Resolved Archives - Contested Histories

Marshal Konev Statue in Prague

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:12:03 +0000

In the Spring of 2020, the Prague 6 Municipality removed the monument to Marshal Konev from Náměstí Interbrigády (International Brigade Square). The statue had a long history of contestation and was eventually removed in 2020 following a successful petition campaign the previous year. During these thirty years, many actors played a role in its fate, from civil and private citizens to high-ranking government officials in both the Czech Republic and other former socialist countries. The statue’s removal represents the culmination of a struggle between two readings of Konev: one that portrays him as a liberator from Nazi occupation and another that focuses on his involvement in communist-era control and repression. This case illustrates how contemporary Czech society reconciles with its Socialist and Soviet-era political heritage in juxtaposition to its current alliance with the West, and how a local symbolic and historic contested history can influence diplomatic relations.

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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.

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Martyr’s Square and Statue in Beirut

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 forum, and it is currently the site of protests related to the Lebanese fi scal crisis. This case study examines the importance of Martyrs’ Square in Beirut.

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76th Infantry Regiment Memorial in Hamburg

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 06 Oct 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 of multiple stakeholders, including the creation of counter-memorials as alternative forms of public remembrance.

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Codrington Library, All Souls College in Oxford

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

In 2015, the student organisation Rhodes Must Fall in Oxford began to place sustained pressure
on All Souls College to confront the legacy of their ‘Codrington Library’ – named for the enslaver
and benefactor Christopher Codrington. Across two ‘waves’ of targeted protest in 2015-16 and
2020, the College made a range of concessions: it introduced scholarships for graduate students
of Caribbean descent, pledged over £1,000,000 to initiatives including Codrington College in
Barbados and Oxford’s Black Academic Futures programme, and installed a commemorative
plaque honouring those enslaved on Codrington’s plantations. In 2020, it ceased using the name
‘Codrington Library’ and in 2021, recontextualised the statue through digital displays and texts
that address the College’s legacy of slavery. This case study demonstrates how sustained
student-led activism prompted an elite institution to confront its colonial history and highlights
the tension between symbolic and material forms of redress in higher education.

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Modeste Testas Monument in Bordeaux

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 the culprit was an art student who remained anonymous and had no racist motive; thus, the complaint was withdrawn. As such, this case study reveals the importance of intentionality – specifically, the intention to degrade – in instances of statute contestation. While this act was not necessarily a contestation of the statue and the history it represents, the event can open a conversation about the broader issue of Bordeaux’s confrontation with its slave-trading past.

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Marsha P. Johnson Statue in New York City

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 02 Jun 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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 with the delay, decided to take the matter into their own hands. Among them, Jesse Pallotta, artist and transgender activist, decided to sculpt a statue dedicated to Marsha P. Johnson, which stands in Christopher Park, across the street from the Stonewall Inn, on August 24, 2021, without the City’s approval. It is the first monument commemorating a transgender person in New York City Park and depicting a Stonewall riots participant. Pallotta submitted a First Amendment permit through the National Park Service in an attempt to protect the statue.

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National Holocaust Names Memorial in Amsterdam

Contested Histories Admin — Mon, 05 May 2025 10:00:00 +0000

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. The design by the renowned architect Daniel Libeskind invoked substantial controversy among the city’s residents, mainly due to concerns about foot traffic, public safety, and the reduction of green spaces in urban areas. Although the dispute hindered construction for years, the memorial was completed and opened in 2021.

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Victory Monument in Riga

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

The ‘Victory Monument’ in Riga, imbued with the historical memory of World War II and the
legacy 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, others
regard it as a symbol of Soviet re-occupation of Latvia. This case study contends that
historical reconciliation can be perceived differently by all parties, exploring how national
memory often brings forth conflicting narratives. Further, this case examines how the
contestation of memory can have immense diplomatic effects.

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Mbuya Nehanda Statue in Harare

Contested Histories Admin — Sun, 29 Dec 2024 22:00:00 +0000

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, the process was not transparent and communicative, and there were accusations of resource mismanagement. Furthermore, there were heated debates about the decision to choose Nehanda’s figure, given the presence of different ethnic groups in the city and the lack of consultation with her relatives. This case illustrates the issues governments should consider when deciding to commemorate historical figures in public space.

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