Monument of Leopold II — Attraction in Ostend

The equestrian statue of Leopold II is quite controversial. The right-hand section of its base is called "Tribute to the fishing population of Ostend". But the left-hand section, entitled "The thanks of the Congolese to Leopold II for their liberation from Arab slavery", is causing a stir: it depicts "grateful Congolese" worshipping their hero. With what Leopold II had done in the Congo, he would now undoubtedly be accused in the international court of crimes against humanity. But in the 19th century you could get away with it because you were a monarch. Famous images of colonialism are those of children and adults with their hands cut off if they did not want to cooperate, among other things, on rubber plantations. This reign of terror brought in a lot of profits. And with these profits, Leopold II built this neighborhood. Since 1981, the equestrian statue has been protected as a monument. In 2004, someone cut off the hand of one of the figures in the Congolese sculpture group in protest against Leopold II's regime in the Congo. In general, due to Leopold II's colonial regime, the monument is the subject of ongoing controversy and has been vandalized several times. The buildings are architecturally...

"In the period from 1885 to 1908, a number of well-documented atrocities were perpetrated in the Congo Free State (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo) which, at the time, was a colony under the personal rule of King Leopold II of Belgium. These atrocities were sometimes collectively referred to by European contemporaries as the "Congo Horrors", and were particularly associated with the labour policies used to collect natural rubber for export. Together with epidemic disease, famine, and a falling birth rate caused by these disruptions, the atrocities contributed to a sharp decline in the Congolese population. The magnitude of the population fall over the period is disputed, but it is thought to be between one and 15...

Entrance is free but you can not ascend to the balcony of the statue itself (the entrance is on private property of the former Royal Villa, now a revalidation home). Although the square is an impressive central place and entrygate to the seaside boulevard, the statue has been a constant source of controversy due to the personal involvement of King Leopold II in the colonialism of Congo in Africa. Keen observers may see there is actually a hand missing on one of the statues below the King. It has been sawn of by a local activist group, this is a referral to the former practice of severe capital punishment (the cutting of...