The 1900 Antwerp Congo Exhibition: Colonial Propaganda and Profit

In 1900, the port city of Antwerp hosted a massive world's fair, and at its heart was an elaborate 'Congo Village' showcasing the colonies. This episode dives into the Antwerp Congo Exhibition, a carefully stage-managed spectacle designed to sell the Belgian public on the civilizing mission while masking the brutal reality of rubber terror and forced labor. We explore the exhibition's construction, the Congolese performers brought to Europe, the exhibits of ivory and rubber that trumpeted economic exploitation as progress, and the quiet presence of critics like Paul Panda Farnana. How did the exhibition shape Belgian colonial consciousness? And what did the Congolese participants think of their role in this imperial theater? Join Lucas and Luna as they unpack a moment when propaganda, profit, and performance converged in the heart of Belgium. #AntwerpExhibition1900 #CongoVillage #ColonialPropaganda #PaulPandaFarnana #LeopoldII #CongoFreeState #WorldFair #RubberTerror #HumanZoo #EthnographicDisplay #ImperialTheater #BelgianColonialism #1900 #Antwerp #CongoHistory #Propaganda #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo