You mind posting some source material or a link so we can have a look and scrutinise?
Yeah, they had Africans on display, and also Sami who were Norwegian citizens.
Norway has many sad chapters in its history, some rather recently, and this is definitely one of those.
Well, that was a traveling Zoo that went all over Europe. Similiar to the Traveling Freakshows in the US. Not having internet 100 years ago meant that strange looking people (for europeans) were quite the attraction.
Kongolandsbyen to those who want to do a search
Human zoos and freak shows were touring all the western world.
Who gives an actual fuck? Yes, it was barbaric, but we can’t change our past.
Oh that’s actually pretty disgusting, never knew this
In 1914, Oslo had an exhibition called «Negerlandsbyen Kongo», translated to «The negro village of Kongo», where about 80 people from Kongo lived for half a year.
Don’t give Trump new ideas
It was part of the 100 year anniversary for the Norwegian constitution. In 2014 artists reconstructed the human zoo to mark the 100 year anniversary of the zoo, and to spark debate about racism in Norway. Not in its original form, of course.
[https://www.nrk.no/kultur/kongolandsbyen-apnet-1.11720712](https://www.nrk.no/kultur/kongolandsbyen-apnet-1.11720712)
We still do, it’s called Sarpsborg 💁🏼♀️
If I’m not mistaken, this was more of a traveling exhibition than a zoo. But, yes, a dark and weird part of our history. Google “Kongolandsbyen”.
This is almost certainly not an exhaustive list.
I’m not sure how it comes as a surprise that the world was extremely racist during the colonial period.
[removed]
Oh my god! Time to throw away civilization and invite everyone who is willing to move into Norway!
If you want to feel extra weird, as far as I know the last one was the Congolese Village at the Brussels Expo in 1958. That is a mere **67 years ago**, so you should be able to find people that visited that one.
(as a belgian immigrant to norway: i am sure not proud of my country’s past..)
Not so sure the history is as dark as your illustration alludes to. It’s not like the performers were brought in chains.
🤣
Not surprised, my grandparents was pretty racist and my grand grandparents even worse. But instead of going all defensive, crying and denying my heritage (like how the Americans deal with their history of social injustice) I will say that it’s in the past and I can’t control what they did and the only thing I can do is to be better.
Racism is sadly a tale as old as time.
I see a pattern here
It is a fact we did, and it was abhorrent, but i think the absolute vast majority of norwegians agree on that fact.
These zoos also included the Sami by the by, who still face discrimination/outright racism to this day.
And the Norwegian slave trade in India and Sri Lanka was insane
Dont we still, Norway, have “samisk landsby” several places? Remember OL 1994, and Im pretty sure I drive past several on hollidays every year.
Serbia had a law that any slave who enters its teritory is immediately a free man.
And now they say we are genocidal by the ones who had colonised the entire world and had slaves. Smh.
Good old times.
Norway is not perfect. What we did to the Sami people and how we treated many people after WW2 is beyond shameful.
My great grandpa bought out a “lappland”, like a zoo for sami people, i guess? I mean it was more of a place where sami people would rather traditionally and people would go there learn about their traditions and mythology from them directly instead of in a classroom.
But nobody was that interested in it so it was turned into a logging and a dam instead.
31 comments
You mind posting some source material or a link so we can have a look and scrutinise?
Yeah, they had Africans on display, and also Sami who were Norwegian citizens.
Norway has many sad chapters in its history, some rather recently, and this is definitely one of those.
Well, that was a traveling Zoo that went all over Europe. Similiar to the Traveling Freakshows in the US. Not having internet 100 years ago meant that strange looking people (for europeans) were quite the attraction.
Kongolandsbyen to those who want to do a search
Human zoos and freak shows were touring all the western world.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_zoo
A dark chapter for all nations.
Who gives an actual fuck? Yes, it was barbaric, but we can’t change our past.
Oh that’s actually pretty disgusting, never knew this
In 1914, Oslo had an exhibition called «Negerlandsbyen Kongo», translated to «The negro village of Kongo», where about 80 people from Kongo lived for half a year.
Don’t give Trump new ideas
It was part of the 100 year anniversary for the Norwegian constitution. In 2014 artists reconstructed the human zoo to mark the 100 year anniversary of the zoo, and to spark debate about racism in Norway. Not in its original form, of course.
[https://www.nrk.no/kultur/kongolandsbyen-apnet-1.11720712](https://www.nrk.no/kultur/kongolandsbyen-apnet-1.11720712)
We still do, it’s called Sarpsborg 💁🏼♀️
If I’m not mistaken, this was more of a traveling exhibition than a zoo. But, yes, a dark and weird part of our history. Google “Kongolandsbyen”.
This is almost certainly not an exhaustive list.
I’m not sure how it comes as a surprise that the world was extremely racist during the colonial period.
[removed]
Oh my god! Time to throw away civilization and invite everyone who is willing to move into Norway!
Ad in the newspaper “Laagen” 29th of October 1932
[https://imgur.com/a/zKAVqqG](https://imgur.com/a/zKAVqqG)
If you want to feel extra weird, as far as I know the last one was the Congolese Village at the Brussels Expo in 1958. That is a mere **67 years ago**, so you should be able to find people that visited that one.
(as a belgian immigrant to norway: i am sure not proud of my country’s past..)
Norway had a human zoo as late as 2001-2014: https://no.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Brother_(Norge)
And a one-person human zoo in a shop window at Karl Johan in 2001: https://www.nrk.no/kultur/frivillig-forfall-1.2199
Not so sure the history is as dark as your illustration alludes to. It’s not like the performers were brought in chains.
🤣
Not surprised, my grandparents was pretty racist and my grand grandparents even worse. But instead of going all defensive, crying and denying my heritage (like how the Americans deal with their history of social injustice) I will say that it’s in the past and I can’t control what they did and the only thing I can do is to be better.
Racism is sadly a tale as old as time.
I see a pattern here
It is a fact we did, and it was abhorrent, but i think the absolute vast majority of norwegians agree on that fact.
These zoos also included the Sami by the by, who still face discrimination/outright racism to this day.
And the Norwegian slave trade in India and Sri Lanka was insane
Dont we still, Norway, have “samisk landsby” several places? Remember OL 1994, and Im pretty sure I drive past several on hollidays every year.
Isn’t China on this list? https://youtu.be/S2UgwINQVPM?si=IrXVk3FpLeBhiBpG
Serbia had a law that any slave who enters its teritory is immediately a free man.
And now they say we are genocidal by the ones who had colonised the entire world and had slaves. Smh.
Good old times.
Norway is not perfect. What we did to the Sami people and how we treated many people after WW2 is beyond shameful.
My great grandpa bought out a “lappland”, like a zoo for sami people, i guess? I mean it was more of a place where sami people would rather traditionally and people would go there learn about their traditions and mythology from them directly instead of in a classroom.
But nobody was that interested in it so it was turned into a logging and a dam instead.
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