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.
#248
Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria
South Africa
The Voortrekker monument is a large granite building which represents Dutch settler nationalism in South Africa. It was built as an attempt to construct a narrative of Afrikaner nationalist pride, tyi… Read More
Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria
The Voortrekker monument is a large granite building which represents Dutch settler nationalism in South Africa. It was built as an attempt to construct a narrative of Afrikaner nationalist pride, tyi… Read More
The Voortrekker monument is a large granite building which represents Dutch settler nationalism in South Africa. It was built as an attempt to construct a narrative of Afrikaner nationalist pride, tying it in with a complicated legacy of colonialism and racial prejudice. It has t… Read More
#435
Puente Aranda Murals in Bogotá
Colombia
The project ‘Open Museum of Bogotá: painting in the public space’ was organised by the District Institute of Arts (IDARTES) and Urban Development Institute (IDU), with the support of the Mayor of Bogo… Read More
Puente Aranda Murals in Bogotá
The project ‘Open Museum of Bogotá: painting in the public space’ was organised by the District Institute of Arts (IDARTES) and Urban Development Institute (IDU), with the support of the Mayor of Bogo… Read More
The project ‘Open Museum of Bogotá: painting in the public space’ was organised by the District Institute of Arts (IDARTES) and Urban Development Institute (IDU), with the support of the Mayor of Bogotá, Claudia López. Part of the initiative aimed to decorate eleven bridges acros… Read More
#211
Rumours of War in Richmond, Virginia
United States
Almost a century after the last Confederate monument was erected in the heart of Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, a new counter-monument was installed in 2019 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Ar… Read More
Rumours of War in Richmond, Virginia
Almost a century after the last Confederate monument was erected in the heart of Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, a new counter-monument was installed in 2019 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Ar… Read More
Almost a century after the last Confederate monument was erected in the heart of Richmond, the state capital of Virginia, a new counter-monument was installed in 2019 by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Modelled after its neighbouring Confederate statues, the equestrian statue o… Read More
#421
Monument to the Flag in São Paulo
Brazil
The Monument to the Flags is a monument in São Paulo, Brazil, that commemorates the Bandeirantes Paulistas. A group of colonists explored the territory of the Portuguese colony as Brazil expanded its… Read More
Monument to the Flag in São Paulo
The Monument to the Flags is a monument in São Paulo, Brazil, that commemorates the Bandeirantes Paulistas. A group of colonists explored the territory of the Portuguese colony as Brazil expanded its… Read More
The Monument to the Flags is a monument in São Paulo, Brazil, that commemorates the Bandeirantes Paulistas. A group of colonists explored the territory of the Portuguese colony as Brazil expanded its limits. The Monument, designed by Victor Brecheret, is one of the most significa… Read More
#280
Explorers’ Monument in Fremantle
Australia
In February 1913, the killing of three settlers by Aboriginal people in 1864 was commemorated with the unveiling of the Explorers’ Monument. Yet the history remembered by the memorial was just one sid… Read More
Explorers’ Monument in Fremantle
In February 1913, the killing of three settlers by Aboriginal people in 1864 was commemorated with the unveiling of the Explorers’ Monument. Yet the history remembered by the memorial was just one sid… Read More
In February 1913, the killing of three settlers by Aboriginal people in 1864 was commemorated with the unveiling of the Explorers’ Monument. Yet the history remembered by the memorial was just one side of the story – its plaque failed to mention the deaths of almost 40 Abor… Read More
#42
Stone Flower at Jasenovac Concentration Camp
Croatia
The Kameni cvijet (Stone Flower) monument stands to honour the victims of Jasenovic, the largest concentration camp run by the Croatian Ustaša government during World War II. It took several decades… Read More
Stone Flower at Jasenovac Concentration Camp
The Kameni cvijet (Stone Flower) monument stands to honour the victims of Jasenovic, the largest concentration camp run by the Croatian Ustaša government during World War II. It took several decades… Read More
The Kameni cvijet (Stone Flower) monument stands to honour the victims of Jasenovic, the largest concentration camp run by the Croatian Ustaša government during World War II. It took several decades to be built, primarily due to contestations between the Croatian far-right and… Read More
#215
Slave Auction Site Plaque in Charlottesville, Virginia
United States
On February 6, 2020, a historical plaque marking the site of a slave auction went missing in Charlottesville, Virginia. For some residents, the removal of the plaque revived complaints about the inade… Read More
Slave Auction Site Plaque in Charlottesville, Virginia
On February 6, 2020, a historical plaque marking the site of a slave auction went missing in Charlottesville, Virginia. For some residents, the removal of the plaque revived complaints about the inade… Read More
On February 6, 2020, a historical plaque marking the site of a slave auction went missing in Charlottesville, Virginia. For some residents, the removal of the plaque revived complaints about the inadequacy of the memorial; others felt the removal erased Black history. Five days l… Read More
#106
Duke of Sutherland Monument on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie, Scotland
United Kingdom
The Duke of Sutherland statue from 1837 has been contested already since the 1990s, when organisations and locals from the Highlands asked for its removal due to the Duke’s involvement in the Highland… Read More
Duke of Sutherland Monument on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie, Scotland
The Duke of Sutherland statue from 1837 has been contested already since the 1990s, when organisations and locals from the Highlands asked for its removal due to the Duke’s involvement in the Highland… Read More
The Duke of Sutherland statue from 1837 has been contested already since the 1990s, when organisations and locals from the Highlands asked for its removal due to the Duke’s involvement in the Highland clearances. In the last decades there have been different petitions and actions… Read More
#545
Bridge Honestino Guimares
Brazil
The Bridge Costa e Silva (named after the 2nd president of Brazil’s military dictatorship) in Brasília, Brazil, was inaugurated on February 6 1976, by the military president Ernesto Geisel, connecting… Read More
Bridge Honestino Guimares
The Bridge Costa e Silva (named after the 2nd president of Brazil’s military dictatorship) in Brasília, Brazil, was inaugurated on February 6 1976, by the military president Ernesto Geisel, connecting… Read More
The Bridge Costa e Silva (named after the 2nd president of Brazil’s military dictatorship) in Brasília, Brazil, was inaugurated on February 6 1976, by the military president Ernesto Geisel, connecting the ‘Lago Sul’ neighbourhood to Brasília’s downtown. Its name has been targeted… Read More
#43
Marshal Konev Statue in Prague
Czech Republic
In the Spring of 2020, the Prague 6 Municipality removed the monument to Marshal Konev from Náměstí Interbrigády (International Brigade Square). The statue had a long history of contestation and was e… Read More
Marshal Konev Statue in Prague
In the Spring of 2020, the Prague 6 Municipality removed the monument to Marshal Konev from Náměstí Interbrigády (International Brigade Square). The statue had a long history of contestation and was e… Read More
In the Spring of 2020, the Prague 6 Municipality removed the monument to Marshal Konev from Náměstí Interbrigády (International Brigade Square). The statue had a long history of contestation and was eventually removed in 2020 following a successful petition campaign the previous… Read More
#108
Van Heutz Indië-Nederland Monument in Amsterdam
Netherlands
Since its unveiling in 1935, the ‘Van Heutsz’ Monument has faced controversy surrounding the legacy of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, attributed to General Jo van Heutsz. The monument has survived de… Read More
Van Heutz Indië-Nederland Monument in Amsterdam
Since its unveiling in 1935, the ‘Van Heutsz’ Monument has faced controversy surrounding the legacy of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, attributed to General Jo van Heutsz. The monument has survived de… Read More
Since its unveiling in 1935, the ‘Van Heutsz’ Monument has faced controversy surrounding the legacy of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, attributed to General Jo van Heutsz. The monument has survived defacement, two bomb attacks, and years of decay. In 2001, in response to increasi… Read More
#99
Victor Schœlcher Statues in Fort-de-France and Schœlcher
Martinique, France
In May 2020, two statues of French administrator Victor Schoelcher were destroyed in Martinique by members of the local youth group Ligue de Défense Noire Africaine (LDNA/Black African Defence League)… Read More
Victor Schœlcher Statues in Fort-de-France and Schœlcher
In May 2020, two statues of French administrator Victor Schoelcher were destroyed in Martinique by members of the local youth group Ligue de Défense Noire Africaine (LDNA/Black African Defence League)… Read More
In May 2020, two statues of French administrator Victor Schoelcher were destroyed in Martinique by members of the local youth group Ligue de Défense Noire Africaine (LDNA/Black African Defence League). Despite being a celebrated figure for his role in abolishing slavery in the Fr… Read More