The House of European History team offers an engaging and thought-provoking journey through European history. Dive into it over lunchtime and discover the new permanent and temporary exhibitions. A guide from our learning, curator or events teams will lead you to objects that reveal the processes and phenomena that have shaped the continent. Follow the path through six floors and experience European history like never before! Tours are free and take place from 12h15 - 13h00 in English. No booking is required.
September - Senses
Is it possible to see, hear, taste, feel or smell European history? This month come and find out in our Lunch Tour series on the senses.
2 September
See
Have a closer look! Do your eyes deceive you? Apart from beauty, is history also in the eye of the beholder? See for yourself!
9 September
Hear
Do you hear the people sing? Let’s listen carefully to the sounds in the museum? Music to your ears, or just noise? Come and make up your mind during this Lunch Tour.
16 September
Taste
We have a taste for history in the museum! Let’s cleanse our palette and discover the stories of taste in this Lunch Tour!
23 September
Touch
We’ve got a feeling - that this will be a sensitive Lunch Tour. Let’s touch upon some historical facts and find our way in the dark of our collection.
30 September
Smell
The smell of victory? What does that smell like? And or there any other odours specific to European history. Find out today on this Lunch Tour about smell.
October - Presence of the Past by La Cambre students
This month we meet the artists who contributed work to our temporary exhibition: Presence of the Past. In this participatory project, students of La Cambre School of Visual Arts were asked to respond to certain sections of the exhibition. Let’s find out how they did it and look at the exhibition through their lens.
7 October
Meet photographer & artist Julien Sales – La Cambre partnership
Julien provides insights into the exhibition including his work "Last Image" and the "archaeology of light" approach.
14 October
Meet photographer & artist Romane Iskaria – La Cambre partnership
French photographer guides through Presence of the Past, including her project "Jaré", an Assyrian word meaning a memory that triggers intense emotions.
21 October
Meet photographer & video artist Luca Nuvolone – La Cambre partnership
Swiss photographer Luca explains his documentary exploration style and contribution to Presence of the Past.
28 October
Meet artist Anna Safiatou Touré & photographer Michela Cane – La Cambre partnership
Michela and Anna will guide parts of Presence of the Past including a notable and engaging work on Maradona's death.
November - Colonialism
From the fifteenth century, European countries traded, settled and achieved political control all over the world, establishing colonies in the Americas, Africa and Asia, often through brutal means. European colonial powers grew fantastically wealthy, but inflicted misery, inequality and racism on the peoples they had colonised. Let’s learn more about these stories and how they are presented in the museum.
4 November
Stereotypes & biases
Delve into the history of stereotypes in Europe and how they can positively or negatively influence the way we think. Do you think we can really exist without bias?
11 November
Racism
Racism is the belief that one so-called race is better than another. It can take the form of discrimination, hate speech or a hate crime on account of racial characteristics. Discover the stories linked to this topic in the museum.
18 November
Post-colonialism
The historical period or state of affairs representing the aftermath of Western colonialism. It can also be used to describe the concurrent project to reclaim and rethink the history and agency of people subordinated under various forms of imperialism. Explore more about the stories present in our collection.
25 November
Decolonisation
What does it mean to decolonise? And how can we practice this in places where we talk about history, like the House of European History? Learn about the practices that are in use and how we envision the future!
December - Preparation for a festive season
Say hello to the festive season! The month of rich foods, clinking drinks and gift sharing! Come brush up on stories of European history for your perfect dinner table conversation.
2 December
Food
What’s on the menu? Come and explore some delicious stories during this Lunch Tour as we focus on facts related to food!
9 December
Drinks
Some bubbles? Or maybe some highbrow tea? Come and check out which yummy stories we’re serving in this Lunch Tour related to drinks.
16 December
Gifts
Looking for the perfect gift? Maybe a trip to the House of European History! Let’s unpack the history of certain objects that were given and maybe even returned.
23 December
No lunch tour
30 December
No lunch tour