Case Studies
To date, we have identified more than five hundred cases on five continents. Our Case Studies relate to a wide array of historical legacies, including colonialism, enslavement, racism, fascism, sectarianism, anti-semitism, communism, authoritarianism, sexual violence and others. To address these often contested legacies, decision-makers and other parties have chosen various remedies. This can take the form of complete removal of the monument, artistic intervention to alter the statue or increased signage for contextualisation.
Case Studies focus on the historical background, history of the contestation, the decision-making process and the remedy employed. Once our Researchers complete them, the Case Studies are internally reviewed by the Contested Histories Team before being sent out for external expert review by our Academic Committee before publication. They are revised when new developments relating to the case to give the most accurate and up-to-date overview possible.
#51
National Democratic Party’s Headquarters in Cairo
Egypt
During the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the Headquarters of then-President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party were set on fire. While initially, the building was not intended as a monument,… Read More
National Democratic Party’s Headquarters in Cairo
During the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the Headquarters of then-President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party were set on fire. While initially, the building was not intended as a monument,… Read More
During the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the Headquarters of then-President Hosni Mubarak’s National Democratic Party were set on fire. While initially, the building was not intended as a monument, it acquired intense symbolic significance in the aftermath of the revolution. Co… Read More
#244
Mbuya Nehanda Statue in Harare
Zimbabwe
The legend around the figure of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, popularly known as Mbuya Nehanda, an anti-colonial leader and spirit medium, revolves around the interplay between the Zimbabwean pre-coloni… Read More
Mbuya Nehanda Statue in Harare
The legend around the figure of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, popularly known as Mbuya Nehanda, an anti-colonial leader and spirit medium, revolves around the interplay between the Zimbabwean pre-coloni… Read More
The legend around the figure of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, popularly known as Mbuya Nehanda, an anti-colonial leader and spirit medium, revolves around the interplay between the Zimbabwean pre-colonial past and its neo-colonial present. The government initially proposed dedicati… Read More
#173
Edward Colston Statue in Bristol
UK
The legacy of Edward Colston, a Bristol-born merchant and Royal African Company executive, involves a complex history relating to local politics, educational institutions, and organisations in Bristol… Read More
Edward Colston Statue in Bristol
The legacy of Edward Colston, a Bristol-born merchant and Royal African Company executive, involves a complex history relating to local politics, educational institutions, and organisations in Bristol… Read More
The legacy of Edward Colston, a Bristol-born merchant and Royal African Company executive, involves a complex history relating to local politics, educational institutions, and organisations in Bristol. For many years, the Society of Merchant Venturers, which held significant infl… Read More
#119
Skenderbeu Monument in Skopje
North Macedonia
The Skopje 2014 project, whose objective was to create a ‘homogenised space’ that showcased Macedonian history and culture, was decisive for installing the Sekenderbeu monument. Even though the monume… Read More
Skenderbeu Monument in Skopje
The Skopje 2014 project, whose objective was to create a ‘homogenised space’ that showcased Macedonian history and culture, was decisive for installing the Sekenderbeu monument. Even though the monume… Read More
The Skopje 2014 project, whose objective was to create a ‘homogenised space’ that showcased Macedonian history and culture, was decisive for installing the Sekenderbeu monument. Even though the monument was planned to promote unity between the different ethnicities of the country… Read More
#442
Prince Albert Statue in Dublin
Ireland
Unveiled in 1871, this statue commemorates Prince Albert – the husband and Prince Consort of Queen Victoria – in the grounds of Leinster House. The statue was moved to its current position in 19… Read More
Prince Albert Statue in Dublin
Unveiled in 1871, this statue commemorates Prince Albert – the husband and Prince Consort of Queen Victoria – in the grounds of Leinster House. The statue was moved to its current position in 19… Read More
Unveiled in 1871, this statue commemorates Prince Albert – the husband and Prince Consort of Queen Victoria – in the grounds of Leinster House. The statue was moved to its current position in 1923, replaced by a Cenotaph memorial to Arthur Griffith and Michael Collins. In 2… Read More
#510
Bright Bimpong Freedom Statue in Copenhagen
Denmark
A copy of Bright Bimpong’s Freedom statue was gifted to Denmark by individuals from the Virgin Islands in 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of Denmark selling the islands to the United States. In 20… Read More
Bright Bimpong Freedom Statue in Copenhagen
A copy of Bright Bimpong’s Freedom statue was gifted to Denmark by individuals from the Virgin Islands in 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of Denmark selling the islands to the United States. In 20… Read More
A copy of Bright Bimpong’s Freedom statue was gifted to Denmark by individuals from the Virgin Islands in 2017, to mark the 100th anniversary of Denmark selling the islands to the United States. In 2019, the statue was finally placed in front of Eigtveds Pakhus, a colonial-era wa… Read More
#216
Robert E. Lee Statue in Charlottesville, Virginia
USA
The equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been the site of significant contention since 2012. Debates surrounding the monument intensified in 2016 with the establishment… Read More
Robert E. Lee Statue in Charlottesville, Virginia
The equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been the site of significant contention since 2012. Debates surrounding the monument intensified in 2016 with the establishment… Read More
The equestrian statue of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesville, Virginia, has been the site of significant contention since 2012. Debates surrounding the monument intensified in 2016 with the establishment of a City Council commission and escalated in 2017 to a violent rally that left… Read More
#150
King Gustav III Statue in Stockholm
Sweden
In June 2020 the chairman of Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund (the Afro-Swedish National Federation) called for the removal of a statue of Gustav III, the king who brought Sweden into the transatlantic sla… Read More
King Gustav III Statue in Stockholm
In June 2020 the chairman of Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund (the Afro-Swedish National Federation) called for the removal of a statue of Gustav III, the king who brought Sweden into the transatlantic sla… Read More
In June 2020 the chairman of Afrosvenskarnas riksförbund (the Afro-Swedish National Federation) called for the removal of a statue of Gustav III, the king who brought Sweden into the transatlantic slave trade and made Sweden a colonising power through his purchase of the Caribbea… Read More
#167
Rhodes Statue at Oriel College in Oxford, England
UK
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford was established to protest against the statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College. The initial two-year campaign led to pr… Read More
Rhodes Statue at Oriel College in Oxford, England
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford was established to protest against the statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College. The initial two-year campaign led to pr… Read More
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford was established to protest against the statue of British imperialist Cecil Rhodes at Oriel College. The initial two-year campaign led to promises from Oriel to contextualise the monument, which ultimately went unfulfill… Read More
#118
Remembering British Colonialism and the Biafran War in Multiple Sites
Nigeria
The era of British colonisation and the Biafran War are the significant moments that have defined present-day Nigeria. The British occupation of Nigeria lasted from the 1880s until October 1 1960, whe… Read More
Remembering British Colonialism and the Biafran War in Multiple Sites
The era of British colonisation and the Biafran War are the significant moments that have defined present-day Nigeria. The British occupation of Nigeria lasted from the 1880s until October 1 1960, whe… Read More
The era of British colonisation and the Biafran War are the significant moments that have defined present-day Nigeria. The British occupation of Nigeria lasted from the 1880s until October 1 1960, when the country gained independence. Long-standing divisions between the three mai… Read More
#530
Georgios Grivas Statue in Limassol
Cyprus
From 1955 to 1960, the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) waged a campaign of violence and terror against the British authorities occupying Cyprus with the goal of enosis — union with Greece. Read More
Georgios Grivas Statue in Limassol
From 1955 to 1960, the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) waged a campaign of violence and terror against the British authorities occupying Cyprus with the goal of enosis — union with Greece. Read More
From 1955 to 1960, the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) waged a campaign of violence and terror against the British authorities occupying Cyprus with the goal of enosis — union with Greece. Under the leadership of Georgios Grivas, EOKA was an insurgent group that carrie… Read More
#132
Sighet Memorial in Sighetu Marmației
Romania
The Sighet Memorial is housed in a former Stalinist prison in Sighet that under Communist rule in Romania housed high profile political prisoners. The Memorial provides insight on the repression by co… Read More
Sighet Memorial in Sighetu Marmației
The Sighet Memorial is housed in a former Stalinist prison in Sighet that under Communist rule in Romania housed high profile political prisoners. The Memorial provides insight on the repression by co… Read More
The Sighet Memorial is housed in a former Stalinist prison in Sighet that under Communist rule in Romania housed high profile political prisoners. The Memorial provides insight on the repression by communist regimes in Europe throughout the 20th century, including the resultant d… Read More