Colonial museums in a postcolonial Europe

Abstract Colonialists made great efforts to mark cities with signs of empire, the monuments that commemorated battles lost and won, the ministries from which imperial power reached to the moving frontiers of the known world, churches enshrining the relics of martyrs to the faith, the remains of colonial exhibitions. Particularly potent among these imperial creations were museums that exhibited empire. This article explores the metamorphosis of museums in London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam from the colonial to the postcolonial era, the way in which their immediate transformation mirrors disquiet about the heritage of imperialism, and the fashion in which subsequent changes testify to a rediscovery of the legacy of empire. The examples comprise several of the major colonialist institutions, though many other colonialist collections and displays existed. With decolonisation, in some cases, objects and displays once designated as colonial simply melded into general collections. The British Empire and Commonwealth Museum, alongside new initiatives such as the Quai Branly Museum and Cité nationale de l'histoire de l'immigration in France, have naturally found themselves at the forefront of important debates. The challenge facing the inheritors of colonial museums and collections comes from assessing the legacy of the past and establishing its connection with contemporary postcolonial communities.