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.
#95
Martyr’s Square and Statue in Beirut
Lebanon
Martyrs’ Square, a public space in Beirut, Lebanon, has a century-long history as a cultural symbol and centre of political resistance. Throughout multiple transformations and governmental regimes, Ma… Read More
Martyr’s Square and Statue in Beirut
Martyrs’ Square, a public space in Beirut, Lebanon, has a century-long history as a cultural symbol and centre of political resistance. Throughout multiple transformations and governmental regimes, Ma… Read More
Martyrs’ Square, a public space in Beirut, Lebanon, has a century-long history as a cultural symbol and centre of political resistance. Throughout multiple transformations and governmental regimes, Martyrs’ Square has represented the confl icts and turmoil of Lebanon itself. The… Read More
#38
Ahn Jung-geun Memorial in Harbin
China
In 2014, the Ahn Jung-geun memorial was inaugurated in Harbin railway station, China. Itspurpose was to commemorate the Korean patriot who assassinated the Japanese statesman ItoHirobumi in 1909, in t… Read More
Ahn Jung-geun Memorial in Harbin
In 2014, the Ahn Jung-geun memorial was inaugurated in Harbin railway station, China. Itspurpose was to commemorate the Korean patriot who assassinated the Japanese statesman ItoHirobumi in 1909, in t… Read More
In 2014, the Ahn Jung-geun memorial was inaugurated in Harbin railway station, China. Itspurpose was to commemorate the Korean patriot who assassinated the Japanese statesman ItoHirobumi in 1909, in this very station, as an act of resistance against Meiji Japan’s imperialexpansio… Read More
#66
76th Infantry Regiment Memorial in Hamburg
Germany
The 76th Infantry Regiment Memorial was built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936 to commemorate soldiers who had died in the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. The memorial, constructed during Nat… Read More
76th Infantry Regiment Memorial in Hamburg
The 76th Infantry Regiment Memorial was built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936 to commemorate soldiers who had died in the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. The memorial, constructed during Nat… Read More
The 76th Infantry Regiment Memorial was built in Hamburg, Germany, in 1936 to commemorate soldiers who had died in the Franco-Prussian War and the First World War. The memorial, constructed during National Socialist rule, has been criticised for glorifying military conflict. This… Read More
#498
Victims of Political Repression Monument in Tayshet
Russia
In the summer of 2020, a monument to the victims of Stalinist political repression was unveiled in the city of Tayshet in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. On July 4, 2020, the monument was vandalised and defac… Read More
Victims of Political Repression Monument in Tayshet
In the summer of 2020, a monument to the victims of Stalinist political repression was unveiled in the city of Tayshet in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. On July 4, 2020, the monument was vandalised and defac… Read More
In the summer of 2020, a monument to the victims of Stalinist political repression was unveiled in the city of Tayshet in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia. On July 4, 2020, the monument was vandalised and defaced, making the inscription illegible. During Soviet rule, the Gulag camp Taishet… Read More
#79
Statue of Unity in Gujarat
India
On Vallabhai Jhaverbhai Patel’s 143rd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India’s tribute to him in the form of the world’s tallest statue. Standing at 182 metres, the Statue of Unity is a… Read More
Statue of Unity in Gujarat
On Vallabhai Jhaverbhai Patel’s 143rd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India’s tribute to him in the form of the world’s tallest statue. Standing at 182 metres, the Statue of Unity is a… Read More
On Vallabhai Jhaverbhai Patel’s 143rd birthday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled India’s tribute to him in the form of the world’s tallest statue. Standing at 182 metres, the Statue of Unity is almost double the height of the Statue of Liberty. It was revealed with military… Read More
#169
Codrington Library, All Souls College in Oxford
UK
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford began to place sustained pressureon All Souls College to confront the legacy of their ‘Codrington Library’ – named for the enslaveran… Read More
Codrington Library, All Souls College in Oxford
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford began to place sustained pressureon All Souls College to confront the legacy of their ‘Codrington Library’ – named for the enslaveran… Read More
In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford began to place sustained pressureon All Souls College to confront the legacy of their ‘Codrington Library’ – named for the enslaverand benefactor Christopher Codrington. Across two ‘waves’ of targeted protest in 2… Read More
#358
Modeste Testas Monument in Bordeaux
France
In September 2021, the Modeste Testas statue in Bordeaux, which commemorates the city’s involvement in the slave trade, was covered in white plaster. Initially, the City Council believed there w… Read More
Modeste Testas Monument in Bordeaux
In September 2021, the Modeste Testas statue in Bordeaux, which commemorates the city’s involvement in the slave trade, was covered in white plaster. Initially, the City Council believed there w… Read More
In September 2021, the Modeste Testas statue in Bordeaux, which commemorates the city’s involvement in the slave trade, was covered in white plaster. Initially, the City Council believed there were racist motives behind the move, so they issued a legal complaint and started… Read More
#15
Latin Bridge in Sarajevo
Bosnia and Herzegovina
The Latin Bridge, built in the 16th century, reached international fame as the place where, on 28 June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassina… Read More
Latin Bridge in Sarajevo
The Latin Bridge, built in the 16th century, reached international fame as the place where, on 28 June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassina… Read More
The Latin Bridge, built in the 16th century, reached international fame as the place where, on 28 June 1914, the heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were assassinated by Bosnian Serb Gavrilo Princip. This event is widely regarded as one of the… Read More
#77
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction in Uttar Pradesh
India
The Mughalsarai railway station, located in Uttar Pradesh, India, was built by the East India Company in 1862 during the British colonial era. Since then, it has been one of the busiest railway statio… Read More
Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction in Uttar Pradesh
The Mughalsarai railway station, located in Uttar Pradesh, India, was built by the East India Company in 1862 during the British colonial era. Since then, it has been one of the busiest railway statio… Read More
The Mughalsarai railway station, located in Uttar Pradesh, India, was built by the East India Company in 1862 during the British colonial era. Since then, it has been one of the busiest railway stations in India, providing a vital link for trade between the northern and eastern p… Read More
#364
Peace Memorial Complex in Hiroshima
Japan
The Peace Memorial Complex in Hiroshima memorialises the lives lost in the city’s 1945 atomic bombing and is a location to promote world peace. The site’s museum was established in 1955 and has underg… Read More
Peace Memorial Complex in Hiroshima
The Peace Memorial Complex in Hiroshima memorialises the lives lost in the city’s 1945 atomic bombing and is a location to promote world peace. The site’s museum was established in 1955 and has underg… Read More
The Peace Memorial Complex in Hiroshima memorialises the lives lost in the city’s 1945 atomic bombing and is a location to promote world peace. The site’s museum was established in 1955 and has undergone two major renovations. Yet, it continues to face criticism that it minimises… Read More
#438
Abdelkader Statue in Amboise
France
Inspired by historian Benjamin Stora’s recommendations on French-Algerian reconciliation regarding their tumultuous shared colonial history, the Amboise town council, backed by the Elysée Palace, comm… Read More
Abdelkader Statue in Amboise
Inspired by historian Benjamin Stora’s recommendations on French-Algerian reconciliation regarding their tumultuous shared colonial history, the Amboise town council, backed by the Elysée Palace, comm… Read More
Inspired by historian Benjamin Stora’s recommendations on French-Algerian reconciliation regarding their tumultuous shared colonial history, the Amboise town council, backed by the Elysée Palace, commissioned a sculpture to commemorate Emir Abdelkader, an anti-colonial fighter wh… Read More
#407
Marsha P. Johnson Statue in New York City
USA
In 2019, the New York City Council announced the installation of two monuments for Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which was a s… Read More
Marsha P. Johnson Statue in New York City
In 2019, the New York City Council announced the installation of two monuments for Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which was a s… Read More
In 2019, the New York City Council announced the installation of two monuments for Marsha P. Johnson and Sylvia Rivera in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which was a seminal moment for gay rights. After being postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic… Read More