Memorial

#113

National Holocaust Names Memorial in Amsterdam

Netherlands

By Contested Histories Initiative

In 2013, the City of Amsterdam decided to build a memorial to the Dutch Jews, Sinti and Roma, who were murdered during the Holocaust. Circa 102,000 — between 75 and 80 percent of the Netherlands’ Jewish population — were killed during World War II, the highest rate in Western Europe. Read More

#490

Martyrs of War Memorial in Algiers

Algeria

By Contested Histories Initiative

In 2020, French Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin sparked controversy during his visit to Algeria after posting a video on Twitter attending a memorial at the Monument of the Martyr (makam el-chahid) in Algiers. The monument was inaugurated in 1982 to mark the 20th anniversary of Algerian independence from France and… Read More

#94

Victory Monument in Riga

Latvia

By Contested Histories Initiative

The ‘Victory Monument’ in Riga, imbued with the historical memory of World War II and thelegacy of Soviet rule, has been the subject of a long-standing contestation in Latvian society.While some view it as a symbol of Soviet victory against Germany in World War II, othersregard it as a symbol… Read More

Statue in Peru of circles of pebbles in the middle of park with hunched figure in centre

Peru: The Battlefield of Memories

By Javier Lizarzaburu 24 August 2021

There is no monument more contested in Lima than El Ojo que Llora (The Eye That Cries). Almost from the beginning it has been opposed and vandalized. A few years ago, the serenity and beauty of the area, in one of the main parks in the city, was compromised when… Read More

#144

Valley of the Fallen in Madrid

Spain

By Jade

The Valley of the Fallen in Madrid was built in the 1940s by order of dictator Francisco Franco and, was in part, built by forced labour from political prisoners. Its aim was to be a mausoleum for victims of the Civil War from the Francoist side but at the end… Read More

#101

Monument to Absence in Mexico City

Mexico

By Jade

The Monument to Absence commemorates the 1968 Tlatelolco Massacre when governmentforces opened fire on a student protest at Mexico City’s Plaza de las Tres Culturas (Square of theThree Cultures). The monument was created in collaboration with the Executive Commission forAttention to Victims (CEAV) and the University Cultural Centre Tlatelolco (CCUT). Read More

Section of the National Stadium of Chilie in Santiago
#29

The Stands of Dignity and Escotilla 8 in Santiago

Chile

By Jade

Following the military coup against Salvador Allende in September 1973, the Chilean Armed Forces transformed the former stadium of Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Prádanos into the country’s largest detention centre for political prisoners, where abuse was rife. Following the transition to democracy, the Estadio Nacional possessed a complicated status functioning… Read More

An Archival image of the Coolela Battlefield Memorial
#102

Coolela Battlefield Memorial in Mandlakazi (Manjacaze)

Mozambique

By Contested Histories Initiative

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 1890s to celebrate their victory and conquest and to honour… Read More

The Memorial to Comfort Women, with a woman sitting down, covered in fresh flowers with explanatory papers and plaques in front.
#224

Statue of Peace in Berlin

Germany

By Contested Histories Initiative May 2021

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 installation drew criticism from Japanese officials. Although the Berlin-Mitte district… Read More

umn of Strength in San Francisco consists of three women grasping hands with their backs towards one another.
#205

‘Comfort Women’ Column of Strength in San Francisco, California

United States of America

By Contested Histories Initiative July 2021

In 2017, a civil society organisation unveiled a San Francisco monument dedicated to the “comfort women,” women compelled to provide sexual services for the Japanese military during World War II. The monument became the centre of an international conflict, with both passionate supporters and fierce critics of the monument and… Read More

Two whales, as part of the Australia cook landing sculptures.
#9

Captain Cook Landing Sculptures in Botany Bay, Sydney

Australia

By Contested Histories Initiative July 2021

Captain James Cook’s landing site at Kamay Botany Bay has been a focus of public debate, contestation, commemoration, celebration, and mourning in Australia since the 1860s. The recent controversies over the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Cook’s landing presented a new opportunity for multi-stakeholder discussions to take place. Focused… Read More