Monument

Statue of Stalin infront of Museum in Gori, Georgia
#62

Stalin Statue in Gori

Georgia

By Jade

The removal of the Stalin statue from the central square in Gori represents a top-down policy implementation approach to a contested historical monument. Such implementations of Georgia’s Freedom Charter illustrate the legal framework under which symbols, monuments and names of sites related to the Soviet past become reconfigured. However, positions… Read More

Statue of Hans Egede with staff blue sky and sea with wreath hanging on it
#27

Hans Egede Statue in Nuuk, Kalaallit Nunaat

Greenland

By Jade

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 Nunaat. Following a community-based political debate and vote,… Read More

Statue of Cecil Rhodes sitting locaded on steps of the Univerity of Cape Town campus.
#104

Cecil John Rhodes Statue at the University of Cape Town in Cape Town

South Africa

By Jade September 30, 2021

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 representations can draw wider attention to issues of structural… Read More

The equestrian statue of General Julio Roca, with office buildings behind it, and a street full of people in front.
#4

Statue of President General Julio Argentino Roca in Buenos Aires

Argentina

By Contested Histories Initiative July 2021

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 perpetrated genocide against indigenous Argentine populations. In the… Read More

Close up view of the tower of peace
#89

Tower of Peace in Miyazaki

Japan

By Contested Histories Initiative July 2021

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. In… Read More

Full shot view of Christopher Columbus Statue in Parque Colón, taken from the street with plaque visible
#4

Columbus Monument in Buenos Aires

Argentina

By Contested Histories Initiative

The Monument to Christopher Columbus has caused great controversy as part of the heritage and historical memory of Argentina. Opinions were divided between his legacy as a discoverer of the ‘New World’ or as a ‘perpetrator of genocide.’ After several legal disputes, the monument is now located on the coast… Read More