Riot around German exhibition on colonialism: museum partly open only to black people | Abroad

It’s about the exhibition ‘That’s colonial’ (That’s colonial) of the industrial museum Zeche Zollern. It is an interactive exhibition in which visitors learn how colonial history is present in everyday life, in particular in the state of Westphalia and the Ruhr area.

According to the museum site, one of the areas is only open to “black, indigenous, and people of color” on Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The museum has labeled the exhibition as ‘Safer Space’. This is a protected space in which people who are themselves victims of racism and discrimination can visit, without being confronted with any criticism, discussion or prejudice from white visitors.

This distinction disturbs people. Social media is talking about a ‘racism scandal’. Although the exhibition has been on display since March, the discussion only flared up this week after a radio station paid attention to it and called it shame.

Since then, the museum has received a deluge of phone calls, emails and also hate messages and threats. From the extreme right corner. Antenna Fre, a medium affiliated with the far-right party AfD, and the local branch of the right-wing extremist NPD have launched a campaign.

A video is circulating on the internet in which reporters from Antenna Frei confront and accuse employees of the museum of ‘racism against white people’. Posters have been hung on the entrance gate of the museum with the text: ‘White people are not welcome here’.

Social media has called for people to go to the museum to put it to the test. Police are investigating and have placed security at the building as a precaution.

The museum states that white people can also experience discrimination, for example on the basis of gender or orientation, but that they do not share the experience of racism (skin colour). “On the contrary: it is a privilege of white people to be able to enter all areas without having to worry about possible discrimination.”

The museum emphasizes that there is no check at the entrance and that white visitors are not refused. According to director Christiane Spänhoff, this is an experiment. She doesn’t understand the anger.

“It concerns about four of the 48 hours a week and only a small part of the museum,” Spänhoff said in German media. “It’s not about a ban, it’s about a request. In short, the museum is trying out new methods to attract target groups such as people of color to museums. This includes restricting access to individual groups.”

Check out our most viewed news videos in the playlist below: