Case Studies
To date, we have identified more than 600 cases across five continents. Our Case Studies relate to a wide array of historical legacies, including colonialism, enslavement, racism, fascism, sectarianism, 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 the complete removal of the monument, an 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 reviewed internally by the Contested Histories Team and then sent to our Academic Committee for external expert review before publication. They are revised when new developments in the case occur to provide the most accurate and up-to-date overview possible.
#27
Hans Egede Statue in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat
Greenland
The vandalism of the Hans Egede statue in June 2020, and subsequent discussions surrounding the suitability of its positioning upon a mountaintop in Nuuk, catalysed debate over the colonial past, pres… Read More
Hans Egede Statue in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat
The vandalism of the Hans Egede statue in June 2020, and subsequent discussions surrounding the suitability of its positioning upon a mountaintop in Nuuk, catalysed debate over the colonial past, pres… Read More
The vandalism of the Hans Egede statue in June 2020, and subsequent discussions surrounding the suitability of its positioning upon a mountaintop in Nuuk, catalysed debate over the colonial past, present, and future of Greenland, known to its indigenous population as Kalaallit Nu… Read More
#102
Coolela Battlefield Memorial in Mandlakazi (Manjacaze)
Mozambique
This memorial commemorates the 1895 Battle of Coolela, fought in Mozambique between the Portuguese colonial administration and their African allies, and the Gaza Empire led by Emperor Ngungunyane. The… Read More
Coolela Battlefield Memorial in Mandlakazi (Manjacaze)
This memorial commemorates the 1895 Battle of Coolela, fought in Mozambique between the Portuguese colonial administration and their African allies, and the Gaza Empire led by Emperor Ngungunyane. The… Read More
This memorial commemorates the 1895 Battle of Coolela, fought in Mozambique between the Portuguese colonial administration and their African allies, and the Gaza Empire led by Emperor Ngungunyane. The monument was originally created by the Portuguese administration in the late 18… Read More
#140
Cecil John Rhodes Statue at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town
South Africa
In 2015 the #Rhodesmustfall protests erupted at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The resulting debate and movement soon spread globally, with similar protests occurring at the University o… Read More
Cecil John Rhodes Statue at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town
In 2015 the #Rhodesmustfall protests erupted at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The resulting debate and movement soon spread globally, with similar protests occurring at the University o… Read More
In 2015 the #Rhodesmustfall protests erupted at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. The resulting debate and movement soon spread globally, with similar protests occurring at the University of Oxford. This case study shows how protests over symbolic historical representa… Read More
#177
Monument to Catherine II / Monument to the Founders of Odessa in Odesa
Ukraine
The Monuments to the Odessa Founders features prominently Catherine II of Russia and the men who assisted in the creation of the Russian Empire’s new southern frontier in Ukraine. The monument w… Read More
Monument to Catherine II / Monument to the Founders of Odessa in Odesa
The Monuments to the Odessa Founders features prominently Catherine II of Russia and the men who assisted in the creation of the Russian Empire’s new southern frontier in Ukraine. The monument w… Read More
The Monuments to the Odessa Founders features prominently Catherine II of Russia and the men who assisted in the creation of the Russian Empire’s new southern frontier in Ukraine. The monument was inaugurated in 1894, but the start of communist rule in Ukraine prompted a se… Read More
#11
Admiral Horatio Nelson Statue in Bridgetown
Barbados
Originally erected in 1813, the statue of British Colonial Admiral Horatio Nelson, enjoyed 206 years of undisturbed tenure in the centre of Bridgetown. However, in recent years Barbados has undergone… Read More
Admiral Horatio Nelson Statue in Bridgetown
Originally erected in 1813, the statue of British Colonial Admiral Horatio Nelson, enjoyed 206 years of undisturbed tenure in the centre of Bridgetown. However, in recent years Barbados has undergone… Read More
Originally erected in 1813, the statue of British Colonial Admiral Horatio Nelson, enjoyed 206 years of undisturbed tenure in the centre of Bridgetown. However, in recent years Barbados has undergone a journey of renewing national identity and demarcating new heroes, causing Nels… Read More
#96
Grūtas Sculpture Park in Druskininkai
Lithuania
The Grūtas Park was created to collect and display Soviet-era monuments that had been removed from public spaces following Lithuanian independence. This case study provides an example of an effective… Read More
Grūtas Sculpture Park in Druskininkai
The Grūtas Park was created to collect and display Soviet-era monuments that had been removed from public spaces following Lithuanian independence. This case study provides an example of an effective… Read More
The Grūtas Park was created to collect and display Soviet-era monuments that had been removed from public spaces following Lithuanian independence. This case study provides an example of an effective and alternate remedy to destruction or erasure of contested historical legacies,… Read More
#72
University of Ghana Gandhi Statue in Accra
Ghana
In June 2016, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was gifted to the University of Ghana in Accra, by the Indian President. Shortly after, staff and students at the University circulated a petition calling for… Read More
University of Ghana Gandhi Statue in Accra
In June 2016, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was gifted to the University of Ghana in Accra, by the Indian President. Shortly after, staff and students at the University circulated a petition calling for… Read More
In June 2016, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi was gifted to the University of Ghana in Accra, by the Indian President. Shortly after, staff and students at the University circulated a petition calling for the statue’s removal due to Gandhi’s racist writings on Africans. In 2018, two y… Read More
#100
Statue of Joséphine de Beauharnais in Fort-de-France
Martinique, France
The statue of Napoleon’s first wife, first Empress of the French, lingered beheaded in Martinique, one of the remaining overseas territories of France. In July 2020 the Statue was permanently de… Read More
Statue of Joséphine de Beauharnais in Fort-de-France
The statue of Napoleon’s first wife, first Empress of the French, lingered beheaded in Martinique, one of the remaining overseas territories of France. In July 2020 the Statue was permanently de… Read More
The statue of Napoleon’s first wife, first Empress of the French, lingered beheaded in Martinique, one of the remaining overseas territories of France. In July 2020 the Statue was permanently demolished. This case introduces the role of non-restoration as a memory policy to… Read More
#141
Ncome and Blood River Monuments on Ncombe River in Nquthu-Dundee
South Africa
On the 16th of December 1838 the infamous Battle of Blood River on the banks of the Ncome River between Zulu warriors and Afrikaans Voortrekkers took place. Commemoration and mythologization of the ba… Read More
Ncome and Blood River Monuments on Ncombe River in Nquthu-Dundee
On the 16th of December 1838 the infamous Battle of Blood River on the banks of the Ncome River between Zulu warriors and Afrikaans Voortrekkers took place. Commemoration and mythologization of the ba… Read More
On the 16th of December 1838 the infamous Battle of Blood River on the banks of the Ncome River between Zulu warriors and Afrikaans Voortrekkers took place. Commemoration and mythologization of the battle became a key focal point of the ethno-nationalism of each group and remaine… Read More
#224
Statue of Peace in Berlin
Germany
The ‘Statue of Peace’ in Berlin-Moabit commemorates ‘comfort women’, a euphemism for women who were sexually enslaved by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The memorial urges historical j… Read More
Statue of Peace in Berlin
The ‘Statue of Peace’ in Berlin-Moabit commemorates ‘comfort women’, a euphemism for women who were sexually enslaved by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The memorial urges historical j… Read More
The ‘Statue of Peace’ in Berlin-Moabit commemorates ‘comfort women’, a euphemism for women who were sexually enslaved by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. The memorial urges historical justice and reconciliation. After its unveiling in September 2020, the installati… Read More
#3
Statue of President General Julio Argentino Roca in Buenos Aires
Argentina
Former Argentine President Julio Argentino Roca remains a divisive and controversial figure in his home country. Despite forging the foundations of the modern Argentine state, Roca’s campaigns in Pata… Read More
Statue of President General Julio Argentino Roca in Buenos Aires
Former Argentine President Julio Argentino Roca remains a divisive and controversial figure in his home country. Despite forging the foundations of the modern Argentine state, Roca’s campaigns in Pata… Read More
Former Argentine President Julio Argentino Roca remains a divisive and controversial figure in his home country. Despite forging the foundations of the modern Argentine state, Roca’s campaigns in Patagonia in the ‘Conquest of the Desert’ campaign, has lead to claims that he perpe… Read More
#89
Tower of Peace in Miyazaki
Japan
Built in 1938, the Hakkō Ichiu Tower in the Miyazaki prefecture was meant to embody the Japanese spirit. The stone reliefs of the Tower, as well as the carving ‘Hakkō Ichiu’ represent a world under Ja… Read More
Tower of Peace in Miyazaki
Built in 1938, the Hakkō Ichiu Tower in the Miyazaki prefecture was meant to embody the Japanese spirit. The stone reliefs of the Tower, as well as the carving ‘Hakkō Ichiu’ represent a world under Ja… Read More
Built in 1938, the Hakkō Ichiu Tower in the Miyazaki prefecture was meant to embody the Japanese spirit. The stone reliefs of the Tower, as well as the carving ‘Hakkō Ichiu’ represent a world under Japanese rule. As a result of the Second World War, the slogan was removed. Read More