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 contemporary role of Martyrs’ Square is that of a political… 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 case study examines the actions and decision-making processes… 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 2015-16 and2020, the College made a range of concessions:… 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 an investigation. However, it was established that… 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, some LGBTQIA+ activists, frustrated… Read More
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
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
The legend around the figure of Nehanda Charwe Nyakasikana, popularly known as Mbuya Nehanda, an anti-colonial leader and spirit medium, revolves around the interplay between the Zimbabwean pre-colonial past and its neo-colonial present. The government initially proposed dedicating a statue to the woman in Harare’s capital city. However, as announced,… Read More
The legacy of Edward Colston, a Bristol-born merchant and Royal African Company executive, involves a complex history relating to local politics, educational institutions, and organisations in Bristol. For many years, the Society of Merchant Venturers, which held significant influence over local heritage policy-making, curated and protected the Colston legacy. At… Read More
The Sighet Memorial is housed in a former Stalinist prison in Sighet that under Communist rule in Romania housed high profile political prisoners. The Memorial provides insight on the repression by communist regimes in Europe throughout the 20th century, including the resultant death and suffering experienced inside and outside the… Read More
In 1912, the First International Eugenics Conference was hosted in London. The conference was dedicated to Francis Galton, whose legacy with eugenics continues to be associated with University College London. The legacy of Galton and other eugenic scientists remains for many a symbol of racism, imperialism and inequality. This study… Read More
In 2015, Yale President Peter Salovey raised the issue of the namesake of Calhoun College during his address to incoming freshmen. The building had been named after a supporter of slavery, prompting university-wide debate about the value of changing the name of the residential building. While initially against a name… Read More