions on Japanese art.

Musée Royal

de l’Afrique

Centrale t

Leuvensesteenweg 13, 3080

Tervuren. Road Map C4. Tel (02)

7695211. v 44. # 10am–5pm
         Tue–Fri, 10am–6pm Sat and Sun.
         & http://www.africamuseum.be

In the 19th century, the colony

of the Belgian Congo (later

Zaire; today, the Democratic

Republic of Congo) was

Belgium’s only territorial

possession. The Musée Royal

de l’Afrique Centrale, which

opened in 1899, houses a

collec tion gleaned from over

100 years of colonial rule. Its

galleries display ceremonial

African dresses and masks

and exhibits on colonial life.

Dugout canoes, religious idols,

weapons and stuffed wildlife

feature next to rooms on the

birds and fish of the region.

There is also a collection of

giant African insects, much

loved by children. Apart from

these, the museum contains

exhibits relating to the expe-

ditions of the famous explorer

and jour nalist, Henry Morton

Stanley. The museum hosts

temporary exhibitions

year-round.

Léopold II (1835–1909),

King of Belgium

Musée du Transport

Urbain Bruxellois r

Avenue de Tervuren 364b, 1150
BRU. Road Map B4. Tel (02)

5153108. @ 36, 42. v 39, 44.

         Apr–Sep: 1–7pm Sat, Sun and

         
         

         public holidays. & includes ride in a
         vintage tram. 7 - =
         http://www.trammuseumbrussels.be

         
         

The main focus of the Musée
du Transport Urbain Bruxellois
is the tram, so it is often
called the Musée du Tram.
Here, lined up in a vast shed,
are numer ous beautifully res-
tored historic vehicles, from
the horse-drawn trams of the
1860s to the first elec tric trams
and trolley buses, through
successive phases of modern-
ization, each richly redolent
of its era. The fees include a
40-minute return journey in

a vin tage tram of the 1920s, to

the Musée Royal de l’Afrique

Centrale or to the Parc du

Cinquantenaire (see pp76–7).