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.
#47
Marian Column in Prague
Czech Republic
On February 15, 2020, work began on re-erecting the Marian Column Monument in Prague, which had been torn down on November 3, 1918. The column had stood in Old Town Square for more than 250 years befo… Read More
Marian Column in Prague
On February 15, 2020, work began on re-erecting the Marian Column Monument in Prague, which had been torn down on November 3, 1918. The column had stood in Old Town Square for more than 250 years befo… Read More
On February 15, 2020, work began on re-erecting the Marian Column Monument in Prague, which had been torn down on November 3, 1918. The column had stood in Old Town Square for more than 250 years before becoming the focus of tensions between religious and nationalist groups. Prop… Read More
#127
Brotherhood in Arms Monument in Warsaw
Poland
The Brotherhood in Arms monument was the first post-Second World War monument placed in Warsaw in Vilnius Square. The public contestation of the monument began after Poland gained independence in 1989… Read More
Brotherhood in Arms Monument in Warsaw
The Brotherhood in Arms monument was the first post-Second World War monument placed in Warsaw in Vilnius Square. The public contestation of the monument began after Poland gained independence in 1989… Read More
The Brotherhood in Arms monument was the first post-Second World War monument placed in Warsaw in Vilnius Square. The public contestation of the monument began after Poland gained independence in 1989, although grievances against it might have been aired within opposition circles… Read More
#289
Matilda Newport Statue in Monrovia
Liberia
The Matilda Newport Monument in Monrovia, Liberia, commemorates the victory of American free Black settlers over the indigenous population in battle in 1822. The protagonist of the story, Matilda Newp… Read More
Matilda Newport Statue in Monrovia
The Matilda Newport Monument in Monrovia, Liberia, commemorates the victory of American free Black settlers over the indigenous population in battle in 1822. The protagonist of the story, Matilda Newp… Read More
The Matilda Newport Monument in Monrovia, Liberia, commemorates the victory of American free Black settlers over the indigenous population in battle in 1822. The protagonist of the story, Matilda Newport, is credited with lighting a cannon that resulted in the defeat of the nativ… Read More
#32
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing
China
The Nanjing Memorial Hall commemorating the six weeks of Japanese occupation in the Sino-Japanese War remains a key point of contention in Sino-Japanese relations. This case study explores how contest… Read More
Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall in Nanjing
The Nanjing Memorial Hall commemorating the six weeks of Japanese occupation in the Sino-Japanese War remains a key point of contention in Sino-Japanese relations. This case study explores how contest… Read More
The Nanjing Memorial Hall commemorating the six weeks of Japanese occupation in the Sino-Japanese War remains a key point of contention in Sino-Japanese relations. This case study explores how contested historical events can lead to the construction of national identities and the… Read More
#350
Mohrentrasse Street Renaming in Berlin
Germany
This case study examines the renaming process of the street ‘Mohrenstraße’ to Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße and its corresponding underground train station in Berlin, Germany. The decision to rename came a… Read More
Mohrentrasse Street Renaming in Berlin
This case study examines the renaming process of the street ‘Mohrenstraße’ to Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße and its corresponding underground train station in Berlin, Germany. The decision to rename came a… Read More
This case study examines the renaming process of the street ‘Mohrenstraße’ to Anton-Wilhelm-Amo-Straße and its corresponding underground train station in Berlin, Germany. The decision to rename came after several years of debate and initiatives from various societal actors and ac… Read More
#124
Filipina Comfort Women in Manila
Philippines
Filipina Comfort Women was a statue erected on 8 December 2017 along Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard, in Manila. The contestation began days after the statue’s installation with a request for background info… Read More
Filipina Comfort Women in Manila
Filipina Comfort Women was a statue erected on 8 December 2017 along Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard, in Manila. The contestation began days after the statue’s installation with a request for background info… Read More
Filipina Comfort Women was a statue erected on 8 December 2017 along Baywalk, Roxas Boulevard, in Manila. The contestation began days after the statue’s installation with a request for background information by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Japanese Minister for Intern… Read More
#194
Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia
USA
In the years after the Confederate States of America (often referred to as the ‘Confederacy’) lost the American Civil War in 1865, several groups established memorials to Confederate leaders across th… Read More
Monument Avenue in Richmond, Virginia
In the years after the Confederate States of America (often referred to as the ‘Confederacy’) lost the American Civil War in 1865, several groups established memorials to Confederate leaders across th… Read More
In the years after the Confederate States of America (often referred to as the ‘Confederacy’) lost the American Civil War in 1865, several groups established memorials to Confederate leaders across the South. Five Confederate statues were erected on Monument Avenue in Richmond, o… Read More
#241
Omarska Camp in Prijedor
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Omarska Concentration Camp in Prijedor is notorious for being the site of the 1992 PrijedorMassacre during the Bosnian War; it featured prominently in several trials for the perpetrationof internation… Read More
Omarska Camp in Prijedor
Omarska Concentration Camp in Prijedor is notorious for being the site of the 1992 PrijedorMassacre during the Bosnian War; it featured prominently in several trials for the perpetrationof internation… Read More
Omarska Concentration Camp in Prijedor is notorious for being the site of the 1992 PrijedorMassacre during the Bosnian War; it featured prominently in several trials for the perpetrationof international crimes undertaken by the International Criminal Tribunal of the FormerYugosla… Read More
#46
Boris Nemtsov Square in Prague
Czech Republic
On February 27, 2016, several Czech citizens started a petition to rename Prague’s Under the Chestnuts Square, the site of Russia’s Embassy in the Czech Republic, in honour of the murdered Kremlin cri… Read More
Boris Nemtsov Square in Prague
On February 27, 2016, several Czech citizens started a petition to rename Prague’s Under the Chestnuts Square, the site of Russia’s Embassy in the Czech Republic, in honour of the murdered Kremlin cri… Read More
On February 27, 2016, several Czech citizens started a petition to rename Prague’s Under the Chestnuts Square, the site of Russia’s Embassy in the Czech Republic, in honour of the murdered Kremlin critic, Boris Nemtsov. The Prague City Council finalised the renaming on February 2… Read More
#440
Major Dick Dowling Plaque in Tuam
Ireland
Richard ‘Dick’ Dowling was an Irish-born emigrant to the United States who became famous forhis military exploits for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. In 1998, his Americandescendants unveil… Read More
Major Dick Dowling Plaque in Tuam
Richard ‘Dick’ Dowling was an Irish-born emigrant to the United States who became famous forhis military exploits for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. In 1998, his Americandescendants unveil… Read More
Richard ‘Dick’ Dowling was an Irish-born emigrant to the United States who became famous forhis military exploits for the Confederacy in the American Civil War. In 1998, his Americandescendants unveiled a plaque on the wall of Tuam town hall to commemorate him in his place ofbirt… Read More
#33
Lenin Statue in Belonia Town
India
The presence of the Lenin statue in the Indian town of Belonia has been a long-time subject of heated debate between the local Communist Party and the ruling Bharat Janatiya Party. After the BJP won s… Read More
Lenin Statue in Belonia Town
The presence of the Lenin statue in the Indian town of Belonia has been a long-time subject of heated debate between the local Communist Party and the ruling Bharat Janatiya Party. After the BJP won s… Read More
The presence of the Lenin statue in the Indian town of Belonia has been a long-time subject of heated debate between the local Communist Party and the ruling Bharat Janatiya Party. After the BJP won seats in the area, unsettling the long-term rule of the area by the Communist Par… Read More
#1
The Pyramid in Tirana
Albania
Constructed in 1988, during Albania’s communist regime (1946-1991), the Qendra Ndërkombëtare e Kulturës “Pjetër Arbnori” (International Cultural Centre “Pjetër Arbnori”), best… Read More
The Pyramid in Tirana
Constructed in 1988, during Albania’s communist regime (1946-1991), the Qendra Ndërkombëtare e Kulturës “Pjetër Arbnori” (International Cultural Centre “Pjetër Arbnori”), best… Read More
Constructed in 1988, during Albania’s communist regime (1946-1991), the Qendra Ndërkombëtare e Kulturës “Pjetër Arbnori” (International Cultural Centre “Pjetër Arbnori”), best known as the “Pyramid of Tirana” used to commemorate Albania’s communist dictato… Read More