The Royal Museum of Central Africa was established in 1898 on the initiative of King Leopold II. He hoped to inspire interest in the Congo among European investors and entrepreneurs in order to maximize the profitablilty of the Belgian colonial enterprise there. The initial exhibition presented information on the Congo's native flora and fauna, natural resources, principal exports, cultural and ethnographic treasures.
After the first show was over, the mission of the museum became more scientific and less propagandistic. The geographical focus widened, encompassing "Central Africa" rather than the Congo alone. (The name of the museum changed in 1960.) Expansion of museum since has been concentrated in the Historical Sciences, Cultural Anthropology, Zoology and Geology.
The facilities of the museum are located in Tervuren, in the midst of the Soignes Forest.
Phone: +32 / 02 769 52 11
Fax: +32 / 02 769 56 38