Museums - Afrika Centrum

The Fathers of the Society of African Missions founded a small seminary at Cadier-en-Keer in 1892. In the course of their work, the missionaries of this order collected masks, sculptures, and ethnographic objects from the West African countries of Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, and Nigeria. The present museum was created in 1959, largely as a result of the efforts of Father Van Tright, who felt that this important collection should be available to the public. Its goal was, and remains, to stimulate interest in these faraway regions and to increase awareness of the peoples who inhabit them.
The museum’s current permanent exhibition consists of ancient and traditional works shown along with contemporary arts on three levels of the building. The artworks are presented to evoke the realities of daily life in Africa. The museum presents four temporary exhibitions every year.