As part of the Monumental Challenges project (2023–2025), led by EuroClio – the European Association of History Educators, our team developed teaching materials on contested monuments around the world. At the time, we could not have anticipated how timely and significant these debates over global controversies would become. Nor could we have foreseen how related political developments would unfold, or how the issues we raised would resonate in today’s social and political landscape.

The aim of the project was not to respond to day-to-day political events, but to use history and civic education to foster historical consciousness and an understanding of contested historical legacies.  We started from the belief that collective memory, identity, and power are inseparable, and that any understanding of the past is inseparably connected to the present. In this sense, the teaching materials were designed to contribute to education for democracy, encouraging students to critically question dominant narratives, consider diverse perspectives, and develop the skills needed for active and responsible participation in contemporary democratic societies.

There were a number of reasons for preparing the lesson plan about the Hans Egede Statue: local incidents in Belgrade, where several important monuments were vandalised over the weekend of 24–26 January 2026; students’ interest in learning more about Greenland in a global context; and the Monumental Challenges teaching materials themselves, which explore contested monuments worldwide.

The first step involved a lesson plan from the Monumental Challenges project, centred on the Statue of Hans Egede in Nuuk, Greenland, and its vandalisation during protests in 2021. The lesson was adapted for the second-year civic education curriculum with an emphasis on media, partially incorporating text from the Monumental Challenges materials about the monument. Students were shown images of the statue in Nuuk and Copenhagen, along with a summary of key facts about Hans Egede’s life.

When students saw the photographs of the Egede statue doused in red paint, they immediately recognised the parallel with the recent event in Belgrade, where the statue of Gavrilo Princip had been similarly defaced that same weekend. This served as a starting point for discussion on monuments in public spaces and how they provoke contestation among different social groups.

At the start of the lesson, students were provided with a brief text on Hans Egede and the historical context of Greenland, which served as a foundation for practical work and the development of media literacy skills.

Students’ tasks included writing different types of news stories about the Hans Egede statue:

• Neutral report – objective presentation of facts
• Clickbait version – sensational headline and lead
• Biased/propaganda version – favouring one perspective
• Column/personal opinion – reflection and argumentation

This approach allowed students to see how historical perspectives can be interpreted and presented differently in the media, to distinguish facts from value judgments, and to develop critical thinking in a contemporary media context.

The lesson resulted in high engagement, dynamic discussion, and students’ ability to analyse and produce information in line with the style and purpose of different journalistic formats.

All three classes conducted within the civic education framework demonstrated the relevance of the materials developed in the Monumental Challenges project. Although the activities were adapted for the local context in Serbia, they clearly showed that history, when taught through perspectives, controversies, and practical skills such as debating, media literacy, and other engaging methods, becomes both effective and appealing for students in understanding the present moment and complex social and historical phenomena.

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The Monument(al) Challenges program is part of the Contested History Initiative, which proved challenging for us, being situated in a small rural town in Sweden with very few local historical monuments to work with. If we look at the monuments we do have, it is hard to claim that they are examples of contested history. Therefore, we chose to focus our workshop on the history represented in the local monument and on the history that has been omitted. We also wanted to focus on hands-on activities to provide the participants with actual tools to use with their own students. 

The workshop was led jointly by John Hjalmarsson and Jens Andersson, who started with an introduction to the Monument(al) Challenges project and to the Contested History Initiative’s Manifesto. Participants were introduced to the “Emotional Networking” method, and sugar was chosen as the focus for the exercise. For this, the Vipeholm experiments were introduced as a very controversial scientific study that happened in Sweden between 1945 and 1955, where patients at a mental institution unknowingly were used as test subjects in a study on caries (tooth decay). The exercise led to a fruitful discussion, and the workshop participants appreciated the Emotional Networking method. 

Later on, the Monument(al) Challenges Toolkit and the Contested Histories Initiative database were presented. John and Jens highlighted the example of “comfort” women and also offered their own Swedish example of a controversial monument: a statue of King Karl XII, a seventeenth-century Swedish king traditionally hailed as a warrior king.  After discussing how to view and interpret monuments and which history to display, the participants were tasked with designing their own monument. The idea was to design a local historical monument; in other words, the task entailed both deciding what history to display and how to display it. Participants came up with a variety of interesting ideas, which sparked further discussion. 

In the second part of the day, the Swedish team set out on a walk around town to view and discuss the monuments in central Hudiksvall. The walk sparked a lively discussion on several topics: How was the decision made about which history to display? How is the choice of placement made? Many monuments were almost hidden from the public eye. Naturally, since all participants were teachers, the discussions often returned to the topic: “How can I use this in class?” 

The day was concluded with discussions around the use of history, the relative lack of contested history monuments in the area and how to use what we had learned during the day in our own classroom. A final reflection, shared by everyone, was that the day had been an example of the kind of continuing professional development we often lack: fruitful discussion with our peers.

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The workshop brought together 30 participants from across Serbia, including educators, historians, and students. The main goal of the workshop was to present the deliverables produced within the Monument(al) Challenges project, introduce case studies from the MONCHAL educational kit, and provide practical guidance on their implementation.

This workshop highlighted the importance of addressing sensitive historical issues, as students in Serbia who are currently leading protests in response to the Novi Sad canopy collapse are encountering situations similar to those explored in our lesson plan.

Presentation by Professor Marko Šuica: “Monuments, Memory, and the Challenges of Teaching Contested Pasts”

In the first part of the workshop, Professor Marko Šuica presented the conceptual and educational framework of the Monument(al) Challenges project, showing how citizens and students encounter urban heritage — statues, street names, buildings, and memorials — that carry diverse cultural and historical meanings, capable of both connecting and dividing communities through complex identity narratives.

Focusing on the intersection of heritage, history, and the sense of inclusion or exclusion, Professor Šuica emphasised that monuments serve as entry points for discussing sensitive and contested histories. Professor Šuica posed several guiding questions:

* How do we remember conflicts — and how should we remember them?

* Whom or what do we commemorate, and why?

* Do we mythologise, celebrate, mourn, or critically reflect?

* Which narratives are remembered, and which are silenced?

* What messages do our monuments send to new generations? The Monument(al) Challenges.

During the workshop, Professor Šuica introduced teachers to two important resources developed within the Monument(al) Challenges project. The toolkit provides a comprehensive set of teaching materials, including 12 case studies with structured lesson plans:

* Lesson plans

* Basic information on each monument

* Useful existing sources on contested historical issues and monuments

* Glossary of key terms

The set of critical classroom incidents focuses on guiding teachers through challenging classroom situations, helping them address sensitive topics, facilitate discussions, and support students in engaging critically with contested histories. Together, these resources equip teachers with practical tools to explore monuments meaningfully, foster critical thinking, and promote democratic competencies in the classroom and during on-site learning activities.

Presentation by Luke Bacigalupo, Researcher, on the Self-paced Course for the Monument(al) Challenges Project

Luke Bacigalupo, researcher (Great Britain/Serbia), presented the self-paced course based on the Monument(al) Challenges toolkit, designed to help teachers enhance their instructional techniques through innovative teaching strategies. The course focuses on three lesson plans, each offering exemplar activities, reflective questions, and classroom guidance. Teachers can complete the modules in any order.

Lesson plans:

* “Comfort Women” statue – Seoul, Republic of Korea

* JP Coen – Hoorn, the Netherlands

* Radio Television Building – Belgrade, Serbia

Modules provide step-by-step guidance, deepening the logic and pedagogy behind each lesson. Each begins with a recorded introduction by the authors, explaining the aims and key questions. Following the toolkit structure, modules include:

* Structured lesson plans

* Additional sources – videos, maps, timelines, etc.

* Assessment tools

* Links for further exploration

Presentation by Lidija Županić Šuica on the RTS Building Lesson Plan for the Monument(al) Challenges Project

Lidija Županić Šuica presented a practical classroom activity using a role-play strategy centred on the RTS building. During the workshop, teachers took part in the role-play, experiencing firsthand how a lesson plan based on the RTS building case study can be applied in practice, effectively demonstrating the use of a place-based approach in history teaching.

Participants were assigned roles, along with supporting materials and site photographs, representing perspectives such as:

* Families of the victims

* State officials

* Officials from NATO countries

* Tourists

The activity was particularly sensitive, as it coincided with the scheduled commemoration of the 16 victims of the Novi Sad canopy collapse the following day (1 November). The cases of the canopy and the RTS building revealed notable parallels: in both incidents, 16 people lost their lives, and in neither case had the state initiated a joint commemoration or acted promptly to assign responsibility.

This analogy underscored the relevance and significance of the lesson plan, demonstrating how such activities can engage students with contemporary social and historical issues while simultaneously fostering empathy, critical thinking, and promoting civic participation and activism.

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The morning session was hosted at Liceo Classico “Quinto Orazio Flacco”, where we were warmly welcomed by headmistress Dr Maria Rosaria Clelia Gioncada. After a brief introduction to the MonChal toolkit and the pedagogical aims of place-based learning, discussion moved quickly from theory to local practice: participants shared examples of contested memorials from their own communities and reflected on how to frame delicate topics in the classroom.

The emotional and intellectual focus of the morning was a rare guided visit to the Casa del Mutilato, a fascist-era building normally closed to the public. Seeing and discussing its façade, inscriptions and interior spaces in person made the themes of representation, power and silence immediately concrete. The visit prompted questions about how architecture communicates values, which voices are amplified or erased, and which classroom activities (source analysis, role plays, or student-led guided visits) best support students’ critical interpretation of such sites.

After lunch, we moved to Libreria Bonhoeffer, in the socio-cultural centre IN, hosted by coordinator Valerio Berardi. In a more informal setting, participants worked in small groups with the toolkit materials. The groups explored practical proposals, including emotional mapping of monuments, student-led walking tours combining archival and oral sources, classroom debates on naming and commemoration, and alternative commemoration projects that give voice to overlooked communities. Oral feedback collected at the end of the day showed strong appreciation for the balance between conceptual framing and hands-on practice.

The Bari workshop successfully translated critical reflection on contested monuments into concrete, teachable activities and renewed enthusiasm for bringing contested histories into students’ learning!

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Teachers were invited from the Magherafelt and Rural Learning Partnership (MRLP) and the current cohort of Ulster University’s Post-Graduate Certificate in Education History students.  There were 20 at the training, plus Dr Clare McAuley, PGCE Lecturer.        

The workshop was broken into two parts:

1. The Theory of Place-Based Learning

2. Putting Place-Based Learning into Practice

Morning in St. Mary’s Grammar School – The Therory

Mairtina McCormick led the first session, where teachers were taken through the pedagogical theory that underpins utilising the interrogation and exploration of Monuments, as a key method to discuss contested histories, as well as looking at the techniques and strategies for discussing difficult topics with students. This also involved looking at the benefits of place-based learning, in allowing students to discuss and connect their learning to the Monuments, Murals and Structures that all hold historical meaning and significance.  Denver Charles then took the opportunity to look at some of the Case Studies from Contested Histories, to give some further background into how Monuments in certain spaces can generate intense dialogue, while also using modern day examples from Northern Ireland to illustrate the point, such as statues of Winnifred Carney (City Hall) or a recent statue of Bobby Sands in Twinbrook.  Mairtina McCormick mocked this up in another short presentation, commenting that it would be great to utilise these approaches at the City Hall in Belfast.  Doing this highlighted the applicability of Place-Based Learning to Northern Ireland and demonstrated how the resources can be transformed to suit the Northern Ireland context, and encouraged teachers to get out and about exploring with their students.

Afternoon in Derry/Londonderry

While the training is directly applicable to investigating all statues and monuments in every locality, it was felt that it would be good for teachers and beginning teachers to go somewhere where there is a vast array of Monuments, Murals and Structures, many of which are clearly contested.  Teachers were broken into groups of three or four, and after trialling the approaches live at the newly unfurled Factory Girls Sculpture, the groups were sent to several different Monuments throughout the City.  Some dealt with potentially controversial material, while there were clearly other monuments, where the controversy has relented and the Monument has become more accepted in time.  Monuments ranged from the Bogside Murals, H-Block Memorial, to Governor Walker’s blown-up monument and the imposing Cenotaph in the centre of Derry. Teachers had been given the sheet that the students will be given, thus preparing them for working with the students.  Derry/Londonderry is small, and groups were able to visit more than their designated monument as part of the training.

Highlights

The clear highlight was being able to take a group of twenty educators to Derry/Londonderry to trial the lessons.  The feedback on this aspect was extremely positive. This allowed the teachers to get ready for running the same programme with students during the week after. We were also delighted to host the teachers who are at the beginning of their careers, and to introduce Monument(al) Matters and Contested Histories to them. They will find this invaluable. The Maiden City is renowned for indifferent weather, so we are happy to report that the weather was also perfect.     

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Morning Session: 

Ayse Bilgic introduced the project outline to the participants. We talked about the background of the project partner institutions, special attention given to Eurocilo and its central role in international sectoral cooperation and advancement in history education in Europe and around the world. We also stated the goals, steps, and outcome of the project. Afterwards, we talked about our role and how we participated and have done so through 2024-2025, including receiving face-to-face and online trainings. 

In the second presentation, Nihan Erol Şahin made a presentation about project opportunities for Social Study/History teachers, trainees, and educators in the Erasmus program. After the coffee break, Ayşe Bilgiç shared the Monument(al) Challenges Toolkit with the participants, methodological guidance for teachers to deal with contested histories, and introduced lesson plans to the participants, as well as the lesson plan outline. 

Afternoon Session: 

After lunch, we ask participants to work with us on case studies that we have developed for this workshop. We have organised 2 learning activities and 1 lesson on monuments, naming, and organising public spaces in the name of the public, history, and youth.

The 1st Learning Activity was a warm-up activity: based on choice of trees planted in public beaches in Edremit town, we discusses what and where is the public spaces, who organize and makes decisions about how to use them and whose benefits are sought after and if these decisions are the right ones or making sense for locals.

The 2nd Learning Activity was an Emotional Network and Monument(al) Challenge activity for participants. In the first section, we have used a Public School Wall Plaque, which shows the image of numerous historical figures. We asked participants these questions:  what they see, if they feel represented there, what/who is missing, what is right or wrong in the plaque historically. And at the end, we asked participants to make recommendations to the school board to create a new and improved historical plaque for our school. 

After the last coffee break, we organised the last part of our workshop. We used our lesson plan, which we developed for this activity: Monument(al) Challenges: Based on a Stadium Name, History, Identity and Memory. Saraçoğlu was a Turkish statesman who was a leading figure from the early Republican era. His name is given to a Stadium in İstanbul by Fenerbahçe SC in 1998. His bust was erected in his town, Odemiş, as well. We organised four groups. Each group discussed Saracoğlu’s various ideas, works, actions, and legacy in politics, law, sports, etc. Later, participants were asked to decide if his name in the stadium, his bust in his hometown, and his name in the capital Ankara’s neighbourhood shall be kept. They asked to give answers according to the timeline in the 1920s, 1940s, and 2000s. 

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The topic of the seminar was: Contested Monuments – Monumental Challenges – The Euroclio Toolkit and was based on the Train the Trainers seminar we had attended in The Hague, last September (2024). It was divided in 4 parts.

Three presentations under the titles:

In the first presentation, Vassiliki Yiannou commended upon the philosophy and the objectives of the EuroClio project, as well as the toolkit developed after the completion of the Monument(al) Challenges project: This is a project designed to address the need for analysis of historical memory in the public sphere through educational practice. An activity focused on the study of the Freedom Monument in Cyprus, included in this guide, was implemented in the following workshop, that would explore the notion of plurality and examine how representations of events and persons may differ from Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot perspectives, aiming to cultivate metacognitive and reflective skills, providing a safe framework for the development of critical thinking and democratic dialogue.

The second presentation examined the “monumental challenges” emerging in the 21st century through the controversial and conflicting aspects of the monumental landscape. The demand for decolonisation of public space, the demand for monuments, historical and social, equitable and for more inclusive memorial spaces, is taking on global dimensions, and new types and forms of memorialization are beginning to take shape. Eugenia Alexaki also focused on the importance of the “biography” and the historical context of a monument (commissioner, commissioning/competition/selection process, sitting, type, artistic style, the monument’s course in time, the community’s relationship with it, etc.), as their study allows us to understand better the monumental claims, narratives or even the monumental conflicts that the monument in question produces, being in dialogue with the Toolkit.

The third presentation by Zeta Papandreou aimed to provide a multifaceted understanding of the concept of space when teaching history in secondary and tertiary education. The first axis of presentation was connected to the examination of the dimensions of traumatic memory that a specific historical place exudes and the theme of the teaching project was “The Civil War in Florina. Examination of an informal treaty of “dialogue” between the Military Cemetery of Florina (1947 – 1949) and the Monument of the Democratic Army of Greece of Florina (2016)”, focusing on contested memories, contested monuments, contested spaces. The second axis was the study of Eptapyrgion. The topic of the teaching proposal was Eptapyrgion: Byzantine fortress and place of confinement. The significance of the monument in public history. Using elements from EuroClio Toolkit on Monument(al) Challenges we explored the contested memories of the monument serving successively as a fortress, prison, confinement space and museum.

The presentations were followed by a workshop, where the participants were split into three groups, dealing with each case, based on questions relevant to the content of each case study. There was an interesting discussion on how these cases function as a motivation for students (and teachers). The aim of the workshop was to implement the theoretical tools presented and discuss difficulties or good practice in class. The core aim was to underline the importance of public history – part of which is the monuments- when building historical consciousness and active citizenship. The seminar provided valuable tools to comprehend the importance of monuments and public space, especially contested ones, in the teaching of history and civics. The city of Thessaloniki was the ideal place to organize the event, as it bears a bitter past, and is full of contested monuments, debatable street names, buildings, and other physical representations of historical legacies in public spaces, connected with the recent or distant past (Jewish legacy, Nazi collaborators, extinguished ottoman past etc, junda/dictatorship etc). It was connected to the anniversary of 50 years of democracy, after the fall of the dictatorship. So, this was a unique opportunity to address history education in secondary and tertiary education through this topic, especially now that radical political parties, mostly far right, seem to exert an important influence to youths.

In the discussion which followed the workshop there were a lot of ideas on how to detect and deconstruct historical narratives hidden in public space, such as controversial monuments (statues, commemorative plagues, buildings, street names etc), engaging students to pose more questions, research, historicize and try to interpret their meaning and significance through time. There were also some questions expressed on how these tools will be successfully implemented to audiences who are indifferent or “difficult”, resulting on pointing out the significance of suggested use of experiental methodology and personal involvement in class and out of class. Identity, heritage, awareness of the multinational past and the erased or constantly desacred monuments (Jewish mainly) are core issues to be dealt with. The evaluation of the event by our colleagues was mainly very positive.

We also suggested that these methodological tools, such as the EuroClio Toolkit, be connected with previous seminars on how to deal with traumatic and difficult issues and contested memories. Finally, the event ended with a visit to the War Museum of Thessaloniki which hosts a valuable collection of objects, documents and audiovisual material on the resistance of, especially, young people and students during the dictatorship. Our guide was a special figure of the resistance movement at the time, Dr Triantafyllos Mitafidis, a historian and history teacher and a distinguished political figure who has been constantly attacked for his efforts to save monuments and resist oblivion of the colourful and diverse past of the city of Thessaloniki. Before reaching the museum, we had an interesting historical walk in part of the city discussing its past, its present and its future through its monuments. We believe we organised a high-quality event by inviting two distinctive scholars and experts in the field from Athens, Dr Eugenia Alexaki and Dr Zeta Papandreou, with the valuable help of our co-organiser from Thessaloniki, Mrs Vassiliki Yiannou, a dedicated teacher.

References:

Mazower, Mark. Salonika, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews 1430-1950. Harper Collins Publishers, 2004.

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The recently concluded Monument(al) Challenges International Workshop in Belgrade provided us with valuable tools to understand the complexities of teaching contested histories. Hosted as part of the EuroClio project, in collaboration with the Contested Histories Initiative and Education for the 21st Century in Belgrade, the project explores contestations over statues, monuments, memorials, street names, buildings, and other physical representations of historical legacies in public spaces.

The workshop aimed to equip participants with essential tools and skills to address societal injustices and sensitive topics in the classroom, especially in an era where school classrooms are becoming increasingly diverse and debates over contested historical narratives are gaining prominence. For us history educators, the workshop presented a unique opportunity to familiarize ourselves with various teaching-learning resources, including lesson plans, learning strategies, activities, and source collections related to conflicts over the interpretation of national histories.

Over the course of the intensive three-day training, the hosts introduced ready-to-use techniques to integrate cultural heritage into pedagogical approaches. This experience heightened our awareness of the close link between heritage and identity, emphasizing the emotional impact these aspects can have on students and communities. Engaging with innovative methods to convey culture and cultural heritage to students, such as analyzing case studies curated as part of the project’s resources, allowed us to explore various historical legacies, including colonialism, enslavement, racism, fascism, and more. By examining historical backgrounds, contestation histories, decision-making processes, and employed remedies, we gained valuable insights into adaptable strategies to enrich our students’ comprehension of exclusion and marginalization phenomena.

During the workshop, we also had the chance to establish connections with fellow educators, fostering the creation of a professional network and promoting cross-sectoral cooperation. This collaborative environment sets the stage for enhanced learning and shared effective and precious experiences in the field of history education.

Monument(al) Challenges is funded by the Erasmus+ scheme of the European Union.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.

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In October 2023, EuroClio had the chance to discuss with one of the consortium members, Lidija Županić Šuica, a teacher from Serbia and director of the NGO Education for the 21st Century, on the importance of addressing contested historical topics in the Serbian educational framework.

Andreas: Lidija, you’re the director of ‘Education for the 21st Century’, an NGO working on history teaching education in Serbia. Can you tell us a little bit more about your organisation, what you do, and, most importantly, why did you decide to join Monumental Challenges?

Lidija: Education for the 21st Century was established in 2011 and our mission is to tackle the challenges faced by educators across all levels of the educational spectrum. We are addressing problems that educators have at all levels of the educational process. Our main target topics are cultural heritage, history education, civic education, human rights, and remembrance education. So anything connected to that is mainly our subject of interest.

Andreas: Great. With Monumental Challenges, we try to address teachers’ needs for resources and training materials to help them discuss sensitive, difficult, controversial, and contested topics. Specifically, as a teacher in Belgrade, why do you think this is important?

Lidija: Contested monuments, archaeological sites and works of art all belong to cultural heritage, which is, as I said, something that we address. Monumental Challenges as a project has been confronting those issues that we really need to address, especially in education and public spaces.

I think that addressing contested historical narratives is very important, especially in the Balkans, where the traditional role of rulers, either Serbian (or other rulers from the region), is considered sacred, especially in public spaces but also in education.

We need to find different ways to challenge and approach these narratives, which are deeply rooted in Serbian society. Of course, I’m talking about Serbia, but when I say Serbia, I also think about Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Croatia, the whole region. We need to tackle these issues and establish dialogue and debates about these monuments. I have admired the Contested Histories project for years. So I was really eager to join, and I’m happy that we are doing this on a European level.

Andreas: Maybe one question that is a bit related because you already hinted at some of the issues that you find important in your context in the Balkans, but what are some of the key points of contentions in Serbian history, especially those that also find themselves their way into the classroom?

Lidija: There are many contestations in Serbia regarding those historical narratives. I would say that there are a couple of topics considered taboo in Serbian society and the educational environment; it’s mostly the War of the 1990s, and I would say that mediaeval history is considered to be not contested. But I also find that we have to reflect on narratives or myths that it has produced, such as in the case we have been working on, the monument to Stefan Nemanja, which is currently very contested in Serbian society. There are lots of issues to contest in Serbian history. And I think that through the project’s activities and the toolkit, we have to address a couple of topics and themes that can help teachers in their educational practice.

Andreas: You mentioned that in Serbia there are certain topics that are almost taboo to talk about. What do you think are some of the more important considerations to make as a teacher or educator, before you raise those kinds of topics with your students?

Lidija: First, we must consider whether the teachers are prepared. Are they educated enough on these kinds of topics? Then, of course, teachers are reluctant to deal with these kinds of topics. But also, I think that in some way, youngsters and young people are eager to learn about it. They feel that this is something that we can’t really keep only as a myth. I think that if we offer educators, teachers, and teacher trainers material, strategies and practices that they can adapt, and if we support them with practical resources, I think that these kinds of topics can then be implemented within the school system.

Andreas: Do you have a concrete approach, method or activity that you do with your students when teaching contested topics?

Lidija: Yes, I have many examples of lesson plans where I tend to present students with contested histories, contested monuments and cultural heritage. For example, we’ve done a couple of lessons within my school where, as a teacher, I addressed topics such as the NATO bombardment in Serbia. We addressed the assassination of the Serbian premier, Zoran Đinđić, and the lack of a monument to him; there is only one plaque in Belgrade dedicated to Zoran Đinđić. Also, there are plenty of events in Serbia that took place in March. Ratko Mladić was born on the 12th of March, the same day as Premier Zoran Đinđić was assassinated. So what I did with them once was to hand out different dates of events that took place that month and ask students to investigate and explore what happened on that date.

We also addressed other controversial events in Serbia that took place in March, such as the murder of a young boy during the demonstration in the 1990s against Milošević on the 9th of the month. Very controversial things. And I was amazed at how they were eager to learn because they had never really learned about these things.

Anastasia: I was wondering if students are actually willing to discuss and learn about them or if they learn different stories at home and are surprised.

Lidija: Yes, they are surprised. In this class, where we explored the dates of March, students were very motivated. Most of them didn’t even know about the demonstration against Milošević, for example. They heard for the first time that there was a huge demonstration on March 9, 1990. Nobody talked to them about Zoran Đinđić. He’s quite un[known] for them, being 15 or 16 or 17 years old. They weren’t even born when he was assassinated.

Andreas: But it’s also because there isn’t a monument.

Lidija: Yes, there is nothing to see in Belgrade in connection to his legacy.

Anastasia: Or there’s no conversation about it at home.

Lidija: They don’t talk about it at home with their parents. They don’t know most of these things, like the War of the 1990s. You don’t expect them to know about it. Of course, some of them know about Ratko Mladić because his name appears everywhere in Belgrade. We have murals, graffiti, and stencils of Mladić in different parts of town. But there is one mural of Zoran Đinđić, for example, which is mostly demolished and ruined.

Andreas: Great. Thank you so much, Lidija.

If you are interested in learning more about the contested mural landscape in Belgrade, you can read Hana Šuica’s Contested Histories blog post on the topic here.

Photo: A mural in Belgrade featuring Ratko Mladić, leader of the Army of Republika Srpska in the 1990s. Credits: EuroClio.

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