Colonialism Archives - Contested Histories

Louis Faidherbe Statue & Landmarks in Saint-Louis

Paula — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 10:00:00 +0000

On September 5, 2017, a 126-year-old statue of Senegaal (Senegal) governor, Louis Faidherbe, collapsed after heavy rain and winds. The accident sparked a protest among activists and religious communities across Senegal. Minimising the extent of the protest, local authorities restored the statue within a few days, resulting in even more controversy, with debates on social media and in the local and international press. Demands to bring down the statue collided with local authorities’ fears of losing the UNESCO World Heritage Site status and subsidies from the French government.

The post Louis Faidherbe Statue & Landmarks in Saint-Louis appeared first on Contested Histories.

Macdonald Statue in Victoria

Paula — Mon, 01 Jun 2026 10:00:00 +0000

In August 2018, the Victoria City Council’s decision to remove a statue of Sir John A Macdonald, Canada’s first Prime Minister, from outside the City Hall sparked controversy due to the lack of transparency in the public consultation process. This case study explores how public consultation can shape the perception of controversial statues and how these decisions affect wider goals of historical reconciliation.

The post Macdonald Statue in Victoria appeared first on Contested Histories.

Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria

Paula — Mon, 04 May 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 thus been subject to criticism over its place in modern South Africa. Since the fall of apartheid, a counter-monument of Freedom Park has served to re-contextualise in physical space the distinctions drawn between settler and African identities. However, the legacy of the Voortrekker monument remains controversial. This case study shows the challenges of reckoning with the material histories of colonialist regimes in postcolonial nations and the challenges of addressing legacies of racism in post-apartheid societies.

The post Voortrekker Monument in Pretoria appeared first on Contested Histories.

Rumours of War in Richmond, Virginia

Paula — Mon, 06 Apr 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 of a Black man is a rare addition that serves to re-contextualise a space rife with contested monuments. This case study explores the role counter-monuments can play in the diversification of artistic representations in public spaces.

The post Rumours of War in Richmond, Virginia appeared first on Contested Histories.

Monument to the Flag in São Paulo

Paula — Mon, 23 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 significant statues in the state. The story of the Bandeirantes plays a significant role in the cultural and physical territory of São Paulo, and many regard them as ‘heroes and founding fathers’. However, the figure of the Bandeirantes started to be contested in the early 2010s due to the questionable way they treated natives and enslaved people during their expeditions. This case study examines the impact of the Monument on changing Brazilian society and the ongoing salience of its contestation process to the present day.

The post Monument to the Flag in São Paulo appeared first on Contested Histories.

Explorers’ Monument in Fremantle

Paula — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 Aboriginal people by the three settlers and the punitive recovery expedition. In 1994, a second plaque was added to the monument, recognising the right of Aboriginal people to defend their land and commemorating all Aboriginal people who died in the invasion of Australia.

The post Explorers’ Monument in Fremantle appeared first on Contested Histories.

Slave Auction Site Plaque in Charlottesville, Virginia

Paula — Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 later, police arrested a local activist who admitted he removed the plaque, calling its placement in the pavement insulting. Community members created a temporary memorial with flowers and signs at the original site. In response, Charlottesville’s City Council commissioned the Historic Resources Committee to evaluate how best to commemorate the location’s history. Following the Committee’s efforts on March 3, 2025, a new marker was unveiled that included expanded historical context and humanised the victims of the slave auctions. This case study highlights how the removal of a contested marker became an opportunity for deeper historical recognition of the legacy of slavery in Virginia.

The post Slave Auction Site Plaque in Charlottesville, Virginia appeared first on Contested Histories.

Duke of Sutherland Monument on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie, Scotland

Paula — Mon, 26 Jan 2026 10:00:00 +0000

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 asking for its removal, for example, in 2007 there was a counter-monument erected. The contestation continues until today, especially after the social movement of 2020 and the discussion on how to deal with British statues linked to slavery and imperialism. This case illustrates the local activism attempts at removing and contextualising Sutherland’s statue.

The post Duke of Sutherland Monument on Ben Bhraggie in Golspie, Scotland appeared first on Contested Histories.

Van Heutz Indië-Nederland Monument in Amsterdam

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 increasing scrutiny, the Amsterdam Oud-Zuid district council renamed the site to ‘Monument Indië-Nederland.’ This case study examines the transition from honouring Van Heutsz to commemorating colonisation in the context of recent acknowledgements from King Willem-Alexander and a continued social debate on the legacy of slavery and colonialism.

The post Van Heutz Indië-Nederland Monument in Amsterdam appeared first on Contested Histories.

Victor Schœlcher Statues in Fort-de-France and Schœlcher

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 17 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 French colonies, Schoelcher’s legacy has come under increased contestation over the last decade. However, the toppling of these statues disguises a broader conversation that transcends the individual figure of Schoelcher, including enduring colonial legacies and the very telling of Martinique’s national history. This case study examines the reasons that motivated the attack on Shoelcher’s statues and the political authority’s response to these actions. It underscores the degree to which these events reflect conflicting top-down and bottom-up interpretations of Martinique’s national history, symbols, and memory.

The post Victor Schœlcher Statues in Fort-de-France and Schœlcher appeared first on Contested Histories.