"L’Afrique belge", land of historical explorations
Within this particularly sensitive context, new historiographical and more innovative trends have nevertheless appeared. Patricia Van Schuylenbergh also reviews them. She particularly focuses on the works of the new generation of researchers. With study grants making it easier to travel abroad, in a world that has become a “global village”, these researchers have naturally turned towards overseas studies in the context of transnational and world history (“World-Global History”). Abandoning a number of habitual reactions – the denunciation of colonial experiences as simple cases of exploitation, for instance – these researchers are turning towards a comparative history that is “particularly rich in the study of cultural areas that offer a coherent and convincing framework of analysis”. A collection of “views”“L'Afrique belge aux XIXe et XXe siècles.” includes many other contributions that are all as interesting as each other. Pierre-Luc Plasman takes another look at the “paradoxes of Leopoldian Congo”. Lancelot Arzel establishes unexpected parallels between the realms of fighting and hunting. Mathilde Leduc-Grimaldi focuses on the unknown African stakeholders of the colonial enterprise. Jan Vandersmissen (University of Liège) studies the determining role of “geographical societies” in the materialisation in the field of Leopold II’s expansionist projects. Continuing the effortThe book “L'Afrique belge aux XIXe et XXe siècles.” will undoubtedly catch the attention of all those who are passionate about Central Africa. It is already a reference work and, as we have said, a link. “It is important for the effort to continue beyond this initial work”, concludes Catherine Lanneau. “And we must ensure”, she repeats, “that we encourage the participation of Flemish and foreign researchers and thereby maintain contact with them”. Other study days have already been programmed. |
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