​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, SOCIETYAfricaMuseum director addresses diversity and colonial history concerns from employees8 January 2025 The director of the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren has responded to a column in De Morgen by the museum's public relations officer reviving a debate about the content of the museum and its adherence to Belgium's colonialist past he said issues raised by her and other employees were due to a lack of funding Bart Ouvry said there were "quite a few problems" in the museum that "mainly have to do with the budgetary situation" in response to Nadia Nsayi's assertions that too little has been done in terms of diversity since the reopening of the museum in 2018 Former employee Tine Geunis recently resigned over similar views Previously head of the department overseeing educational activities Geunis did not feel the museum was giving enough attention to Belgium's history of colonisation and violence in Africa you are missing out on a lot," she said "It is there and it is not going away I think that the story of the museum should start with Belgium What inspired our country to colonise Congo We don't question the fact that schoolchildren learn something about the Shoah in Kazerne Dossin The AfricaMuseum should be the place where they learn about the colonial past.” Nsayi further said that "a recent recruitment reinforces my suspicion that the institution is not ready to give black people positions of power" She referred to the application of a Belgian-Congolese art historian who was not hired for the position "There were three excellent candidates and the one who got through was indeed not of African descent," said Ouvry a new scientist will start as head of the department who is of African descent Nsayi has also criticised the museum's new vision statement which says it will continue to focus on sub-Saharan Africa "The museum collection is largely Congolese so why the focus on a continent?" she asked "And to what extent does the new vision differ from Leopold II's colonial vision to build 'a museum about Africa'?" the museum's operational director of public-oriented services says it is in the best interest of the museum to have a comprehensive direction to draw more visitors In order to implement a healthy financial policy where successive cutbacks have led to dire underfunding." Ouvry has said he would also like to implement changes at the museum “I would like to see it progress more quickly We want to encourage as much as possible the recruitment of staff of African origin," he said "But there are administrative and budgetary constraints on recruitment The new head of the restoration department The permanent museum display will also be updated." ​A bust of Leopold II at the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren © PHOTO FRANK ABBELOOS Copy linkGet updates in your mailboxYour email addressSubscribeBy clicking "Subscribe" I confirm I have read and agree to the Privacy Policy rapid and high-quality information 24 hours a day from Belgium and abroad to all Belgian media not to mention entertainment and lifestyle our journalists and press photographers produce hundreds of photos and news stories Since the end of March 2022 English has been added as a language businesses and various organisations that need reliable information Belga News Agency also offers a comprehensive range of corporate services to meet all their communication needs www.belganewsagency.eu HELSINKI FINLAND The Finnish Kennel Club has awarded the prestigious title of Hero Dog to 17 dogs this year recognizing their extraordinary actions in saving lives another 17 dogs have received special commendations for their brave deeds The Hero Dog title is given to dogs whose actions have significantly contributed to saving one or more lives “We congratulate this year’s Hero Dogs and commendation recipients qualities that make them exceptional companions and heroes in their own right,” said Pirjo Onza Executive Director of the Finnish Kennel Club the majority of Hero Dog awards went to dogs that found people in need of help including cases of elderly individuals in distress and those who were lost or in medical emergencies Other dogs were honored for alerting their owners to house fires or life-threatening medical conditions a Belgian Tervuren Shepherd – While on a morning walk Ande detected an elderly person with memory loss who had wandered from home the person was found safe and reunited with their family a Labrador Retriever – Daisy discovered an elderly individual in poor health lying in bushes and refused to move until her owner checked Her determined actions led to the person receiving immediate medical assistance a Dutch Shepherd – In the middle of the night Domi alerted his owner to an unresponsive individual lying near their home Domi’s vigilance led to the person being transported to the hospital in time a Rottweiler – Sulo’s persistent barking drew his owners’ attention to a neighbor lying in distress in their yard was safely rescued thanks to Sulo’s quick response a Border Collie – Laila alerted her family to a fire on a nearby terrace The fire department credited her timely response with preventing serious injuries a Miniature Pinscher – Isla’s alert behavior led her owner to notice a person lying unconscious on the sidewalk below their balcony an Irish Red Setter – Nemo heard faint cries from a neighboring apartment and guided his owner to discover a person who had fallen and was in need of immediate medical help The awarded dogs will be celebrated at the Koiramessut Dog Fair in Helsinki this December where the Finnish Kennel Club and its partner The Hero Dog awards have been presented by the Finnish Kennel Club since the 1970s with the first official Hero Dog titles awarded in 1997 Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Dafydd is the EU Correspondent Argus Media and also the ice-President Foreign Correspondents Association & Brussels Press Club. Having spent the first thirteen years of life in ‘her beautiful Tervuren’ — Brussels’ answer to Paris’ Versailles — European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen frequently returns for the air, much fresher than the stuffy corridors of power in Brussels. And she is often seen walking or jogging with bodyguards in Tervuren’s amazing forest. Like many a Eurocrat and tourist escaping from nearby Brussels, there’s one thing von der Leyen doesn’t get about Tervuren: why is the top tourist attraction, the café and restaurant by the lakes, not operating at full capacity? Instead of attracting tourists, expats and locals alike, the place has been abandoned to the cruel elements. So, what happened? The Bootjeshuis burned down in November 2000. While some locals still point unfoundly at naughty teenagers from the town’s large expat community, police never clearly established the culprites. That unclarity may have been reason enough for insurers not to pay out the large sums to rebuild. Only in 2010 did the doors finally reopen. But the heavy financial burden from the past, inherited from unresolved fire insurance issues, and an unhelpful federal property office, forced closure in May 2016. Charlier says the 40-year contract would entail Tervuren paying to maintain and restore not only the Boat House but also the neighboring Royal Kitchen Gardens behind town hall as well as the magnificent Saint Hubertus Chapel, built at the beginning of the 17th century in an early Baroque style. Посмотреть эту публикацию в Instagram Публикация от Visittervuren (@visittervuren) A provisional agreement to allow for the Boat House to be refurbished is now ready to be signed off should not fall victim to busy federal politicians campaigning for reelection officials are confident that the federal government’s signature will be forthcoming before June elections plunge Belgium into a year or more of political uncertainty When it finally reopens the Flemish Nature and Forest Agency is unlikely to allow reopening the boat rental service von der Leyen fondly remembers paddling out from the previous chalet Boat rentals were definitely an amazing tourist plus point for Tervuren “Who hasn’t been there for a boat ride with their sweetheart?” a former alderman once said I never went out on a paddle boat with a lover Some of us have had a boring life,” counters Rosalyn also never had the opportunity to sail away with sweethearts on Tervuren’s choppy lakes But she does remember the Bootjeshuis as a terrible teen “My funniest memory is that of a girl falling in the lake because she wanted to show off how she could stand between two boats,” Miriana tells us A long-read version of this article is available at Tervuren+ a micro-level and multilingual community news service Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the proper function of the website Statistics cookies collect information anonymously This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website Newcomers are learning Dutch in the kitchen in Tervuren (Flemish Brabant) and not in a conventional language class Municipal authorities keen to integrate the sizeable number of expats who settle in Tervuren have launched the course ‘Belgian dishes for beginners’ in conjunction with adult education centre Crescendo Dutch-speaking volunteers and people learning the language mix to create iconic Belgian dishes but also improve their knowledge of the Dutch language spoken by a majority of the population of Belgium In colloquial speak they are learning Dutch among the ‘pots and pans’ Tina Rosenbauw from Germany has completed a Dutch language course at adult education centre Crescendo in Tervuren she says this is an ideal way to brush up her Dutch ‘I almost always cook for the children at home That’s why it is so interesting to get to know Belgian dishes learning Dutch is much more difficult' Not only non-natives are taking the ‘Belgian Dishes for Beginners’ course but volunteers too lend a hand They include Tony Dechamps: ‘I got into this via Café Kom Binnen the conversation evenings with non-Dutch speakers allowing them to practise their Dutch and learn about our culture The process goes even better when we are doing something together that we enjoy It is a formula that has generated much enthusiasm among the course participants and for dessert something classic as well: rice tarts.’ Under the watchful eye of teacher Gerd Swinnen the pots do not boil over and only Dutch is spoken after all the people on the course are here to learn the language We’ve discovered nothing works better than learning Dutch by trial and error For years the European Union has struggled to give more coherence to its institutions these institutions have remained imperfect They have proved incapable of responding adequately to the refugee crisis to the rise of populism and nationalism in many EU’s member states and to Russia’s provocations to name just a few of the challenges that Brussels faces today EU negotiations with the British government are mostly focused on the free movement of people and Britain’s extrication from the common market and the Trump administration in the White House the EU seems to be moving toward more cooperation and coordination in military affairs Opinions are split when it comes to the question of whether or not the EU can be successful in its attempts to achieve more military coordination, and, by the same token, more cooperation. Menon claims that there is “no reason to assume that Brexit offers any real opportunity for an effective relaunch” of Common Security and Defense Policy (CSDP) (Menon, 2017). A 2017 RAND report makes a similar point (Black, et al., 2017)[i] nor Donald Trump will have any significant impact on EU defense (Simon Angelini argues that: “the possible revitalization of the CSDP following Brexit will depend on the political appetite for such a path among the remaining EU member states – in particular France and Germany” (Angelini Nye attributes a potential revival of a European common defense structure to the Trump administration policies (Nye the Trump administration’s position toward Europe gives the European Union a new opportunity to relaunch the project of deepening its military coordination This is not the first time  the European Union has had such an opportunity The 1998 Saint-Malo initiative was an important moment in European defense and Germany came together to support the creation of an autonomous military arm for Europe in spite of the military developments that followed Saint-Malo the EU’s defense has remained clearly dependent on the U.S An interesting and mostly overlooked moment in the development of the European Defense came in 2003 at the Tervuren summit which was triggered by America’s war on Iraq France and Germany notably came together and tried to launch a military arm for Europe and the Trump administration’s wavering commitment to Europe’s defense The EU has a new opportunity to relaunch its military coordination and create a stronger defense for itself It has the opportunity to work towards the Tervuren goals: a more coordinated and integrated military defense the most important development in European security was the 1998 Saint Malo Initiative The experience of the Kosovo war led directly to the Anglo-French Saint Malo proposal to establish a European Security and Defense Policy Saint Malo emphasized that the EU must be able to act without U.S and it affirmed the creation of an operational European defense capability (Cameron The initiative led to the establishment of the European Rapid Reaction Force which was tasked with crisis management operations the EU’s dependency on the US in matters of defense has remained the beginning of the Iraq war led to the 2003 Tervuren summit In 2003 disagreements were brewing among EU member states over the Iraq invasion Discontent with the US action was notably expressed by France and Germany the transatlantic relationship was in trouble The Tervuren summit took place on April 29 Belgium and Luxembourg came together in an effort to give Europe an autonomous military arm and the leaders of Belgium and Luxembourg pushed for EU military planning and command structures separate and independent from the US-led NATO alliance They wanted treaty provisions for “structured cooperation” on defense which would have allowed a small group of EU nations to forge ahead with military integration regardless of other member states’ opinions (Islam Chirac insisted that the proposal to create a military center in Belgium for “planning and command” of joint European operations outside NATO was not “about duplicating SHAPE” (Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe) but rather was about “eliminating duplications by national headquarters” (cited by Sciolino At Tervuren then Chancellor Gerhard Schröder after stressing that a closer cooperation aimed at making Europe’s defense more coherent “is not directed against NATO” added that “in NATO we don’t suffer from too much America; we suffer from not enough Europe” (cited by Sciolino the German Chancellor claimed “that NATO no longer is the primary venue where transatlantic partners discuss and co-ordinate strategies A reform would be needed to reflect the change in Europe: within the Alliance increased responsibility needs to equal increasing influence” (Ojanen Tervuren’s efforts provoked negative reactions in Great Britain and Washington reported back to the Foreign Office that “The chocolate summit [the Tervuren summit] reflected the worst fears of U.S hardliners about the dangers of ESDP going off in a NATO-incompatible direction” (Black the Franco-German relationship has a habit of appearing dead for long periods only to spring life and start crashing around once more … In March they [Chirac and Schröder] put forward joint plans (with Belgium and Luxembourg) to set up a European defense headquarters separate from NATO (The Economist In the end Tervuren did not amount to too much a European Union Military Staff (EUMS) was created EUMS was charged with strategic planning for the Petersberg tasks The Petersberg tasks include operations such as: humanitarian and rescue tasks; peacekeeping tasks; tasks of combat forces in crisis management including peacemaking (II.4) (WEU Council of Ministers A New Tervuren Moment: New Military Developments Recently, we have come to a new Tervuren moment. Because of Brexit, and the Trump administration’s ambiguous commitment to NATO’s Article 5,[ii] there are new military developments indicating that several EU member states Angela Merkel’s words echo those of her predecessor:  “We have to know that we must fight for our future on our own for our destiny as Europeans” (Smale & Erlanger 2017) The German Chancellor is not shy in voicing her disappointment  with President Trump’s stance on Europe: “The times in which we could rely fully on others — they are somewhat over.” (Smale & Erlanger Those statements illustrate Merkel’s determination to make increasingly active choices on EU military structures particularly following an era of German defense spending cuts aimed at reducing the German troop numbers to about 180,000 soldiers (DW.com Ursula von der Leyen stated that “The Brexit referendum and the U.S Europeans must take more responsibility for our own security” (Reuters one other German official voiced his optimism that concrete EU defense efforts could proceed without worrying about a UK veto: “It is a sign to the British It means ‘you are leaving the EU and we are driving forward We are no longer interested in you blocking the EU on defense” (The Telegraph Von der Leyen has been at the forefront of increasing the readiness of Germany’s armed forces She has also been a strong advocate for augmenting Germany’s defense spending “in response to growing global instability” (Reuters Germany’s present efforts have been joined by French President Emmanuel Macron and the two countries are working out specific proposals for a European Union defense fund Together they have proposed: joint work on drones and stabilization initiatives supported by the defense fund (Reuters the cooperation between the French and German governments extends to previously off-limits projects: “the establishment of European defense headquarters and the sharing of logistics and military medical resources” (The Guardian The creation of a European defense HQ – which was one of the main demands at Tervuren – has always been a contentious topic The US and Great Britain feared that a defense EU HQ would create a parallel structure that would rival NATO and damage the transatlantic security relationship with Britain’s exit from the European Union the context in which the discussion about the proposal is taking place has changed drastically (Kanter On July 13 2017 there was another important development “France and Germany unveiled plans to develop a European fighter jet burying past rivalries as part of a raft of measures to tighten defense and security cooperation This move is expected to shape the future of the European fighter industry and its three existing programs – the Eurofighter France’s Rafale and Sweden’s Gripen” (Hepher & Thomas French President Macron is also taking aim at competing standards within the European Union that impede collective defense efforts and have the effect of creating wasteful competition between member states and the Czech Republic announced the integration of parts of their militaries (Braw They followed the example of parts of the Dutch military—one brigade joining Germany’s Rapid Response Forces and another one being integrated into the 1st German Armored Division Those moves represent a new trend in standardizing and integrating Europe’s armed forces The European Commission also entered the fight It announced the creation of “a fund with at least 1.5 billion euros a year to enable EU governments to join forces on development and procurement of new weapons cyber warfare systems and other hi-tech gear” (Reuters In the emerging fields of ‘Warfare 2.0’ such as cyberwarfare and drones sees an opportunity to establish itself as a collective actor professor of international politics at the Bundeswehr University Munich they amount to a “move towards more European military independence” (cited by Braw To speak of EU military independence is  premature   The German-French proposal is aimed at making the European defense “more active and more useful without substituting it for national defense bodies which remain the key to the security of EU member states” (The Guardian Europe is taking steps toward more military coordination and cooperation but one should not forget that the European Union’s advancement has been always predicated on small steps Europe would have never had a CSDP (renamed today CSDP) if were it not for the Maastricht Treaty Negotiations on the creation of a Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) at Maastricht were marginal compared with the negotiations on EURO those negotiations opened the door for more coordinated actions on Europe’s foreign policy Today’s Tervuren moment should not be wasted if the EU wants to contribute more to its defense and to become a more powerful actor at the international level Academic honesty requires acknowledging possible factors that can generally weaken processes The new Tervuren momentum aimed at bringing more coordination to Europe’s military could be delayed or even derailed by several factors In order for the process to continue: (1) Angela Merkel needs to overcome the resistance of a large segment of German population  to be able to increase armament expenditure; (2) French President Emmanuel Macron needs to reboot France’s economy; (3) After Macron’s election Angela Merkel stated that: “we are ready to activate Franco-German relations with a new impetus” (The Telegraph 2017).In the light of her statement the activation of the Franco-German axis needs to hold and (4) EU states should be willing to spend more on their defense scholars tend to focus on the threat posed by Russia to Europe It is important to note that not all EU member states perceive Russia as a conventional military threat The Baltic States see a possible Russian invasion as the main threat to their security is struggling with an increasing flux of refugees Russia does not represent a conventional military threat A RAND report from 2017 states that “Perceptions of Russia as a Military Threat Differ Sharply Across Europe and Appear to be Heavily Influenced by Geographical Proximity to Russia” (Pezard et al. one could argue that Russia does not present a military threat for Germany and France either a set of pipelines which carry natural gas from the Russian Federation to Germany Therefore Berlin’s reasons to antagonize Russia militarily are very low Germany has only reluctantly agreed to the renewal of sanctions against Russia France and Germany are aware of the cyberthreats coming from Russia and they are in the process of developing stronger cyberdefense (Nossiter Some Central European states such as Hungary show clear signs of friendship toward Russia (Janda et al. Russia may be at the core of NATO’s exercises but it is not the main reasons for which the EU is trying to create more military cooperation The main reasons for which the German-Franco axis is pressing with more integration are similar to the reasons expressed at Tervuren: a EU less militarily dependent on the US and increased EU influence in the international arena [i] However the same RAND report outlines a scenario in which Brexit may/will negatively impact on European security as well as a scenario in which European security may be enhanced [ii] Despite Trump’s reaffirmation of NATO Article 5 in Warsaw ambiguity remains with regards to his stance on NATO and his policy toward Europe overall Patrick Wintour argues that “Trump has little option but to take a tough line with Putin” and commit himself to Article 5 (Wintour Angelini, L., 2016. Brexit is an opportunity for EU defence policy. [Online] EU Observer. Available at: https://euobserver.com/opinion/134256 [Accessed 26 June 2017] Black, I., 2003. Nato bid to defuse EU defence row. [Online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2003/oct/21/nato.politics [Accessed 14 August 2017] Black, J. et al., 2017. Defence and security after Brexit: Understanding the possible implications of the UK’s decision to leave the EU — Compendium report. [Online] RAND Corporation. Available at: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1786.html [Accessed 30 June 2017] Braw, E., 2017. Germany Is Quietly Building a European Army Under Its Command. [Online] Foreign Policy. Available at: http://foreignpolicy.com/2017/05/22/germany-is-quietly-building-a-european-army-under-its-command/ [Accessed 24 July 2017] Cameron, F., 2002. Ten years CFSP: Closing the capability – Expectations gap. [Online] EURACTIV. Available at: https://www.euractiv.com/section/security/opinion/ten-years-cfsp-closing-the-capability-expectations-gap/ [Accessed 31 July 2017] DW.com, 2010. Military commission recommends cuts at German Defense Ministry. [Online] Available at: http://www.dw.com/en/military-commission-recommends-cuts-at-german-defense-ministry/a-6151848 [Accessed 31 July 2017] Hepher, T. & Thomas, L., 2017. France and Germany to develop new European fighter jet. [Online] Reuters. Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-germany-defence-idUSKBN19Y1FJ [Accessed 14 July 2017] Islam, S., 2003. Whither NATO? European Defense Force May Counterbalance US Power. [Online] YaleGlobal. Available at: http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/content/whither-nato-european-defense-force-may-counterbalance-us-power [Accessed 31 July 2017] Janda, J. et al., 2017. How do European democracies react to Russian aggression? Review of shifts in strategic & policy documents of EU28 following Russian aggression against Ukraine. [Online] European Values. Available at: http://www.europeanvalues.net/russia/ [Accessed 18 August 2017] Kanter, J., 2017. E.U. Moves to Create Military Training Headquarters. [Online] The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/06/world/europe/eu-military-headquarters.html?_r=0 [Accessed 29 June 2017] Menon, A., 2017. Security and the Brexit Effect. [Online] E-International Relations. Available at: http://www.e-ir.info/2017/01/17/security-and-the-brexit-effect/ [Accessed 19 July 2017] Nossiter, A., Sanger, D. & Perlroth, N., 2017. Hackers Came, but the French Were Prepared. [Online] The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/09/world/europe/hackers-came-but-the-french-were-prepared.html?_r=0 [Accessed 20 August 2017] Nye, J., 2017. Trump’s Gift to Europe. [Online] Project Syndicate. Available at: https://www.project-syndicate.org/commentary/trump-spurs-european-defense-integration-by-joseph-s–nye-2017-07 [Accessed 20 July 2017] Ojanen, H., 2005. NATO and ESDP: old-style alliance meets a new Europe. [Online] Young Europeans for Security. Available at: http://www.yes-dk.dk/YES/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=107&Itemid=137 [Accessed 18 August 2017] Pezard, S. et al., 2017. European Relations with Russia: Threat Perceptions, Responses, and Strategies in the Wake of the Ukrainian Crisis. [Online] RAND Corporation. Available at: https://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1579.html [Accessed 20 August 2017] Reuters, 2015. Germany to boost mid-term defense spending. [Online] Available at: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-germany-defence-budget-idUSKBN0MD1T420150317 [Accessed 24 July 2017] Reuters, 2017. Germany, France drafting details of defense fund: German minister. [Online] Available at: http://www.reuters.com/article/us-eu-defence-germany-france-idUSKBN1910H4 [Accessed 3 July 2017] Simon, L., 2017. Don’t Believe the Hype About European Defense. [Online] War on the Rocks. Available at: https://warontherocks.com/2017/06/dont-believe-the-hype-about-european-defense/ [Accessed 18 July 2017] Smale, A. & Erlanger, S., 2017. Merkel, After Discordant G-7 Meeting, Is Looking Past Trump. [Online] The New York Times. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/28/world/europe/angela-merkel-trump-alliances-g7-leaders.html?_r=0 [Accessed 13 July 2017] The Economist, 2003. The Franco-German monster. [Online] Available at: http://www.economist.com/node/2155461 [Accessed 12 August 2017] The Guardian, 2016. Post-Brexit vote, France and Germany plan ‘more active’ EU defence. [Online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/sep/10/france-and-germany-plan-more-active-european-union-defence [Accessed 16 July 2017] The Telegraph, 2017. France and Germany announce plans to build fighter jets together. [Online] Available at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/13/emmanuel-macron-demands-germany-gives-cash-europe/ [Accessed 31 July 2017] WEU Council of Ministers, 1992. Western European Council of Ministers Petersberg Declaration. [Online] Available at: http://www.bits.de/NRANEU/docs/petersberg92.pdf [Accessed 18 August 2017] Wintour, P., 2017. Trump to meet Putin for first time after accusing Russia of testing west’s will. [Online] The Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/07/trump-putin-russia-g20-hamburg [Accessed 8 July 2017] Tobias Oder is a graduate student in international affairs at Texas A&M University and specializes in U.S Copyright © — E-International Relations Breeders and fanciers generally use the term “balance” to describe a dog’s physical proportions specifies that a perfect Aussie is “well balanced the standard for the Cardigan Welsh Corgi extols the importance of balance Devotees of the Belgian Tervuren define balance very differently The motto of the American Belgian Tervuren Club (ABTC) says it all: “A well-balanced Tervuren has a Ch on one end and a UDT on the other.” It’s a motto Tervuren fanciers take very seriously according to former ABTC pres­ident and longtime breeder Edeltraud Laurin “Ninety-eight percent of our champions have multiple titles at the ends of their names service dogs-I could go on and on,” Laurin says “You name it and the Belgian Tervuren will do it for you.” the Tervuren will look good doing whatever you ask him to do The breed standard specifies that the Terv is an elegant medium-sized dog that stands squarely on all fours abundant coat varies in color from fawn to mahogany giving the dog a kind of all-over tortoise-shell look As historian Jacqueline Aubrey explains in her classic work on the Belgian breeds the Belgian Malinois’s coat is akin to “a casual outfit plain and sober but full of class”; the Belgian Sheepdog sports “classic afternoon attire” with his long while the Tervuren dons the “splendor of evening clothes … in addition to the beauty of his long coat [he] has [a] magnificent warm color with shades of fire or the delicacy of grey with its clever shadows.” The history of these three herding breeds starts in the late 19th century when the Belgian Shepherd Dog Club formed to resolve the question of whether an authentic Belgian shepherd existed veterinary professor Adolphe Reul coordinated a gathering near Brussels of shepherd-type dogs Reul and his fellow judges concluded that such a dog-squarely built and medium-sized Within that breed were several vari­eties differentiated by coat texture the first breed standard for the Belgian Shepherd Dog was issued It described three varieties within the breed: long- coat color was added to the variety-differenti­ation criteria and over the years definitions of acceptable coat color and type changed a number of times fawn-to-charcoal Malinois; and the long­ haired According to Belgian-breed historian and enthusiast Mara Lee Jiles today’s Belgian breeds have descended from three foundation couples who lived in the Belgian village of Tervuren and were owned by a local brewer who became the first Belgian Tervuren champion the AKC registered all three varieties as Belgian Sheepdogs The American Belgian Sheepdog Club dissolved and the AKC shifted the breed to the Miscellaneous class and American enthu­siasts began to import dogs from Belgium to re-establish the breed In the 1950s some breeders in America began to advocate separating the three Belgian Sheepdog varieties into distinct breeds The AKC acceded to this request in 1959 when it established three Belgian herding breeds: the Belgian Sheepdog; the Belgian Malinois; and the Belgian Tervuren Today many Tervs work on farms, participate as search-and-rescue dogs and participate in dog sports from Conformation to Agility to Obedience There’s no question that the Belgian Tervuren has it both ways: beauty and brains The resulting balance between form and function results in a magnificent animal—a true Renaissance dog Share a few contact details to get your FREE e-book AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org If you purchase a product through this article Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInUPDATE: As a professional dog show handler Greg Wessel wrapped up his final performance at a historic Westminster Wessel showed his Belgian Tervuren ‘Jury’ at Lyndhurst in Tarrytown outdoor location for the show’s 145th event Wessel says he was proud of his pure bred pet he gave me everything I asked of him,” he told us this year we’re working hard to keep him in the top five Belgian Tervuren’s in the country and get an invitation to Westminster in January and maybe a ‘Best in Show’ along the way.” Jury is a young dog - which Wessel says proved to be a disadvantage this year “the other dog that beat him felt much more mature.. She [the judge] felt he was a lovely dog and would like to see him in a year when he matures more.” The Westminster dog show is traditional held in January or February organizers postponed 2021′s show until June 2022′s show is already scheduled for January giving competitors only a few months to prepare for the next one Wessel tells us this was his last show as a handler Besides running the Northeast Indiana Kennel Club he says he will become a dog show judge in the near future https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zojtfvfEj9A the 145th Annual Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show begins and president of the Northeast Indiana Kennel Club COVID-19 didn’t impact the “sport of dogs” last year It took place in February before the pandemic hit the U.S But competitors will see changes this year besides the dog show being postponed several months “You see your friends from all over the world… but that all ended,” Wessel told us We’re going to be outdoors at the beautiful Lyndhurst estate Wessel is often hired by other owners across the country to show pure bred pets at various dog shows my availability to travel across the country his Belgian Tervuren he co-owns with three other people Wessel jokes that he as a special relationship with Jury I’m a good guy and I like to listen to everyone,” he laughed “I always like to tease he likes me best.” Professional dog show handling only started out as a hobby for Wessel His career was much different earlier in his life I was a social worker and showing dogs was a hobby on the weekends… kind of a weekend warrior type of thing,” he explained “but the love of the dog and the thrill of the sport kind of took over my life and I retired early One of the biggest change to Westminster this year It will look drastically different from the usual venue at Madison Square Garden in New York City though he’s never been to a competition outside So she breeds Belgian Tervurens and has had them for 50+ years,” he said But I think Jury will look beautiful outside on the grass with the wind blowing and his coat shining It’s not just ‘look’ that’s in Jury’s favor Jury’s father ‘Judge’ has won awards at Westminster And though show dogs know how to work during the competition This dog can retrieve better than most hunting dogs swims amazing… he’s up for any game we throw at him He wants to play nonstop,” Wessel described The majority of this breed doesn’t even like to swim - he’s an exception.” Jury’s talents also have him excelling in competitive dock diving “He started out dock diving competitively as a young dog,” his handler told us “he just goes insane when we get to the dock and he sees the retrieving dummy and just flies off the dock.” the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show remains on Wessel’s mind “I think I’m always excited and nervous,” he said “this year is different because it’s not the normal But it is a beautiful outdoor venue that a lot of us are excited about I know the judges are excited that they’re judging at a historic Westminster that everyone will remember.” Greg Wessel tells us his time as a competitive handler may soon be over with the goal of becoming a dog show judge himself helps organize a well-known dog show locally every year - the Old Fort Cluster That’s scheduled to take place at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum Nov He tells us special shows you can plan on seeing there are: Golden Retrievers and the American Kennel Club’s newest breed You can find more information about the Northeast Indiana Kennel Club on their website here The 2021 Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show will broadcast all events on-air (FS1, FOX, FS2) and online McMullen Museum of Art a New York-based real estate investor and prominent art collector has donated 36 outstanding landscape paintings by 23 artists mostly members of the nineteenth-century Belgian School of Tervuren to the McMullen Museum of Art at Boston College Hack is the owner of the Hearn Family Trust holds the largest private collection of Belgian art in America which comprise the Charles Hack and the Hearn Family Trust Collection at the McMullen Museum the McMullen Museum holds the foremost assemblage of Belgian landscapes in North America Hack was a major lender to the McMullen Museum’s acclaimed fall 2017 exhibition Nature’s Mirror: Reality and Symbol in Belgian Landscape curated by Boston College Professor Emeritus of Art History Jeffery Howe and Hack’s involvement with its McMullen principals Guillaume Vogels (1836–96); Barque à Trouville (Ship at Trouville) “The McMullen is delighted to add to its permanent collection this landmark gift from Charles Hack of 36 outstanding paintings from Belgium’s School of Tervuren,” said Nancy Netzer Winston Director of the McMullen Museum and Professor of Art History “The refined eye and discernment with which Hack selected these works makes this the premier collection of Belgian landscapes in North America Originally researched and chosen by Jeffery Howe for inclusion in the McMullen’s exhibition Nature’s Mirror these paintings will now play a significant role in perpetuity in the research of our faculty and the education of both our students and the broader public.” “I believe that the McMullen Museum is an ideal recipient and custodian for the entire collection of School of Tervuren landscape paintings,” Hack said of his gift “From the moment that consideration had been given to mounting Nature’s Mirror Director Nancy Netzer and Curator Jeffery Howe expressed unqualified admiration for the lesser-known School of Tervuren landscape paintings.” Hack added that “the special quality in the treatment of light in these paintings sets the Tervuren school apart from the better-known Barbizon and Hague school paintings of that period Besides adorning the walls of the McMullen for the public to enjoy these paintings are to be actively used as teaching tools to benefit Boston College students.” Most of the paintings are on display at the McMullen and are available for public viewing during Museum hours BC professors are also using the works for study in their classes and they will be the subject of ongoing study and future exhibition and publication “Charles Hack has long been a champion of this art and he has carefully and wisely assembled the foremost collection of modern Belgian art in private hands,” Howe said “Boston College is fortunate to have been granted a portion of these treasures This foundational gift will provide students and art lovers with generations of pleasure and knowledge students will see how the development of modern art was a widespread international phenomenon with rich and diverse local traditions.” the late nineteenth century was a revolutionary period of artistic and social change Rejecting the centralizing tendencies of nineteenth-century urbanism many artists turned their attention to local terrain as a statement of independence “The development of modernism was harnessed to the simultaneous focus on nature Science and art came together to explore light these Tervuren school paintings are of the highest quality and stem from the rich tradition of art in Belgium the country where oil painting was invented and perfected,” he added name for Belgian landscape artists who sought beauty in nature as a counterpoint to the industrialization that was transforming European cities,” Howe explained as there was no formal organization of artists associated with it These artists shared a common goal with other groups that emphasized landscape such as those in the Barbizon region and the Hudson River Valley The new emphasis on landscape reflected a shift from academic subjects to individual perceptions of nature The School of Tervuren artists painted in the forests and fields of a small village just east of Brussels Influenced by the artists of the French Barbizon school especially Jean-François Millet and Gustave Courbet they devoted themselves to quiet scenes of the Belgian countryside By 1863 they established a small artist colony in Tervuren and shared a Romantic response to the region and to nature and a commitment to a realist approach that faithfully records natural phenomena in a modern style They viewed nature as offering an escape from the industrialization A mobile guide to the Charles Hack and the Hearn Family Trust Collection contains labels on the 36 paintings—33 oils and three watercolors—written by Howe. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishCULTURE, SOCIETYActivists demand return of stolen artefacts in protest at Africa Museum12 October 2024 Activists from the Debt 4 Climate movement staged a surprise protest at the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren on Saturday The action aimed to highlight the museum's collection of stolen artefacts which serve as difficult reminders of Belgium's colonial past in Congo The activists are demanding the unconditional return of these objects The protest involved placing hundreds of signs on the stolen items within the museum an environmental and human rights activist from Kivu explaining the motivation behind the action One of the signs read: “This object is a source of financial This profit comes from the theft and monetisation of cultural heritage from Congo Kamate elaborated on the significance of these artefacts “The artefacts taken from Congo during Belgian colonial rule are more than stolen objects – they are part of a larger cultural debt owed by Belgium to the Congolese people," he said "Their removal has disrupted the cultural continuity and identity of the Congolese people while Belgium has profited enormously – financially symbolically and culturally – from exhibiting and preserving them.” Debt 4 Climate advocates for the return of these items to be “unconditional” and to be done in collaboration with civil society in Congo as well as the Congolese diaspora in Belgium They say that if the Congolese authorities or civil society decide not to request the return of certain objects Belgium should provide financial compensation “paying rent on the ongoing profits generated by these objects so that the DRC benefits financially from the heritage that continues to enrich Belgian institutions today” “Reparations for the atrocities of colonialism are not just about righting historical wrongs but about restoring fundamental human justice," the group said "Belgium must make reparations for its past atrocities and return all stolen artworks This commitment is crucial to building a just and inclusive future."​ Wooden African statuettes in the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren © PHOTO ARTERRA New figures from the Belgian statistics agency StatBel show that both Tervuren and Kraainem feature in the Top 10 of Belgian municipalities with the highest earners Wezembeek-Oppem is the third Flemish municipality in the list that also includes Sint-Pieters-Woluwe in Brussels The other six municipalities are all to be found in Luxembourg Province and that has a lot to do with the proximity of financial hub Believe it or not but the village of Attert in southern Luxembourg Province had the highest median income of Belgium in 2022: some 42,211 euros The median income is the income amount that divides a population into two groups and half having an income below that amount exactly half the population earns more than the median income and the other half less Attert is located in Belgium near the border with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg That location immediately explains why median income is so high there ‘60 per cent of Attert's residents work in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg because that’s where they can earn more,’ says political journalist Christophe Deborsu ‘Life in Belgium is cheaper than in the Grand Duchy and that explains why so many Luxembourgers choose to live in Belgium and work on the other side of the border this is good news for Belgian municipalities as everyone who comes to live in Belgium pays municipal taxes have the gigantic traffic jams towards the Grand Duchy Many cross the border to work and earn more in Luxembourg That means they are no longer available to work in Belgian care centres.’ Luxembourg Province has the highest number of towns with high-earners Attert is not the only municipality in Luxembourg Province to feature in the Top 10 list No fewer than six of Belgium's municipalities with the highest earners are in that province Wezembeek-Oppem (€34,702) in Flanders and Sint-Pieters-Woluwe (€34,690) in the Brussels Capital Region complete that Top 10 Sint Joost in the Brussels Capital Region dangles at the bottom of the list with median incomes with a figure of only 19,288 euros. There's never a dull moment when there's a Belgian Tervuren in the house athletic breed is known for its keen intelligence and versatility and is an ideal companion for folks who want to bond with their dog by participating in a variety of fun-filled activities "They do whatever job they are asked to do," says Dr a New York-based veterinarian and longtime Belgian Tervuren owner the breed was developed to herd livestock and really stands out when it's working on a farm currently keeps four of these impressive canines Dog fanciers have appreciated the breed since the Industrial Revolution for its long coat When Eldredge's canines aren't engaged in performance activities they can often be found pulling carts and toboggans loaded with hay for the horses and donkeys that live on the veterinarian's small hobby farm the canines also use their instinct to herd sheep and ducks and often carry backpacks filled with supplies around the property known in its native land as the Chien de Berger Belge owes its name to the Belgian town of Tervuren these dogs were shown as Belgian sheepdogs in the United States until the AKC granted the breed separate status the American Belgian Tervuren Club will host a gala celebration in Texas to mark the 50th anniversary of the organization's first specialty show held in 1960 Three Belgian herding breeds are recognized in this country — the Tervuren and its cousins the Belgian Sheepdog and the Belgian Malinois the three breeds have evolved with slight differences in height and other physical characteristics The Malinois is recognized by its tawny coat and distinctive black cheeks This breed resembles a small German shepherd males should weigh approximately 65 pounds and stand between 22 and 26 inches high at the withers Females are finer boned and smaller in stature it's sometimes difficult to win Best of Breed honors in the conformation ring with a female champion because the males have more impressive coats "The males have an imposing presence," she notes has accumulated an impressive record by winning five herding groups and numerous Best of Breed ribbons The 5-year-old female is the pride and joy of Eldredge's daughter Kate a freshman English major at Cornell University and accomplished dog writer who's following in her mother's footsteps "Judges have said a lot of very nice things about her," the dog's 19-year-old handler says of Queezle She has earned a Companion Dog degree in obedience She gave birth in February 2009 to a litter of six puppies two of which completed conformation championships from the puppy class and hopefully will return to the show ring in the fall The young handler is hoping that the stunning dog will earn a Best in Show to add to the list of her impressive wins "They have a ton of talent and a ton of drive," Kate says adding that Queezle sometimes gets out of control and needs a lot of training "They are a breed that needs a job," Kate admits Breed experts explain that the typical Belgian Tervuren is observant and vigilant with strangers These dogs are very possessive of their owners "They are wonderful dogs with people," concludes Deb Eldredge obviously very happy that she discovered the versatile breed a quarter of a century ago Lowney has been writing about pets for more than a decade He is a past president of the Wampanoag Kennel Club an active dog show judge and shares his home with two shelter-adopted cats All of Brian's columns are available online in our new pet section The individual journeys that dogs and their handlers take to the American Kennel Club Obedience Classic in Orlando follow a variety of paths Whether their goal is to achieve a perfect performance or to build an enduring relationship their hard work will be on display when they compete on December 15 & 16 representing 36 breeds from 32 states and Canada Here are the challenges of four special obedience teams Their can-do spirit dates to 2014, when Kathy Walker and her Border Collie showed in the novice class of obedience competition it was all about racing the clock ahead of the Orlando competition When Walker underwent knee-replacement surgery in June she set a goal to show at Orlando in December “I showed Drake two days before my surgery which helped keep me distracted from worrying,” says Walker but having the AKC Obedience Classic as a goal provided a strong incentive In Orlando, Walker competed with the assistance of a cane in order to meet the requirement of fast heeling, stipulating that the handler move briskly a firm testimony to their energy and ambition They won the AKC Classic Open Division in 2015 but failed to place in masters for the past two years 46-pound Drake was diagnosed with idiopathic facial paralysis “I noticed his left ear was off to one side and he could not move it forward,” Walker explains the left side of his face started to droop so I rushed him to a veterinary neurologist.” but a battery of tests failed to result in a specific diagnosis The neurologist felt that with time, Drake’s facial paralysis could resolve itself, but his head tilt may be permanent. He immediately began having electroacupuncture and laser therapy Drake embarked on a rehab program aimed at enabling him to regain coordination and balance for jumping was for him to slow down and maintain his balance while picking up his dumbbell Other challenges are ‘fronts.’ When Drake is running with his head tilt he has trouble running straight He has learned to take a small step to his left as he is coming into a perfect sit front.” “Judges have not made a comment about his head tilt The team is entered in the masters class at the AKC Classic In late December 2014, a Belgian Malinois breeder called Ikena Hilmayer to tell her that she had a 14-month-old female coming back to her that needed an assessment nor did she have room for it at her kennel who lives on a hobby farm with her husband “I had no intention of keeping this dog,” Hilmayer says Pivot arrived underweight and exhibiting signs of physical trauma who has an extensive training background in Germany and North America characterized Pivot as “messed up” after observing her closely for several hours she jumped on his lap and promptly went to sleep appropriately named for her flip-flopping temperament but there were numerous challenges ahead in order to smooth out rough edges and establish comfort zones in public “We were in constant contact with the breeder Even if she could not be a performance candidate Training proved difficult, since Pivot abhorred being touched and would not take food out of her new owners’ hands she would cringe and try to run from the area Hilmayer would offer her treats in the training room as far as possible from the other dogs Hilmayer and Pivot built up their instructional time to one hour and eventually they reached the point of full-fledged participation Then I would remind myself how far this sweet little girl had come.” The next step was building Pivot’s confidence and socialization skills without overwhelming her “That was a delicate balance,” Hilmayer notes she began looking forward to strangers talking to and touching her Pivot began to excel in obedience and rally she was entered in the pre-novice class at her first obedience trial “She was overwhelmed by the presence of so many dogs in close proximity,” says Hilmayer “I immediately thought this was a big mistake She let go of her worries and worked her heart out The pair is entered in the novice class at the AKC Classic Masters Class Sedona’s motherhood and Pamela Blackstone’s lack of experience in the ring are the key ingredients of this Cinderella story that has led to an extraordinary connection between the pair and four months later she delivered eight puppies Blackstone focused on Sedona’s obedience title as well as serious dog that is motivated by being right She is my dream dog and loves everything we have tried except swimming,” says Blackstone “People often comment on her ‘serenity.’ She thrives on working and hates to watch others being the center of attention Keeping her quiet in the crate is a work in progress.” Seven-year-old Sedona has earned high marks in obedience including being named the AKC and American Belgian Tervuren Club’s No Blackstone gives a lot of credit to Sedona’s trainer Linda Brennan of Top Dog Obedience in Flanders Brennan has been Blackstone’s go-to mentor for several years “I would not be here without her,” she adds Blackstone and Sedona will compete in the masters class at the AKC Classic There’s no question that Sheila O’Brien and Daisy, originally a Mississippi shelter dog adopted Daisy from a coworker who discovered within a month of taking her home from the shelter that the puppy was too much to handle with three children in the household or she was going to return Daisy to the local humane society shelter She just needed a chance to develop in the right environment has been training and showing dogs for 30 years emotional release for me after a day in a pretty high-stress environment,” she says “Training dogs gives me concentrated time to look into their eyes It has helped me through many hard times.” Daisy has served up plenty of training challenges for O’Brien and she is better and willing to continue working I thought she would simply fit into the same training groove and recognize how hard she is trying and wants to please O’Brien recognizes the fine balance and need to maintain her high training standards Daily training stints last only 10-15 minutes “I approach these sessions as putting money in the bank you can make a withdrawal,” O’Brien explains O’Brien is honored and nervous about competing in the AKC Classic. Because mixed-breeds have no national specialty She approaches the 36-pound all-American dog’s obedience training and competition regimen by saying: “That’s where you came from Dogs don’t know if they are purebred or mixed When you get an older puppy or a dog and don’t know her background it makes you dig a little deeper to discover what makes her tick and build a genuine connection.” O’Brien and Daisy are entered in the open class at the AKC Classic AKC is a participant in affiliate advertising programs designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to akc.org. If you purchase a product through this article, we may receive a portion of the sale. ​CategoriesCategoriesEnglishGENERAL, TOURISMTervuren Arboretum: a collection of trees from all over the world a stone's throw from Brussels8 August 2023 The abundant rainfall of recent weeks has made the Tervuren Geographical Arboretum greener than green it is home to countless trees and shrubs from Central and Mediterranean Europe North America and the Middle and Far East of Asia They are grouped by region of origin in around 100 sections covering 120 hectares An arboretum is an open-air collection of trees These collections of trees are often the result of the collecting efforts of tree lovers and connoisseurs The Tervuren Arboretum was founded in 1902 on the estate of the Belgian King Leopold II had deforested most of the land for agricultural purposes Leopold II commissioned the professor and botanist Charles Bommer to reforest the area and give shape to the arboretum The Tervuren Arboretum differs from other tree collections in that it is planted like a real forest and is maintained using forestry methods It was built at a time when many places in Belgium and Europe were undergoing an intense wave of reforestation By planting exotic American and Asian tree species specialists wanted to see how these trees would perform in local European conditions whether they could provide productive timber and thus complement the relatively limited range of European tree species in forestry its relatively strict geographical layout and the attractive landscape are also remarkable These are all details that Bommer meticulously designed as a forester but also as a scientist he was closely involved with the arboretum which soon gained an international reputation a new spirit has prevailed in forest management seeking more nature-based management and ecosystem services other than timber production: species conservation renew and improve public access to the arboretum also began in 2005 The collection was inventoried and documented The estate's tree nursery was restarted and vacant areas in the tree collection were replanted New paths were laid through the massifs and signs were installed Visitors can enter the arboretum from several points The main entrance is along the Vlaktedreef an extension of the Jezus-Eiklaan in Tervuren Secondary entrances are located at the end of Eikestraat in Tervuren and at Wapenplein Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Dana is a reporter and Travel Tomorrow’s Associate Editor She graduated in Political Science and International Relations She moved to Brussels from Romania for her studies and Mont des Arts made her fall in love with the city and remain here Whether you enjoy a stroll on a crisp autumn morning or a more relaxing promenade on a warm summer afternoon, walking is always a good way of discovering a place at your own pace. While some may prefer a more speedy adventure, taking to cycling instead, below are just 6 of the many walking paths that take you through Tervuren Signalled by light green poles, the Royal Walk is a 7 km long path through the Geographical Arboretum The Geographic Arboretum sits like a crown on the head of the majestic Sonian Forest The arboretum was founded in 1902 on a property of King Leopold II and is today the most attractive public domain of the patrimony bequeathed by the king to the Belgian nation in 1903 from Central and Mediterranean Europe and from the Middle and Far East of Asia are grouped here by region of origin in some hundred sections The Royal Museum of Central Africa renamed the Africa Museum, has been standing in Tervuren for over a century. Having started as a colonial exhibition of King Leopold II, the museum has gone through major changes over the past years, reopening in 2018 after a 5-year renovation process aimed at decolonising the exhibitions Starting at the tombs of the seven Congolese who died during the “authentic African villages” exhibition organised for the World Expo in 1897, the short 1.5 km long Africa Museum Promenade strolls through the grandiose plans and French gardens the imposing neoclassical building overlooks ending at the brand-new glass entrance to the museum The 5.5 km long Warande Walk goes through Tervuren Park allowing wonderers to discover not just its natural beauty but also learn a few historical facts along the way the first stop en route is the church of Saint-John the Evangelist The church was originally of the dukes of Brabant sits in the courtyard of a former ducal castle that was demolished between 1782 and 1785 A local legend says the saint actually died in this very spot A little before ending up at the Africa Museum and Africa Palace is the perfect place to admire the park and its ponds and enjoy a drink on the terrace The first stop along the way is the Presbytery a tall tulip tree adorns the charming garden of the building particularly frequented by Hippolyte Boulenger A little further down the path sits one of the most picturesque sunken roads while the last stop is Saint-Hubert’s Chapel If you prefer creating your own itinerary, the walking network of the Brabant forests consist of no less than 700 km of signposted trails that you can follow in whichever order you prefer Since the network is so vast, some older signposts might not be easily noticed anymore, particularly above the N3 (the road linking Tervuren and Leuven) and in the Sonian Forest, so make sure to have a map with you and follow it closely, or, if your cartography skills are a little rusty, download the free Wandelknooppunt app to guide your steps geocaching is the world’s largest treasure hunt game except you do not always get to keep the treasure a logbook that the geocacher signs after finding it After signing the logbook to leave proof of your skills at finding the hidden treasure, you need to put it back in the same place you found it. Some containers may have small trinkets inside, little souvenirs from the discovery adventure, which you can take as long as you replace it with something else. You need to create an account on the website or mobile app and a phone Some caches are easier to find and all you need to do is follow the map directions while others are a little more challenging to discover sometimes requiring you to solve puzzles or riddles for clues Described by its creator as a ‘Greek tragedy as acted out by Belgian roosters’ Tom Schroeder’s surprisingly touching and dramatic short Marcel King of Tervuren is the tale of a seemingly indestructible cockerel determined to keep his crown as ruler of the roost Blending a flowing animation style with an engaging narrative Schroeder’s film quickly immerses you into its unexpected world of alcohol Following its poultry protagonist as an epidemic of bird flu means he either needs to curb his wandering lifestyle or face the chop the story of Marcel is vividly narrated by his female “owner” Ann Chuckling her way through her recollections of how they tried to capture this “free-rooster” through various methods of intoxication Marcel’s story sounds more like that of a rockstar’s being recited by a female fan The voiceover (along with a somewhat unnerving score) provides not only the driving force for the pace and direction of Schroeder’s storyline but also adds real warmth and humour to the story with its personal touch With his camera playfully skittering around the colourful world he has created Schroeder’s aesthetic playfully places you in the universe of its heroic cockerel Told mostly through a point-of-view which embeds its audience directly in the farmyard in which Marcel prowls the animator employs a flurry of bold lines and strong colours to emphasise this hectic period of near-death experiences for our resistant rooster Having played film festivals worldwide, from Annecy to Edinburgh and Hiroshima to Sundance, Marcel, King of Tervuren has had the kind of festival run you would expect from a filmmaker of Schroeder’s calibre. With a short film career now spanning 13-years (his first short Bike Ride was created in 2001) the filmmaker uses his storytelling experience to sweep his audience along with the frantic delivery of his unpredictable narrative Despite its focus on fowl-play and its voiceless cast King of Tervuren turns out to be a short of real charm and warmth and although it features a blood-filled conclusion (apologies for the spoiler) they pay-off is as rewarding as some of the best-written fictional narratives the trees are wearing their fall colours and footpaths are bedecked with drifts of leaves Cosiness and comfort hold hands with poignant melancholy There’s arguably no better place to enjoy autumn in Belgium than the formal gardens and forest trails of Tervuren Park The 205-hectare public space exists in its current incarnation partly thanks to modern Belgium’s rethinking of Leopold II’s legacy Once intended by Leopold as a propagandistic Colonial Centre and exhibition ground Overlooking the sweeping staircases, statues, rosebeds and staggered ponds of the French style gardens, is the imposing neoclassical architecture of the Africa Museum and re-opened in 2018 to examine more honestly Belgian’s history in the Congo Beyond the museum’s stunning reflection in formal ponds why not find a bench in the sunshine beneath a stand of russet plum trees mature colonnades of trees in full colour draw the eye along Grand Canal style waterways where swans glide and gracefully take flight while tawny owls and Egyptian geese add to nature’s soundscape You can bring a bike here and send bright leaves cartwheeling in the fall sunshine. Share a picnic or wander ancient sunken paths that interweave and crisscross so you can make your own walk. If you prefer an itinerary, Visit Tervuren has mapped over 10 walks to choose among ranging from 3.5 to 7.5 km in length and taking you from the parkland to farmland to Tervuren marketplace and the river Voer – from which Tervuren gets its name Make sure you get a chance to lay hands on the mysterious smooth rocks in the centre of the forest The stones were purchased from a local farmer by Leopold II and are rumoured to be meteorites This woodland hub is called Zevenster and was where hunters would position themselves while beaters drove animals out of the forest Tervuren and its glorious walks and parklands are reachable from central Brussels on tram 44, along boulevards lined with embassies and through the Sonian Forest – and said by many to be one of the greatest tram rides in the world. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Travel Tomorrow (@traveltomorrow.eu) And if Tervuren Park has whetted your appetite, nearby you can explore the town’s Geographical Arboretum – with over 700 species of tree from all over the world The giant sequoias and sculptural tangles of South American monkey puzzle trees are my favourites.  Belgium set up a live display of people from Congo for the 1958 world fair Sixty years ago on Tuesday, Belgium staged the opening of the 1958 world fair a glittering 200-day celebration of postwar social It is said to retain an “important place in the collective memory of the Belgian nation” A series of events are being held in the Atomium the futuristic landmark built for the spectacle Yet as the Belgian capital indulges in nostalgia one exhibit staged at the time is not being revisited: a live display of black men women and children in “native conditions” laid on for the education and amusement of white Europeans View image in fullscreenThe human zoo a piece of territory some 80 times its own size and a source of great pride to the country The mineral-rich central African state was not only hugely economically rewarding but garlanded Belgium a small European nation in the shadows of Britain and France Expo ’58 was seen by Belgian politicians as a chance to burnish this achievement sealing what was seen as a special bond with Belgian Congo eight hectares of land peppered by seven pavilions were dedicated to the themes of mining in Congo women and children were put on show day-after-day in “traditional” dress behind a bamboo perimeter fence Human zoos were in no way a novelty to the west and had been held regularly earlier in the century in London a young Congolese man with sharpened teeth was given a home in the monkey house in the Bronx zoo King Leopold II had imported 267 Congolese to Brussels to be on show around his colonial palace in Tervuren paddling in their canoes on the royal lakes; 1.3 million Belgians walking over a rope bridge to get the best view View image in fullscreenThe 1897 human zoo in Belgium.That summer was bitterly cold and seven of the Congolese died of pneumonia and influenza their bodies dumped in an unmarked mass grave in the local cemetery But such was the popularity of the zoo and other exhibits that a permanent exhibition was to be later established at the site it is now the Royal Museum for Central Africa where the Congolese spent their days carrying out their crafts by straw huts while they were mocked by the white men and women who stood at the edge they threw money or bananas over the closure of bamboo,” one journalist wrote at the time of the spectators Another report told of people gossiping about “seeing the negros at the zoological gardens” The Congolese on display were among 598 people – including 273 men a total of 183 families – brought over from Africa to staff the wider fair The colonial office was “very nervous about what this stay of such an unprecedented number of Congolese in Belgium might do” But housed in a dedicated building isolated from the Expo from which they could be bussed in and out the Congolese complained of cramped accommodation the strict limitations on visitors or excursions from the building could take no more and some went back home Such a zoo was not to be staged anywhere again the director general at the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) the permanent exhibition that grew from 1897 combating the prejudices that were at the core of the zoo and still View image in fullscreenGuido Gryseels Photograph: Daniel Boffey/The GuardianOn 1 December the RMCA will reopen five years after it last opened its doors to the public There is a new visitors centre and a vast underground space that has doubled the museum’s exhibition area to 11,000 sq metres a much more significant change is about to be undertaken When Gryseels took over the museum in 2001 the permanent exhibition had barely changed since the 1920s Along with Leopold II’s double L motifs looking down on visitors in almost every room and the royal quotations celebrating the higher moral plane of the colonisation the story that was told was of Belgium bringing light where there was darkness “For 100 years we have been a colonial institution” “For most Belgians their first encounter with Africa is our museum The initial impression of Africa by most Belgians was made here in this museum and that is that the white person is better than the black person The Africans we portray here are naked with a spear without a culture of their own.” is that in reality Belgian society has not wanted to rethink its colonial past “It is very emotional here because every Belgian family has a family member who worked in Congo Gryseels said discussions about the colonial past didn’t start in Belgium until the publication of the Adam Hochschild’s book King Leopold’s Ghost in 1998 [the] curriculum in Belgian schools until recently was ‘we brought civilisation’.” There are some voices from the Congolese diaspora calling for the “decolonisation” of his institution But Gryseels says his job in the next nine months is to tell a new story about Belgium in the Congo the minister of foreign affairs is expected to give a speech on Belgium’s colonial past in the presence of the royal family “We have a responsibility for cultivating an attitude that a lot of Belgians have of being superior to black people” Katrien Poppe from the Flemish Brabant municipality of Tervuren is an avid wheelchair dancer European and World Champion in the discipline she has been forced to put her hobby on-hold as she has nowhere to practice her passion "There are no more dance clubs in Flemish Brabant where I can go European and World Champion in wheelchair dancing she told VRT Radio 2’s breakfast show ‘Goeiemorgen morgen!’ "You can do wheelchair dancing alone or with a dance partner." "When I was 18 I suffered a fall during a professional gymnastics competition Katrien was forced to put her dance career on hold for a while due to health issues "There isn’t a club in Flemish Brabant where you can wheelchair dance because for me being able to dance equates to freedom I can relax and really enjoy myself." "I'm looking for a big space and dance partners who want to dance and move with me That could be a single person or a couple in a wheelchair It could also be an able-bodied person that wants to dance with us Animals 24-7 June 22, 2024 By Merritt Clifton  United Kingdom––The first Malinois fatality on record in the United Kingdom immediately sparked public discussion as to whether the list of dogs prohibited under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 should be expanded for the second time in less than a year to try to forestall Malinois proliferation Surfacing equally rapidly have been defenders of the five already banned “bully” breeds 2024 Malinois killing of seven-month-old Elle Doherty proves that “any dog can bite,”  and that all of the breed bans should be rescinded British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak walking pit bulls The XL Bully (left) and the English Staffordshire (right) are in fact both pit bulls.(Beth Clifton collage) British public opinion favors the “bully” breed bans now in effect by approximately a 2-to-1 margin the government of Conservative prime minister Rishi Sunak  who favors breed bans and pushed through the ban on the XL Bully taking effect at the beginning of 2024 is trailing in the polls and is expected to be voted out of office on July 4 Of the 81 dog attack fatalities occurring in the United Kingdom since the first four breed bans under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 took effect on August 15 53 of them by pit bull types that are now prohibited The other 23 were by “Staffordshire terriers,”  who continue to be exempted from the “bully” breed bans (See United Kingdom dog attack fatalities, 1991-present.) (Beth Clifton collage based on West Midlands police photo.) There are no breed-specific restrictions under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 pertaining to non-bully breeds but any dog with a history of dangerous behavior can be placed under an order to be muzzled when outdoors “Following a detailed investigation into the circumstances of the death of a baby who tragically died after being bitten by a pet dog at a home in Coventry detectives are now satisfied there have been no criminal offenses,”  announced the West Midlands Police in a June 21 “We were called to a property at Shorncliffe Road shortly after 3 p.m.,”  the West Midlands Police statement recounted  received serious injuries to her head after being bitten by the family’s dog inside the home “Elle received treatment at the scene by paramedics before being rushed to hospital for further treatment Our thoughts remain with her family at this devastating time,”  the West Midlands Police said  was removed from the home and humanely destroyed,”  the West Midlands Police statement added “Currently there a five breeds on the United Kingdom’s banned dangerous dogs list,”  reported Matt Lloyd for the Birmingham Mail  But Pet Insurers Petwise previously named the Belgian Malinois as a breed which could be added to that list,”  Lloyd noted  This breed has strong herding and guarding instincts and is inclined to chase and bite things.” “Originally bred to herd sheep and drive livestock,”  alleged Hannah Beckler for Business Insider on July 23  “Belgian Malinois and similar breeds such as Dutch  and Czech shepherds dominate the ranks of military and law-enforcement canines in part because of their intensity  Trainers call it ‘drive’— a drive to work investigating Malinois use against prisoners put on a padded bite suit to experience for herself the force of attacks by Malinois trained by Dave Blosser  “a retired police canine handler in Northeast Ohio,”  Beckler wrote  “who is now the owner and lead trainer at Tri-State Canine Services,”  in Warren Reality is that the Malinois resembles any herding dog breed only to approximately the same extent that the modern Rottweiler resembles the docile cart-pulling dogs of the Middle Ages the Malinois emerged from a late 19th century Teutonic effort to develop a superior war dog had proved ill-suited to the demands of modern mechanized warfare introduced to the European continent during the 1870-1871 Franco-Prussian War competing breeders on either side of the battlefields turned to sheep-guarding dogs for base stock The first specific mention of a Malinois dog breed at NewspaperArchive.com including newspapers from around the world published since 1607 “One of the most interesting of the subsidiary establishments of the French army is that of the French sheepdogs who are being employed in ambulance and patrol work…The dogs are of five breeds:  Malinois of which the last is said to be least intelligent “On ambulance work they perform much the same duties as those of a St and when they have found a wounded man they bring back some article of his apparel A doctor and two orderlies are they detailed to follow the dog who brings them to the place where the wounded man is lying.” NewspaperArchive.com offers only 37 more mentions of Malinois within the 20th century all in the context of them being a rare breed and only some mentions after 1990 noting Malinois use in police and military work Most discussion of Malinois as recently as 2000 described them as a variant of the Alsatian the original common name of the dog best known today as the German shepherd also describing Malinois as “Dutch shepherds” and “Belgian shepherds.” Dog fanciers today may insist that these are all distinctly different dogs much as many insist that pit bull variants are distinctly different dogs but reality is that whatever distinctions there are appear to be of very recent origin Belgian Malinois.(Bakersfield Police Department photo) more than 750 articles describe Malinois use by police Clearly the Malinois underwent a rapid explosion of selective breeding to produce the abundant and almost commonplace dogs of today Malinois appeared for the first time in the ANIMALS 24-7 log of fatal and disfiguring dog attacks occurring in the U.S 46 Malinois are known to have inflicted Ian Dunbar scale level 5 attacks on 30 children and 19 adults  resulting in four fatalities and 32 disfigurements from an unprovoked attack by a Malinois previously trained as a police dog by another neighbor then-Grover Beach police officer Alex Geiger 2019 acquitted of involuntary manslaughter and failure to contain a large animal causing serious bodily injury and death and Lieutenant Brett Inglehart partially liable for the attack The jury awarded $7 million to David Fear’s adult survivors plus $13.8 million to David Fear’s former neighbor who was severely injured in the same incident But the California Court of Appeal in February 2024 overturned the jury award leaving the plaintiffs with only a much smaller settlement already received from Geiger (See $20.8 million jury award for California dog attack.) (Tellico Village Ladies Golf Association photo) 2019 at the 3 Dogs Running kennel where he worked surrounded by “one Dutch shepherd and three Belgian Malinois,”  according to police 2022 by a dog described by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office as “a very highly trained personal protection dog owned by the victim and her husband,”  Roger Lee Means had operated the Roveldeco Professional Dog Training Center in Spartanburg by a six-dog dog pack also including pit bull (See Riverside County, California extends lead in fatal dog attacks.) Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email June 22, 2024 at 6:35 pm Suggesting all of the current bans be rescinded because dogs of a non-banned breed have killed is like suggesting that in a sane society bans on the types of weapons that have been implicated in the greatest number of killings be rescinded because another type of guns have been used to kill The lunacy of this type of “reasoning” should be obvious And bans on dangerous dogs should be universal and expanded June 23, 2024 at 3:05 am In many countries and in international dog shows the Malinois is classified together with the Tervuren and Belgian Shepherd (aka Groenendael) as a single breed collectively known as the Belgian Sheepdog the Malinois has been registered as a separate breed since 1959 The reason for splitting the breeds by the AKC was that exhibitors of Malinois felt they were at a disadvantage showing against the heavy-coated Turvurens and Groendaels At that time there weren’t any wire-coated Laekenois being shown a long-coated dog may show up in a Belgian Malinois litter I’m not very familiar with the differences in Malinois but Malinois do have a reputation for being extremely high-drive and amazing working dogs June 24, 2024 at 6:50 pm After reading your earlier article about “Why pitbulls will break your heart” I was reminded of how deeply ingrained the traits humans have been breeding into dogs for generations are… An RSPCA adoption webpage for a ‘Blue Heeler’ or some similar breed of Australian cattledog mentioned that the dog was NOT suitable for homes with young children ..”as I tend to try and ‘herd’ them”… but the world would be a better & safer place without such fighting breeds June 26, 2024 at 12:11 am Far too many incorrect statements in this article The Malinois was NOT developed as a “war dog” it was a variety of herding dogs that existed on farms in Belgium It has no relationship to the German Shepherd The dogs were kept to herd and guard livestock and naturally developed into 4 different varieties according to what area of Belgium they originated in In 1891 a meeting was held where these Belgian Shepherd Dogs were divided into 4 varities according to their looks: the Malinois was the smoothcoated fawn or red dog from the town of Malines the Tervueren the longcoated dog of the same colours and the Laekenois in reddish fawn with a wiry coat In most countries except the US (including all the European countries) they are one single breed (the Belgian Shepherd Dog) but with 4 sub-varieties The Malinois came to the UK in 1972 via France and these dogs were carefully selected for many generations to be of good temperaments Despite carefully being bred to NOT have an over the top drive the first UK Malinois police dogs and army dogs originated from these first imports A wellbred Malinois should be able to both work AND be perfectly friendly when needed the Malinois has been split into two types: the show type and the working type more biddable and not as over the top as the working type The working type did not arrive in the UK until the 1990s and it wasn’t until quarantine was swapped for pets passports (which made it easier to import dogs from abroad) that the working type became common in the UK After decades of no incidents and no Malinois in rescue and all breeders being known as very responsible we now have the working type accounting for 99% of all Malinois in the UK They are NOT pet dogs and there are numerous irresponsible breeders who will sell puppies to anyone without making sure the buyers are suitable The end result is owners that cannot cope with a crazily over the top active dog It’s a sad state of affairs and now a poor baby has paid the price I know nothing of the background of the dog in question but I have nothing but the sincerest sympathy for them This is NOT how these dogs were meant to be June 26, 2024 at 1:16 am the breed fancy legend far departs from the historical record verifiable through contemporary news accounts no matter how well-intentioned on the part of a fancier defending her breed continues the process of unabashed fictionalization of breed histories begun by longtime dog writer who apparently never heard a dog story too preposterous to amplify in support of the breeder ads in his publications The ANIMALS 24-7 reportage is entirely consistent with contemporary news accounts This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Several Western European museums, including the Humboldt Forum in Berlin and the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, continue to display racist artefacts and narratives depicting Africans in a derogatory manner, reports Julien Bobineau for The Conversation Africa The AfricaMuseum holds over 125,000 ethnographic objects 8,000 musical instruments and nearly 10 million biological exhibits A few human remains are among the museum's collections The origin and exact circumstances of the acquisition of these objects remain largely unexplained It can be assumed that most of the collection was illegally looted during the colonial period In recent years, the AfricaMuseum has made some progress in addressing its troubled history Belgium has also taken steps towards restitution transferring ownership rights of looted objects to the DR Congo there is still a long way to go in achieving post-colonial reparation and promoting transparent dialogue Racist displays and stories remain on display in several western European museums. They include grotesque objects depicting African people as "savage" and "wild". Narratives of a… Read more » Some twenty kilometers away from the 6th EU/AU summit, Belgian's Africa Museum is showing the Human Zoo exhibition, which revives the forgotten history of colonial powers and their… Read more » During a visit to DR Congo, Belgium's King Philippe decorated a WWII veteran and returned a Congolese mask to a museum in Kinshasa. His six-day trip is aimed at healing the wounds… Read more » Belgium's King Philippe arrived in the DR Congo on June 7, 2022 - his first visit since succeeding his father King Albert II on July 21, 2013. The monarch's visit com Read more » Priceless artifacts taken from African nations during Germany's colonial period will be permanently returned. After a century of restitution claims, Germany is transferring o Read more » Belgium's King Philippe has expressed his "deepest regrets" to the Democratic Republic of Congo for the abuses committed under colonial rule. It marks a first in Belgium's history, ... Read more » The U.S. has been commended by Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed for the repatriation of 31 Benin bronzes - part of thousands of artefacts that ... Read more » A court in Belgium has cleared the way for the tooth of Congolese independence hero Patrice Lumumba to be returned to his native country.  Lumumba, DR Congo's first prime ... Read more » The main building of the AfricaMuseum in Tervuren built in the 1900s AllAfrica publishes around 500 reports a day from more than 110 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals representing a diversity of positions on every topic We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox By submitting above, you agree to our privacy policy please follow the instructions in the email we just sent you There was a problem processing your submission Head of ISF Tervuren says: “We have had a busy summer When the students returned on 4th September all of the new signage was in place our website had been redesigned and we were happy to hand over our brand new blue and white school wear with the ISF badge students and staff have been very positive about the change and are excited to start the new school year as ISF Tervuren“ This name change further supports ISF’s vision of “one school – two campuses” where students and staff of both campuses will collaborate share best practices and engage with each other on many different levels such as the application of educational technologies (ISF is Belgium’s first Google for Education School) Orla McLoughlin continues: Just like our sister school in Waterloo ISF Tervuren continues to fulfil the requirements of the UK National Curriculum and now follows the adapted International Primary Curriculum which meets the needs of internationally mobile families Our school retains its first class accreditation from the Council of British International Schools and remains attractive to all families posted to jobs in the Brussels and Leuven area.” The name change will not only bring these two school campuses closer together but will also help integrate the new ISF International Daycare which provides creche facilities for children aged 6 weeks to three years old and is located opposite to ISF Tervuren school International School of Flanders operates international primary and secondary schools from two campuses ISF Tervuren has served expatriate families and their young children in the Tervuren area for over 40 years We are highly regarded in the community and we hold prized accreditations with the Council of British International School and the Association of British Schools Overseas ISF Waterloo is a vibrant and friendly international school on the Flanders-Wallonia borders near Brussels We encourage creativity and out of box thinking – we develop not just academically strong students responsible and self-confident young people Tervuren barbecue concept SMOAK at the Spanish House  (Het Spaans Huis) in the Tervuren Park has won Best Burger in the Benelux 2022, beating over 400 other hopefuls to the accolade, awarded last week. The SMOAK team also run Copains a glorious Multiwagon Foodtrailer worth €13,000 The Smoakburger ‘Blue Bayou’ combines lumberjack heft with sophisticated flavours Jack Daniels Tennessee Fire flambéed red onions I tasted one at the Spanish House in Tervuren Park the real draw would be seeing the checker-shirted team of cooks working over their Plancha barbecue flames and delicious wood smoke licking up through a steel griddle ring of burgers and buns who describes himself as the manager and ‘serial griller’ is obviously a woodsman and fire afficionado explaining that they use ash because it burns hot and fast and birch because it creates a good bed of embers Asked about customising the burgers by a faint-hearted client “It’s the best burger in the Benelux!” He did relent and offer to take elements out The blue cheese melt – which isn’t usually my thing in a burger – pulled all the elements together without overpowering them And another important factor: it didn’t go soggy or fall apart Singulé insiststhe burger and the SMOAK concept were in turn part of the reason why Het Spaans Huis didn’t fall apart itself during the Covid-19 restrictions “Without being able to offer these burgers and streetfood we wouldn’t have survived the pandemic,” he told Travel Tomorrow Other burgers are on the menu at the Spanish House as well as punnets of loaded nachos that could feed five people bar and events is across the street from the Tervuren Park and Africa Museum at Leuvensesteenweg 10a This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.