Leopold II, Kimpa Vita and the Local Decolonisation of the Belgian Public Space

Belgium's relationship with its colonial past is a complex one including celebration, forgetting, and recently re-evaluation. This article argues that, unlike what’s often thought, decolonization has not stopped in the past few years, but that especially the public space has gradually developed and reached new dimensions. Rather than at the national level, this development has taken place on a regional, and particularly local, level. This article examines a wide range of municipalities and cities, as well as the three regions within the Belgian federation (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels). Based on media articles and official documents, it analyses how local councils and regional governments have responded to frequent acts of protest against colonial monuments and street names, to what extent policies have changed, and which factors have contributed to these developments.