Decolonizing the university

The Belgian treatment of colonial heritage differs from the way in which other countries deal with the remains of their colonial past (Goddeeris, 2020). In other countries monuments of colonialism were transformed into anti-colonial remembrances or simply removed. Only recently, colonial heritage has become a fiercely debated topic in Belgium and at the university of Leuven. In honour of the 60th anniversary of Congo’s independence from Belgium this year, a petition was launched to demand the removal of the statues of Leopold II in the city and in the university of Leuven. University staff members like our own anthropology professors did not remain silent on this topic either. Last June, they published an open letter to the rector of the university together with other organizations and professors. In this letter, they asked for a removal of colonial propaganda, as they called the statues. They argued that the bust of king Leopold II in the university library was a symbol that prevented the university from being inclusive and anti-racist. Two years before, in June 2018, a history student already questioned the statue of Leopold II at the city hall of Leuven by climbing the building and attaching a copy of the application letter of the first Congolese student at KU Leuven to the statue.

Bust of Leopold II at the University Library © Gert Huskens

These acts of protest clearly show how different actors ask for the removal of controversial heritage as a way of repairing a society permeated with colonialism. Those statues should no longer be placed in an honourable position at the center of the university. Adding to this, Mbembe (2016) argues that memory is the way in which we put history to rest. Those statues keep the memory related to histories of suffering, trauma and victimization alive. Replacing them does not mean erasing history. On the contrary, it means revaluing history and making it accessible for reparation. The statues of Leopold II are the tangible legacy of Belgium’s colonial past. They have come to embody the spirit of colonialism. In order to repair the damage done by colonialism and to “change the path of the future, a revisiting of past events is often necessary” (Knudsen and Andersen, 2019, p. 248).

Besides the bust of Leopold II, the university hosts more colonial heritage. At the library, there is also a Mary statue. It was received as a gift from the Belgian mining company Union Minière du Haut Katanga (now: Umicore) that used to exploit the Congolese subsoil during the colonial time. Another colonial artefact can be found underneath the doormat at the entrance of Pangaea, the international students’ home. A Belgian-Congolese flag was incorporated into the floor, because the residence of Pangaea used to house children from Belgian colonists and the first Congolese students. On top of that, KADOC owns a collection of Congolese art objects, such as masks and sculptures. Those objects were collected by Karel Timmermans-Haems-Ons, who later donated his collection to the university. Some of these objects are permanently exhibited in the university hall. However, while the origin of some objects is well-known, the origin of others remains questionable.

How did the university as an institution respond to the protests concerning colonial heritage? After the publication of the open letter, the bust of Leopold II in the library was removed. Moreover, the rector stated that a simple removal of the bust would not suffice, for “a university must not limit itself to symbolic measures, however important they may be” (Sels, 2020). This aligns with what Mbembe (2016) and Rutazibwa (2020) describe as the decolonization of higher education. Removing colonial statues from university buildings is only one aspect of it. The university must also deal with less visible colonial remains and make efforts to render its education more accessible, more interactive, less hierarchical, less Eurocentric and less marketized.

KU Leuven will therefore work on historical awareness on the one hand and on a diversity policy as a gateway towards an inclusive university on the other hand. To do so, the Commission Colonial Past and Colonial Heritage was established this year. Its task is to provide an overview of KU Leuven’s colonial heritage, the trends in academic research, the development cooperation with Congo and the diversity policy. The commission will thus focus on dealing with the colonial remains in the present, but will also explore possibilities for a decolonial future. Members of the commission are recruited from different disciplines (development cooperation, diversity, history etc.) and different sections (researchers, students, professors etc.) of the university.Regarding the colonial statues and artefacts, the commission will trace the origin of all questionable remains and soon publish a first report to advise the university’s board on appropriate policy to deal with it. Consequently, the commission will not only shed light on the material aspects of reparation and restitution, but also on the ways in which the university’s diversity policy can contribute to an anti-colonial society.

---

References:

Delespaul, Daan and Elien D’hoore. “KU Leuven haalt borstbeeld Leopold II uit Universiteitsbib.” Veto, 10 June 2020. https://www.veto.be/artikel/ku-leuven-haalt-borstbeeld-leopold-ii-uit-universiteitsbib.

Desmet, Emma. “KU Leuven richt commissie Koloniaal Erfgoed op.” Veto, 7 August 2020. https://www.veto.be/artikel/ku-leuven-richt-commissie-koloniaal-erfgoed-op.

“Idesbald Goddeeris over reactie op kolonialisme: “België is een uitzondering.”” KU Leuven Faculteit Letteren. Accessed 31 December 2020. https://www.arts.kuleuven.be/nieuws/idesbald-goddeeris-over-reactie-op-kolonialisme-belgie-is-een-uitzondering.

IB. “Leuvense profs en organisaties vragen rector beeld Leopold II uit universiteitsbibliotheek te verwijderen.” De Morgen, 10 June 2020. https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/leuvense-profs-en-organisaties-vragen-rector-beeld-leopold-ii-uit-universiteitsbibliotheek-te-verwijderen~b77b660f6/.

Knudsen, Britta Timm, and Casper Andersen. “Affective politics and colonial heritage, Rhodes Must Fall at UCT and Oxford.” International Journal of Heritage Studies 25, no. 3 (2019): 239-58.

Mbembe, Achille Joseph. “Decolonizing the university: New directions.” Arts & Humanities in Higher Education 15, no. 1 (2016): 29-45.

“Open brief aan Luc Sels: “Haal Leopold II-beeld uit Universiteitsbibliotheek.”” DeWereldMorgen, 10 June 2020. https://www.dewereldmorgen.be/artikel/2020/06/10/open-brief-aan-luc-sels-haal-het-leopold-ii-beeld-uit-de-universiteitsbibliotheek/.

Rutazibwa, Olivia. “Hidden in plain sight: Coloniality, capitalism and race/ism as far as the eye can see.” Millennium 48, no. 2 (2020): 221-41.

Sels, Luc. “Values made visible: KU Leuven places bust of Leopold II in storage.” KU Leuven blogt, 12 June 2020. https://kuleuvenblogt.be/2020/06/10/zichtbaar-gemaakte-waarden-ku-leuven-bergt-beeld-leopold-2-op/.

‘Stad Leuven & KU Leuven, verwijder jullie beelden van Leopold II,’ a petition by Celien Govaerts: https://www.change.org/p/mensen-die-wonen-werken-studeren-in-leuven-stad-leuven-en-ku-leuven-verwijder-jullie-beelden-van-leopold-ii.

Stouten, Elien, Emiel Roothooft and Emma Desmet. “Uitgebreid arsenaal aan koloniale relicten verspreid over de KU Leuven.” Veto, 2 November 2020. https://www.veto.be/artikel/uitgebreid-arsenaal-aan-koloniale-relicten-verspreid-over-de-ku-leuven.

Struys, Bruno. “Student beklimt Leuvens stadhuis om standbeeld Leopold II onder de aandacht te brengen.” De Morgen, 26 June 2020. https://www.demorgen.be/nieuws/student-beklimt-leuvens-stadhuis-om-standbeeld-leopold-ii-onder-de-aandacht-te-brengen~b18d2bef/.

Verhoeven, Emma. “KU Leuven haalt buste Leopold II weg.” De Standaard, June 10, 2020. https://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20200610_04987457.

For an overview of the colonial collection of KADOC, see: https://kadoc.kuleuven.be/congo2010/nl/erfgoed.php.