The history hall resulted from the sensational exhibition Memory of Congo. The colonial era (2005). The history of colonial Congo is told in a sober decor that purposively gives a ‘temporary’ impression, which evolves from the personal property of Leopold II to the Belgian colony.

MR Stanley I Presume
 

A thematic evocation of Stanley’s journeys was added to the hall in 2007. It introduces you to the world of the famous traveler who met with Dr Livingstone in the region of Tanganyika Lake; crossed the African continent twice; followed down the course of the Congo River; secured the so-called Congo Free State for Leopold II; and lastly came to the rescue of Emin Pasha in the Ituri area.

Congo Free State
 

The borders of Congo Free State were established after bilateral negotiations with the European powers that had appropriated property in the area. To that end, a local policy of exploration and occupation was necessary that also needed to be supported by changing local alliances.
However, the image of Congo Free State was quickly smirched in Belgium and elsewhere. Rumours about several brutalities during the rubber harvest trickled through via various channels.
Leopold II sent an International Research Committee. Alarmed by foreign criticism and determined to make an end to a regime based on abuse, Belgium took over sovereignty of all areas of Congo Free State on 15 November 1908.