Sectarianism

#530

Georgios Grivas Statue in Limassol

Cyprus

By Contested Histories Initiative

From 1955 to 1960, the Ethniki Organosis Kyprion Agoniston (EOKA) waged a campaign of violence and terror against the British authorities occupying Cyprus with the goal of enosis — union with Greece. Under the leadership of Georgios Grivas, EOKA was an insurgent group that carried out tactical sabotages, riots, and… Read More

Zagreb Marshall Tito Square
#43

Marshal Tito Square in Zagreb

Croatia

By Contested Histories Initiative

The Republic of Croatia Square in Zagreb has been renamed numerous times since the 20th century. Although its geographical place name sometimes referred to it, it was most well-known as the Square of Marshal Josip Broz Tito, the leader of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. After Croatia’s independence in… Read More

Women and Men Statue in Green Bridget in Vilnius Lithuania
#529

Green Bridge in Vilnius

Lithuania

By Contested Histories Initiative

The Green Bridge is located in the city centre of Vilnius, Lithuania, and since its rebuilding following the Second World War, it was decorated with four groups of statues created by multiple Lithuanian artists in the Socialist realism style. Discussions about the statues split Lithuanian society when some groups advocated… Read More

Marian Column in Starometska in Prague
#47

Marian Column in Prague

Czech Republic

By Contested Histories Initiative

On February 15, 2020, work began on re-erecting the Marian Column Monument in Prague, which had been torn down on November 3, 1918. The column had stood in Old Town Square for more than 250 years before becoming the focus of tensions between religious and nationalist groups. Proponents of its… Read More

Brotherhood in Arms Monument in Warsaw
#127

Brotherhood in Arms Monument in Warsaw

Poland

By Contested Histories Initiative

The Brotherhood in Arms monument was the first post-Second World War monument placed in Warsaw in Vilnius Square. The public contestation of the monument began after Poland gained independence in 1989, although grievances against it might have been aired within opposition circles in prior years, too. After the exit of… Read More

Omarska Camp in Bosnia and Herzegovina
#241

Omarska Camp in Prijedor

Bosnia and Herzegovina

By Contested Histories Initiative

Omarska Concentration Camp in Prijedor is notorious for being the site of the 1992 PrijedorMassacre during the Bosnian War; it featured prominently in several trials for the perpetrationof international crimes undertaken by the International Criminal Tribunal of the FormerYugoslavia. Since 2004, numerous attempts at commemoration for the victims of the… Read More

#33

Lenin Statue in Belonia Town

India

By Contested Histories Initiative

The presence of the Lenin statue in the Indian town of Belonia has been a long-time subject of heated debate between the local Communist Party and the ruling Bharat Janatiya Party. After the BJP won seats in the area, unsettling the long-term rule of the area by the Communist Party,… Read More

Mural to Gavrilo Princip in Belgrade

Contested Murals in Belgrade, Partizan[1], ”Grobarski Trash Romanticism” and the ”JNA group”

By Hana Šuica

Attitudes towards national history in Serbia represent an important aspect of everyone’s identity. It is understandable that historical and political figures stand out among the multitude of painted murals. They are increasingly present in public spaces, both on the facades of residential buildings and on public surfaces, such as communal… Read More