"No Documents, No History"

Abstract

<p>With the creation of the Moral, Political, (and Historical) Sciences Section of the Museum of the Belgian Congo, the Ministry of Colonies, wanted to highlight the positive aspects of Belgian colonization. Assuming that history began with the appearance of written documents, researchers only studied the activities of Belgian colonizers and paid no attention to Congolese history. Guided by the motto "no documents, no history," archives and collections were gathered on art, moral evolution, political evolution, and the history of Belgian colonization in Congo. However, only a limited series of archives were opened for researchers. The museum public was also offered a roseate image of the colony when they visited expositions on Catholic and Protestant missions, transport, and history. The Memorial Room became a "National Pantheon." The museum clearly served colonial propaganda and negative aspects of colonization, such as economic exploitation and the violent military occupation, were kept outside museum walls.</p>