EIC – CONGO (BELGIUM) and Rwanda-Burundi Selection for a basic bibliography on : The Independent State of Congo, the Colony and Decolonization

“Timeo hominem unius libri” (I fear the man of a single book). Thomas Aquinas
“The enemy of truth is not falsehood; it is conviction.” F. Nietzsche
”Psychological anachronism, the worst of all”. Lucien Febvre

Disclaimer
This bibliography covers the period from the origins of the Independent State of Congo (EIC, 1885-1908) to the end of the Belgian Colony (1908-
1960), and extends to the first years after Independence (June 30, 1960), i.e. up to around 1967. Rwanda and Burundi (the former Ruanda-Urundi)
are the subject of a separate short appendix.
The emphasis we place here on history and individual testimonies should not, however, lead us to neglect consultation of the considerable mass of documentary material
produced as early as the EIC and subsequently during the Colony in other fields. These include geography, ethnography, sociology, law, economics and
various pure sciences, as well as applied sciences such as medicine, engineering techniques, tropical agronomy and so on. We do, however, give
an overview of these fields by mentioning a number of works, both reference and illustrative.
In addition, to further limit the scope of our brochure, some eminent authors are cited for only a few, or even just one, of their
publications (examples: Alexis, Bontinck, Gourou, Hulstaert, J-M Jadot, Lemaire, Luwel, Rodhain, Rubbens, Roeykens, de Saint-Moulin, Schebesta, Schwetz, A.
Sohier, Stengers, Thys, Vansina, Vellut, Verbeken, B. Verhaegen, etc.).

The library of the Musée africain de Namur holds most of the books and periodicals listed in the following pages, as well as many others.

CRNAA