From red rubber to red coltan

De-colonization walk: from red rubber to red coltan. Anyone who says “colonization” undoubtedly thinks of our King Leopold II. 141 years ago, his great dream came true and he was assigned a large part of Africa when European countries divided Africa among themselves. But Western colonialism already started with the discovery of the Americas by Columbus, in 1492. That was also the starting signal for continuous wars: wars between Western countries themselves to snatch each other's colonies and wars against the colonized peoples. We started the walk at the Brabo fountain on the Grote Markt van Antwerpen. Right near the Scheldt, the lifeline and the source of wealth for Antwerp. But also a symbol for the centuries-long influx of goods stolen from colonies worldwide. From here, we walk along sometimes open but mostly hidden traces of colonization and neocolonial practices. We are effectively walking along rubber vines and coltan mines. We end at the Antwerp-Central station, which Leopold II turned into a colonial monument.” Practical information: Start at 2 PM on the Grote Markt van Antwerpen, at the Brabofontein. A bathroom & coffee break is provided along the way and the end is at 4:30 PM at the Antwerp-Central station. The walk is approximately 3.5 km long. This walk is professionally guided by our city guide Raf Vandecasteele. Non-members: €10 Members: €5 Info and registration: andre@masereelfonds.be Become a member: Membership and member actions – Masereelfonds