History and emotions. The staging of the House of Slaves in Gorée, Senegal

The House of Slaves on Gorée Island, Senegal, serves as a powerful emotional and historical site for remembering the transatlantic slave trade. This study reveals that its narrative effectiveness lies in emphasizing the suffering of enslaved Africans rather than the responsibility of slavers, shaping collective memory through architectural staging and symbolic representation. Ethnographic observations highlighted how the house's design and curation evoke visceral emotions, while broader political and UNESCO frameworks further reinforce this memory. The research demonstrates that such sites function as emotional anchors, blending local, national, and global discourses to sustain a specific historical narrative.

Mourre, M. (2020). History and emotions. The staging of the House of Slaves in Gorée, Senegal. Ethnologie Française, Vol. 50(1), 77–89. https://doi.org/10.3917/ethn.201.0077