A committee charged with handling the presence of colonial signs and monuments in the public space in the Brussels municipality of Etterbeek concluded that contextualisation is the way forward for the decolonisation of public spaces.
In recent years, many statues have been vandalised in the Brussels-Capital Region. Last month, a man threw red paint at the 'Monument to the Belgian Pioneers in the Congo' in Etterbeek, to symbolise the "blood that Belgium has on its hands".
Earlier this year, the first concrete measures to decolonise public spaces and federal institutions in Brussels were implemented, but Etterbeek itself is also taking steps. For 18 months, a commission, consisting of citizens and political representatives, has been working on the issue of colonial signs in the municipality.
After often divisive debates, the commission concluded that contextualisation work was preferable to simply removing monuments, plaques or street names relating to Belgium's colonial past visible in Etterbeek's public space.
This means Boulevard Général Jacques, Rue Commandant Ponthier, and Rue Baron Dhanis will retain their names, and the many monuments and statues that refer to Belgium's colonial past will not be removed, contrary to what some people wanted.
Contextualising colonialism
The mayor of Etterbeek, Vincent De Wolf, plans to follow the recommendations and will begin the work needed to contextualise the street names, but also statues and other monuments.
A group of experts, deemed "as neutral as possible", will be appointed to carry out in-depth contextualisation work. "This group will thus be able to determine which signs are concerned, with what level of urgency, and provide explanatory texts," De Wolf explained.
Related News
- Decolonising Brussels: City takes first steps to make public spaces 'more inclusive'
- Colonial statues in Halle given 'critical interpretation' but not removed
Another recommendation consists of organising an annual "cultural, social and sociological event to educate people about colonial and decolonial issues". The event will be organised in collaboration with arts academies, associations and schools and will combine culture, education and participatory action.
The authorities hope to be able to bring the dossier before the local council by June 2024, so that this contextualisation work can still take shape before the local elections in October next year.
