A German museum of industrial heritage in Dortmund only allows “Black, Indigenous and People of Color” to enter the museum on Saturdays between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. for the “That’s Colonial” exhibition, with the prohibition sparking claims of racism.
The Zollern Colliery museum argues it is a “safer space” intended to protect people of color from “further discrimination.”
The exclusive access is “an offer for BIPoC and black people to be able to withdraw and exchange ideas openly,” reads the museum’s website. “For BIPoC, such safe spaces are rarely found in everyday life or in museum rooms.”
The exhibit partly focuses on racial grievances, with the introduction to the exhibition on the website writing: “The morning cup of coffee (referring to how coffee was obtained through colonial exploitation), a street name or certain prejudices: Colonial history is still present in our everyday lives – even in Westphalia.”
A small team belonging to Antenne Frei radio station filmed themselves trying to enter the museum, but were blocked because they are White people.
The employees struggled to explain why their prohibition was not racism when confronted by a host from the radio station.
Wenn Weiße in Deutschland zu bestimmten Zeiten nicht ins Museum dürfen….
— Joana Cotar (@JoanaCotar) August 29, 2023
Rassismus in Dortmund. Unfassbar. #ZecheZollernhttps://t.co/XwcWshXwjuhttps://t.co/qDaDKdg7a8 pic.twitter.com/nH0NVWj5aP
“If there’s a People of Color in there now and I say I don’t want that White guy in here, then you must go out,” said a male employee. The host then asked, “Because we have the wrong skin color?”
The employee responded: “I can’t explain that. I can’t explain that.” When he was told that he should know becaus he works there, he repeated htat he could not explain how or why the rule was in place.
“But that’s racism,” responded the radio host.
Inside the museum building, the radio host said: “If we turn it around now and say Black are not allowed in, can you imagine what an impression that would make? Now, it’s the case that the Whites can’t go in…”
A female employee responded: “There’s nothing to say.” The host then said, “You don’t want to say anything,” to which she responded, “I dont’ want to.”
He then stated he wanted his entry fee back since he did not find the policy appropriate, and the female employee agreed.
The Zollern Colliery museum is one of the LWL museum, which are funded by taxpayers. The official website states: “The LWL museums bring together the history of the Westphalia-Lippe region in the areas of industry, handicrafts, technology, art, natural history, archaeology, monastic and everyday culture. They take on current topics and present attractive and lively exhibitions for people of all generations.”
Similar anti-White policies are spreading throughout the West. For example, a Black artist collective in Switzerland occupied a theater last year and demanded a non-White theater space, arguing that “there is no racism against Whites.” The group managed to collect hundreds of thousands of francs from the Swiss government despite openly discriminating against Whites.
Many Whites across the West are growing increasingly concerned, and despite claims that that racism against Whites does not exist, polling shows that 80 percent of French say that anti-White racism exists.
In that country, a “Blacks only” Christmas market caused widespread controversy in 2021.