Belgium's Congo: The Lost Art of the Kingdom of Kongo

The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History · Sep 25, 2026 · 8m · transcript

While Belgium’s colonial past is often defined by the atrocities of the Congo Free State under Leopold II, a quieter but equally profound legacy lies in the cultural artifacts looted during that same violent period. This episode explores the history of the Kingdom of Kongo, a sophisticated Central African empire that predated European colonization by centuries. We focus on the specific role of Paul du Bois, a Belgian anthropologist and collector who traveled to the region in the early twentieth century, acquiring thousands of objects including ceremonial masks, thrones, and religious figures…