A Public His o y o Monumen s
THOMAS CAUVIN
Uni e si é du Luxembou g
Recen con o e sies o e monumen s ques ion no only who should
be ep esen ed and commemo a ed in he public space bu also who
can decide whe he o emo e o no he monumen s. In doing so,
hose con o e sies ela e o he cons an making, in e p e a ion, and
use o his o y in he public space. This a icle discusses how public
his o y – whose aim is o make his o y p oduc ion mo e public by
ocusing on accessibili y, engagemen and pa icipa ion – can play a
ole in public deba es abou con es ed monumen s. Public his o y can
se he g ound o mo e in o med decisions on he p ese a ion,
emo al o des uc ion o monumen s. Those decisions a e all he
mo e impo an as hey ela e o demands o inclusi e
ein e p e a ion and decolonisa ion o na ional pas s. The a icle
looks a se e al p ojec s (Eu ope, in he Ame icas, and in Sou h A ica)
o emo e monumen s and hei impac on he his o ical
unde s anding o he pas in he public space. In addi ion o
his o icising spaces and monumen s, public his o y can play a majo
ole in de eloping collabo a i e p ac ices and os e ing a mo e
inclusi e app oach o his o y p oduc ion.
Keywo ds: Public his o y, monumen s, decolonisa ion, space,
cop oduc ion
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In ecen yea s, monumen s ha e been hi ing he headlines all o e he
wo ld. Public deba es ha e no ocused so much on he e ec ion o new
monumen s as on he con o e sies ega ding hei p ese a ion,
emo al o des uc ion. As symbols o powe , monumen s a e con es ed
ep esen a ions o he pas .
1
While he des uc ion o monumen s is no
new – o ins ance, many we e des oyed du ing he F ench Re olu ion
in he la e eigh een h cen u y – he numbe o ecen con o e sies in
a ious pa s o he wo ld (Cen al Eu ope, Sou h A ica, A gen ina,
Colombia, he Uni ed Kingdom, Aus alia and he Uni ed S a es, o gi e
jus a ew examples) aises ques ions abou changing public
in e p e a ion o he pas .
2
While he a e o monumen s can be dic a ed
by he con ex o wa ( o ins ance des uc ion o Saddam Hussein’s
s a ue in 2003) o h ough he change o egimes (des uc ion o six h-
cen u y Buddhas o Bamiyan by he Taliban in 2001), his a icle
p ima ily ocuses on monumen s whose emo al o des uc ion ollows
public ac ions om ci il socie y.
The deba es o e whom should be ep esen ed, emembe ed, and
celeb a ed in he public space ela e o he cons an ede ini ions and
ein e p e a ions o he pas . The na ional dimensions o monumen s can
be challenged o se e al easons. Monumen s can be emo ed o
des oyed because some g oups pe cei ed hem as celeb a ing o eign –
o he na ion – powe s (Rhodes s a ue in Sou h A ica o So ie
monumen s in pos -communis coun ies). Monumen s can also be
con es ed because hey celeb a e colonial powe s and s uc u es. Thei
emo al can hen be pa o a p ocess o decoloniza ion o he public
space. Those examples ques ion no only wha and whom o
commemo a e in he public space, bu also who can decide whe he o
no o emo e monumen s.
3
These ques ions di ec ly add ess he public
dimension o he his o y-making, he public his o y o monumen s.
In he wo ds o B i ish his o ian Ludmilla Jo dano a, he pas is mo e
han e e conside ed as public p ope y and subjec o many di e en
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in e p e a ions.
4
T ained his o ians a e me ely one ype o pa icipan in
public in e p e a ions o he pas . Wha is mo e, Ma k Tebeau shows ha
deba es abou monumen s come much mo e om g ass oo ac i i ies
han om his o ians.
5
Especially wi h he ise o social media, i has
become inc easingly easy o people o sha e hei iews and opinions
abou he pas . In his con ex , ained his o ians need o econside hei
ole in public deba es and discuss he need o unde s and he his o y
o / h ough monumen s. In his a icle, I explo e how public his o y – an
app oach o his o y ha ocuses on public access and pa icipa ion – can
con ibu e no only o a be e unde s anding o monumen s bu also o
he di icul ques ion o wha o do wi h con es ed s uc u es.
6
The a icle begins by explo ing wha public his o y is, how i de eloped
and how i may c ea e new oppo uni ies o imp o e unde s anding o
monumen s. The his o y o monumen s ma e s as i plays a pa in
discussions – and ul ima ely decisions – on hei a e and u u e.
Pa icipa o y in e p e a ion o monumen s is a c ucial p ocess, albei a
challenging one. I can help us unde s and he con o e sies ha eme ge
ega ding ce ain monumen s in a b oade con ex . Public deba es abou
monumen s can also help shed new ligh on he o e all his o ical
in e p e a ion p ocess, aising he ques ion o who can in e p e he pas
and highligh ing issues abou his o ical au ho i y, expe ise and
owne ship. Ques ions such as who owns he pas and who can decide
wha his o ical e en s, igu es and hemes should be emembe ed
h ough monumen s a e being econside ed. Based on examples om
a ious pa s o he wo ld, he inal pa o he a icle showcases se e al
speci ic p ojec s ha emo ed and e-his o icised monumen s o
p o ide a iche unde s anding o he pas .
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Communica ion, Engagemen , Pa icipa ion: The Th ee
Pilla s o Public His o y
F om His o ical In e p e a ion o a Public His’ ee
Public his o y de eloped as a ield o his o ical s udies in he Uni ed
S a es in he 1970s.
7
Less adical han he People’s His o y mo emen o
Raphael Samuel’s His o y Wo kshops in he Uni ed Kingdom, he ield o
public his o y de eloped in No h Ame ica as a means o b oaden he
de ini ion, space, and ac o s o he his o y-making p ocess. De ined
ini ially by Robe Kelley as e e ing ‘ o he employmen o his o ians
and he his o ical me hod ou side o academia’, public his o y eme ged
bo h as a possible solu ion o he job c isis acing ained his o ians and
as a way o connec p ac i ione s in and ou side academia.
8
I has gi en ise o uni e si y deg ee p og ammes, a na ional associa ion,
a jou nal and mul iple e en s, becoming a solid and ins i u ionalised ield
o p ac ice. The Na ional Council on Public His o y (NCPH) – he main
o ganisa ion o public his o y in he Uni ed S a es – lis s mo e han 300
s udy p og ammes. Al hough public his o y eme ged in he Uni ed
S a es, i has now aken on an in e na ional dimension. In addi ion o he
c ea ion o he In e na ional Fede a ion o Public His o y in 2011,
na ional ne wo ks and associa ions exis in B azil, Japan, Aus alia and
New Zealand, I aly and Spain.
9
The success and appeal o public his o y
pa ly come om he ac ha i s de elopmen coincided wi h
in e na ional deba es on he ole o his o y and his o ians in
con empo a y socie ies.
Al hough he e m ‘public his o y’ was coined ela i ely ecen ly, i deals
wi h long-es ablished p ac ices o communica ing, sha ing and applying
his o ical esea ch and me hodology beyond he con ines o academia.
These p ac ices include he i age conse a ion, o al his o y, a chi ing
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and collec ion managemen , and public his o ical in e p e a ion. B i ish
his o ian Ludmilla Jo dano a hus p esen s he ield as a way o ga he
p ac ices unde a common name. She de ines public his o y as ‘an
umb ella e m, one which, u he mo e, b ings oge he wo concep s
‘public’ and ‘his o y’ which a e pa icula ly slippe y and di icul o
de ine’.
10
While he no ion canno be de ined simply, he associa ion
be ween ‘public’ and ‘his o y’ s esses he ele ance o de eloping public
Figu e 1: The Public His’T ee
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accessibili y, public engagemen and public pa icipa ion in he p ocess
o his o y-making. Public his o y aims o b oaden his p ocess, which I
desc ibe as he Public His’T ee.
11
The Public His’ ee ( igu e 1) is di ided in o ou pa s: he oo s, he
unk, he b anches and he lea es. The oo s e lec he c ea ion and
p ese a ion o sou ces. Public his o y includes a chi ing, managing
collec ions in museums and o he eposi o ies, p ese ing si es and
his o ical buildings and digi ising sou ces. The unk is abou he
analysis and in e p e a ion o sou ces. The b anches ep esen he
communica ion o his o ical in e p e a ions o a a ie y o audiences.
Public his o y can be p ac ised h ough adi ional books and a icles bu
also h ough mo e popula media such as exhibi ions, g aphic no els,
guided ou s, i ual eali y econs uc ions, e-enac men s and
podcas s. The lea es a e he mul iple public uses o hese
in e p e a ions. The ac ha his o y is consumed – and used – in many
di e en ways is no new.
12
His o y can ha e many pu poses, some o
which may include ma ke ing, poli ics, educa ion, iden i y,
empowe men and simply un. This does no mean ha all uses and
applica ions o his o y a e equally signi ican – he e a e many deba able
poli ical and ma ke ing- ela ed uses o his o y, o ins ance – bu
p ac i ione s canno igno e how his o ical esea ch and in e p e a ions
a e used, consumed and applied by a ious public g oups and
indi iduals.
The pa s o he ee a e sepa a e, bu hey belong o an o e all sys em;
hey wo k be e when hey connec o each o he . The mo e he pa s o
he ee a e connec ed, he iche and mo e cohe en public his o y
becomes. The s uc u e is no linea ; o ins ance, he uses (lea es) o en
in luence wha we deem impo an o collec and p ese e ( oo s).
Acco ding o his s uc u e, public his o y connec s he e o e wi h
monumen s in se e al ways. Monumen s a e sou ces ha embody and
e lec how ce ain g oups chose o ep esen he pas in speci ic
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con ex s. Monumen s a e a medium o communica e a ce ain
in e p e a ion o he pas , so hey can also appea as b anches on he
Public His’T ee. Howe e , he ecen public deba es abou monumen s
ha e ended o ocus on he o he pa s o he ee. Thei p ese a ion o
des uc ion connec s wi h he oo s o he ee, and hei emo al and
ins alla ion in museums ela es o hei ein e p e a ion ( unk) and he
a ious uses made o hem by di e en public g oups and communi ies
(lea es). The mul iple links be ween monumen s and he Public His’T ee
demons a e ha ained his o ians should no limi hei wo k o
s udying monumen s; hey can also con ibu e o b oadening public
unde s anding o he pas . This Public His’T ee s uc u e wo ks bes in
democ a ic socie ies whe e public in e p e a ions o he pas a e open o
discussion and no dic a ed by au ho i a ian egimes. Making his o y
mo e public is also achie ed by accep ing and de eloping pa icipa o y
cons uc ions o his o ical na a i es.
Doing His o y Toge he : Pa icipa o y Public His o y
Public his o y is no only abou p oducing and deli e ing public
his o ical con en ; i is also abou wo king wi h he public. Making
his o y mo e public means encou aging mo e public engagemen and
pa icipa ion. Public his o y os e s collabo a ion a each s age o he
p ocess, in each pa o he Public His’T ee. While collabo a ion wi h
o he schola s and p o essionals in di e en ields is no new,
collabo a ing wi h non-specialis s has ecen ly eme ged as a widesp ead
public his o y p ac ice. Owing o he mul iple pa ne s and pa icipan s
in public his o y, some schola s, inspi ed by he wo k o poli ical
scien is s, ha e a gued o he use o he e m ‘publics’ ins ead o ‘public’,
o acknowledge he mul iple iews and cons an deba es on how o
in e p e and ep esen he pas .
13
In he in oduc ion o his Companion
o Public His o y, Da id Dean obse es ha ‘ hose in he ield end o alk
o he public, bu gi en he di e si y and complexi y o he audiences o
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public his o y, I would a gue ha i is mo e use ul o hink abou publics’
because ‘speaking o publics a he han he public compels us o be
mo e nuanced in ou analyses o his o ical ep esen a ions and also
when we come o alk abou agency in public his o y’.
14
In public his o y, publics a e no a passi e audience; hey o en engage
and pa icipa e in p ojec s. The no ion o a sha ed au ho i y,
concep ualised by Michael F isch o desc ibe he dual au ho i y in o al
his o y – na a o and in e iewe –, has been a he o e on o public
his o y.
15
The concep o a sha ed au ho i y exempli ies how public
his o y in i es ained his o ians and o he p o essionals o accep ,
acknowledge, and suppo he pa icipa ion o a a ie y o ac o s in
in e p e ing he pas .
Sha ed au ho i y and public pa icipa ion do no mean ha ained
his o ians lose hei au ho i y o a e any less needed in public deba es.
On he con a y, a collabo a i e app oach easse s he need o ained
his o ians, bu wi h di e en oles. His o ians do no con ol he deba es.
T ained his o ians can help publics o be e unde s and he his o y o
monumen s, bu hey can also help in se ing up collabo a i e p ac ices.
Ins ead o ac ing as missiona ies b inging knowledge o passi e
audiences, his o ians should con ibu e o c ea ing collabo a i e
amewo ks o he discussion and in e p e a ion o monumen s. In
2006, Ba ba a F anco poin ed ou ha he ‘ ole o he his o ian o
schola in ci ic dialogue mus be ocused on c ea ing sa e places o
disag eemen a he han on documen ing ac s o achie ing a cohe en
hesis’.
16
This is no limi ed o ci ic dialogue and e e s o public his o y
a la ge. Much mo e han simply dissemina ing knowledge, his o ians
can also con ibu e o he cons uc ion o public amewo k o
collabo a i ely in e p e monumen s and he pas .
When i comes o he oo s o he Public His’T ee, public pa icipa ion can
be a way o collec ing new sou ces o documen he pas . The concep o
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a sha ed au ho i y has ecei ed inc eased a en ion wi h he ise o
digi al echnology, especially he oppo uni ies o pa icipa ion
de eloped wi h he Web 2.0. Beginning in he ea ly 2000s, he
p oli e a ion o Web 2.0 echnologies has allowed use s o easily c ea e,
edi and sha e con en h ough c owdsou cing and ci izen science
p ojec s. Pa icipan s can ake pa in a ious s ages o he his o y-
making p ocess. They can help ansc ibe digi al p ima y sou ces (see
Figu e 2: His o y Ha es in Esch-su -Alze e (Luxembou g)
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Monumen s a e no neu al; hey e lec and a e bo n ou o social and
powe ela ions. Monumen s ep esen he dominan na a i es o
g oups who, a a ce ain ime and in a ce ain space, we e powe ul
enough o choose wha and how o ep esen he pas . This is pa icula ly
clea o Con ede a e monumen s in he Uni ed S a es ( igu e 5).
24
These
monumen s celeb a ing he Con ede acy, which in pa was igh ing o
p ese e he sla e y sys em in he Sou h du ing he US Ci il Wa (1861-
1865), ha e ecei ed lo o a en ion o e he pas decade. The
monumen s a e pos -Ci il Wa ep esen a ions and hey ell us abou
changing public in e p e a ions. The ch onology ( igu e 6) o hei
cons uc ion clea ly shows wo main pe iods: he 1910s and he 1960s.
They e lec he ise o whi e sup emacis s and Los Cause discou ses,
especially h ough he Uni ed Daugh e s o he Con ede acy. As such,
hey a e much mo e ep esen a i e o he his o y o whi e sup emacy in
Figu e 6: Con ede a e monumen s, schools and o he iconog aphy es ablished
by yea , 2017, C ea i e Commons
25
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he Uni ed S a es han he his o y o he Ci il Wa .
26
By explo ing he
con ex o he monumen s and he g oups who suppo ed hem, we can
unde s and he eal c ux o he con o e sy: no he p ese a ion o
emo al o sou ces ela ed o he US Ci il Wa bu a he a decision as o
wha o do wi h whi e sup emacis in e p e a ions o he pas .
Making his o y mo e public de elops a his o ical unde s anding o
monumen s among he public; in o he wo ds, an unde s anding o how
hei meanings ha e changed o e ime. In his book on memo y and
monumen s in Be lin, B ian Ladd a gues ha ‘how hese s uc u es
[monumen s and a chi ec u al elic s om he pas ] a e seen, ea ed,
and emembe ed sheds ligh on a collec i e iden i y ha is mo e el han
a icula ed’.
27
The meaning o g ea ness, he oes and people wo h
emembe ing is no ixed and cons an ly changes.
28
In he book The
In en ion o he His o ic Monumen , F ançoise Choay shows ha he
meaning behind monumen s has changed o e ime, as has he
consis ency o hei cons uc ion.
29
The eason o he sp ead o
monumen s in he Wes in he nine een h cen u y was hei connec ion
o he c ea ion o na ion s a es and na ional iden i ies. This is e iden in
B i ain wi h such monumen s as T a alga Squa e, comple ed in 1840 o
commemo a e he B i ish Na al ic o y du ing he Napoleonic Wa s on
21 Oc obe 1805 ( igu e 3). Monumen s encou aged social cohesion and
exp essed alues such as pa io ism, loyal y and du y.
30
The he oisa ion o ‘g ea men’ – la gely p omo ed in his o ical
monumen s, including he Con ede a e monumen s – clashes wi h a
mo e ecen unde s anding o he ole o monumen s. Used o na ion-
building in he nine een h and ea ly wen ie h cen u y, monumen s
became mo e complex a e he Second Wo ld Wa , mo ing om a pu e
celeb a ion o he pas o an in i a ion o econside ou unde s anding
o he pas . James Young has called hem coun e -monumen s. Acco ding
o him, ‘ he esul [o he pos mode n shi ] has been a me amo phosis
o he monumen om he he oic, sel -agg andizing igu a i e icons o
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he nine een h cen u y celeb a ing na ional ideals and iumphs o he
an ihe oic, o en i onic and sel -e acing concep ual ins alla ions
ma king he na ional ambi alence and unce ain y o la e wen ie h-
cen u y pos mode nism.’
31
Young p oposes o use he concep o
coun e -monumen s o hose ha ha e mo ed away om he oic
celeb a ion. He a gues ha ‘coun e monumen s a e agains he
au ho i a ian p opensi y in all a ha educes iewe s o passi e
spec a o s’.
32
The Monumen Agains Fascism, designed by Jochen Ge z
and Es he Shale -Ge z in Hambu g in 1986 speci ically o disappea
o e ime and solici he pa icipa ion o iewe s, an coun e o
adi ional monumen s and memo ials abou he wa and Nazism by
encou aging people o in es iga e he pas on hei own, a he han
being old speci ically wha o eel abou he loss o he Holocaus and he
Second Wo ld Wa . Ins ead o imposing a dominan celeb a o y
ep esen a ion o he pas , coun e -monumen s ha e ended o ques ion
how di e en g oups emembe he same e en . As Se h C. B uggeman
s esses, coun e -monumen s do so ‘by insis ing on he inclusion o
people – and, some imes, en i e segmen s o Ame ican socie y – ha
ha e been pe sis en ly absen ed om public memo y’.
33
The ecen
con o e sies o e monumen s pa ly e lec hese opposing iews on
wha monumen s should do and ep esen : a he oisa ion o colonial
mili a y men o he inclusion o a di e si y o oices and publics in
ques ioning he pas .
Pas , P esen and Con es ed Monumen s
The Pas in he P esen
A ecen ex om he cu en P esiden o he Ame ican His o ical
Associa ion spa ked hea ed ema ks and c i icism. In his column ‘Is
His o y His o y? Iden i y Poli ics and Teleologies o he P esen ’, James
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Swee c i icised he connec ion be ween his o y and p esen -day
demands and deba es.
34
In wishing o go ‘back’ o a mo e adi ional
his o y disconnec ed om p esen -day deba es – and c i icising he
alidi y o communi y-based esea ch engagemen –, Swee e i ed an
old deba e in he his o ical discipline.
Academic his o y pa ly de eloped in he la e nine een h and ea ly
wen ie h cen u ies as opposing pas and p esen . The ise o a
p o essional discipline insis ed on he ac ha p o essional his o ians
should de ach hemsel es om he p esen o p o ide mo e objec i e
analyses o he pas . In he 1980s, Da id Lowen hal simila ly a gued ha
he pas was a o eign coun y and ha pas and p esen -day alues and
ep esen a ions should no be mixed.
35
Simila ly, Pe e No ick poin ed
o co po a e uses o he pas as a eason o disquali y public his o y. In
his book on he noble d eam o his o iog aphy, he de ined public his o y
as seeking ‘ o legi imize his o ical wo k designed o he pu poses o
pa icula is cu en cons i uencies’. No ick a gued ha mos o wha is
labelled public his o y is in ac ‘p i a e his o y’ ha se es poli ical
agencies, p i a e companies o o ganisa ions wi h pa icula agendas.
This de ini ion o public his o y con as ed wi h he ‘noble d eam’ o
wha No ick p esen ed as ‘ he uni e salis e hos o schola ship’.
36
The e is no doub ha he p o essionalisa ion o he his o ical discipline
allowed o a mo e igo ous and me hodological p oduc ion o his o y. I
is also e y ue ha his o y can be used – and some imes dis o ed – o
many di e en pu poses. The ques ion emains as o whe he his o ians
should wo k as expe s in su eillance, on he lookou o
(in)app op ia e uses o his o y, o whe he hey should also pa icipa e
in and in luence how his o y is used by indi iduals, g oups, companies
and ins i u ions. In 1986 in he In oduc ion o Public His o y, Ba ba a
Howe eg e ed ha ‘ adi ional his o ians ha e a ely con on ed he
issue o u ili y, hey ha e dismissed i om hei ocabula y as i ele an
o comme cial’.
37
The e a e wo long adi ions o public his o y ha
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connec pas and p esen . In he i s adi ion, his o y has been applied
o p esen -day issues. Applied his o y e e s o he mul iple applica ions
o his o y o p esen -day issues, ques ions, audiences, ac o s and
policies. I is he e o e o en o ien ed owa ds p oblem-sol ing and is
widely p ac ised.
38
Applying hei skills o p esen -day issues, his o ians
can wo k as consul an s o go e nmen s, agencies, cul u al ins i u ions
and companies, c ea ing and managing a chi es, managing his o ical
si es o se ing as expe wi nesses in ials. Ano he adi ion explo es
he public ole o in ellec uals in con empo a y socie ies. Ma c Bloch, a
ounding membe o he Annales School o F ench social his o y w o e
S ange De ea , a book abou he de ea o he F ench a my, in 1940,
b inging a his o ical pe spec i e o he p esen .
39
The es ablishmen o
he Ins i u d’his oi e du Temps P ésen (Ins i u e o he His o y o he
Cu en Age) in F ance in 1978 and i s ocus on how he Second Wo ld
Wa has been emembe ed and ep esen ed in F ance shows ano he
example o how he ela ionship be ween pas and p esen is mo e
complex han a simple jux aposi ion. Public his o y – and i s ocus on
making his o y mo e public – emb aces he way in which g oups ha e
in e p e ed he pas as a ele an and needed pa o he o e all his o y-
making p ocess.
Con es ed Monumen s: Why Them, Why Now?
As a e lec ion o g oup in e p e a ions o he pas in he public space,
monumen s a e, by de ini ion, con es ed. As such, hey connec pas and
p esen . Some monumen s ha e become mo e con es ed o e he pas
ew yea s and his was no he esul om academic schola ship bu om
g ass oo ac i ism.
40
Public deba es abou p ese ing, emo ing o
des oying monumen s ha e aken place all o e he wo ld, bu some
speci ic examples (in he Uni ed S a es, he Uni ed Kingdom, Aus alia,
A gen ina, Chile, Belgium and Sou h A ica, o ins ance) ha e led o
hea ed con o e sies o e na ional iden i y, colonialism, and sla e y.
41
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Con ex ma e s, and monumen s can be con es ed o di e en easons
in di e en pa s o he wo ld. Howe e , deba es o e monumen s seem
o ocus on ou main issues ha ela e o he cons an ein e p e a ions
o he pas in he public space.
I is no coincidence ha he coun ies whe e hese deba es ook place
ha e a colonial pas . Many con es ed monumen s ep esen and
celeb a e colonisa ion. Cecil Rhodes in Sou h A ica, Ch is ophe
Columbus in A gen ina, King Leopold II in Belgium and James Cook in
Aus alia we e ac o s o Eu opean expansion and di ec ly ook pa in
he building o empi es. Edwa d Cols on, whose s a ue was e ec ed in
B is ol (Uni ed Kingdom) in 1895 and disman led in 2020, was a
ansa lan ic sla e ade in he se en een h and eigh een h cen u ies.
This also connec s wi h he Con ede a e monumen s in he Uni ed S a es:
all hese monumen s celeb a e whi e men who ei he suppo ed,
con ibu ed o, bene i ed om o designed colonial s uc u es o ensla e
o p ese e mino i ies (indigenous o no ) in submissi e posi ions.
Today, he celeb a ion o whi e colonial leade s clashes wi h he
inc easing di e si y o oices and g oups aking pa in public deba es.
This di ec ly connec s wi h who is ep esen ing he na ional pas in he
public space and who can decide wha and whom o commemo a e.
Ano he common h ead in public deba es is he opposi ion be ween he
he oisa ion and celeb a ion o he pas and he ocus on he
consequences o colonisa ion. Con o e sies eme ged in Po ugal abou
monumen s e ec ed unde he Salaza dic a o ial egime ha celeb a ed
Po ugal’s colonial pas . These monumen s po ayed a ‘ eel-good’
na ional his o y ha celeb a ed he s a e h ough i s colonial empi e
while emaining silen abou i s impac and ic ims. An i- acism ac i is
Mamadou Ba explained ‘I am e y shocked by his schizoph enia (…) in
which he e a e hose who do no wan o ake esponsibili y o he
illainies o he pas , bu who a e e y willing o p aise he c imes o he
p o agonis s o ha pas ’.
42
This ela es o he cons uc ion o coun e -
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monumen s a e he Second Wo ld Wa ha aimed o challenge he
he oisa ion and non-inclusi e ep esen a ions o he pas .
Colonial monumen s a e c i icised o ocusing on he eli es and leade s
esponsible o he colonisa ion and ensla emen o popula ions while
emaining silen abou hei long- e m impac . Wha is a s ake he e is
also he p oduc ion o mo e inclusi e ep esen a ions o he na ional
pas ha no simply celeb a e colonise s. Amy Lone ee desc ibes how,
wi h ega d o some monumen s in Cali o nia (Uni ed S a es), some
indigenous communi ies a e challenging ‘ he my hology su ounding he
his o y o he Cali o nia Mission Sys em including he memo ials and
monumen s ha ea u ed a e y one-sided ep esen a ion o his
his o y’.
43
The colonial dimension is e lec ed no only in he
ep esen a ions hemsel es, bu also in hose who ook pa in – o in
his case we e excluded om – he building p ocess. Con o e sies abou
monumen s e eal bo h changing in e p e a ions o he pas and also a
desi e o mo e inclusi e p ocesses. While his push o inclusi e
discussions canno change exis ing monumen s, i can ce ainly a ec he
p ocess o deciding wha o do wi h con es ed s uc u es.
Oppo uni ies o Inclusi e Public His o ies o
Monumen s
Public his o y aims a de eloping mo e inclusi e, collabo a i e decision-
making amewo ks – in which he ic ims o colonisa ion a e
ep esen ed – o de e mine wha new monumen s o e ec and wha
monumen s (no ) o p ese e. As Lucas A ela s esses, one needs o
discuss ‘in which ways monumen s, public spaces, ci ies, and places o
memo y (a e) cons an ly ein en ing and shaping ou ideas o
ci izenship, igh s, and social jus ice’.
44
The poin is no o eplace one
dominan na a i e wi h ano he bu o os e co-p oduc ion and mo e
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inclusi e his o y-making p ocesses o di e en social g oups. Public
his o y is no only his o y o people o consume; he idea is o help
empowe g oups and indi iduals o con ibu e o he p oduc ion o
his o y. G oups a e no oices, hey a e ac o s o he p ocess. By adop ing
his app oach, public his o y makes he whole his o y p oduc ion
p ocess mo e public. This has esul ed in some speci ic public his o y
monumen ini ia i es.
Decolonising Spaces as Public His o y Ac i ism
Public his o y aims o make his o y mo e public by making i mo e
accessible, engaging and pa icipa o y. When applied o monumen s,
public his o y helps design pa icipa o y amewo ks o decide wha o
do – in bo h he sho and he long e m – wi h con es ed s uc u es,
especially hose ha suppo na ow, one-sided, colonial na a i es. I is
clea ha he e a e no one-size- i s-all solu ions o deal wi h con es ed
monumen s. Each monumen and each con ex a e di e en . Wha is
mo e, he his o y o he monumen is no he sole dimension o conside ;
he p ocess o emo ing monumen s also has legal, cul u al, poli ical and
also economic consequences, as well as he immedia e impac on land
use. Wha o p ese e and wha o des oy is a cons an nego ia ion
be ween di e en powe s and g oups and is no always linked o his o y
and his o ians. Con ex s ma e , which is why Cecil Rhodes’ s a ue a he
Uni e si y o Cape Town in Sou h A ica was emo ed while his bus a
he Uni e si y o Ox o d (Uni ed Kingdom) was no .
Se e al mo emen s ha e eme ged calling o cul u al ins i u ions
(museums and a chi es), cul u al p ac ices o , in his case, monumen s
o be decolonised.
45
A common issue is o challenge he unila e al one-
sided celeb a o y Eu opean-cen ic in e p e a ions o he pas . I calls
o a decolonisa ion o na ional his o y and na ional s uc u es.
Decolonising monumen s can mean igh ing he silencing o
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s e eo ypical ep esen a ions o submissi e ic ims o colonisa ion.
Decolonising monumen s does no mean educing ou his o ical
unde s anding o he pas ; i is ac ually abou inc easing ha
unde s anding. A habile Nonxuba, he a o emen ioned ac i is in ol ed
in he 2015 Rhodes Mus Fall campaign, explains ha Sou h A icans do
no wan o o ge he colonial pas o he socie y ha e ec ed he s a ue,
bu a he o con ex ualise ha pas socie y wi h hei own in o de o
unde s and how hey ha e changed o e ime and how hei alues ha e
e ol ed.
46
Ra he han des oying he s a ue and e asing his o y, Sou h
A ican ac i is s called o i o be placed in con ex so ha u u e
gene a ions could lea n om i .
Remo ing Monumen s o Make he Space Mo e Public
Calls o decolonise he public space can ake a ious o ms ha can esul
in mo e o less elabo a e ini ia i es. Colonial ep esen a ions can be
challenged on he g ound. In 1996, he Anishinabe sculp u e in O awa
(Canada) – a kneeling Anishinabe scou who was p e iously placed in
on o se le Samuel de Champlain in a e y submissi e posi ion –
became he a ge o he Assembly o Fi s Na ions, ‘who challenged he
insul ing cha ac e o he ep esen a ion, no o speak o i s his o ically
incohe en cos ume’.
47
The p o es e s co e ed he s a ue wi h a blanke .
Such sho - e m ac ions can lead o b oade public deba es. The Rhodes
Mus Fall p o es s in Ma ch 2015 began wi h local ac ion when some
s uden s h ew a bucke o exc emen on he s a ue, leading o na ional
deba es.
O he monumen s ha celeb a e se le s o ac i e pa icipan s in
colonisa ion ha e been emo ed by c owds o by o icial decisions. While
his cons i u es one possible solu ion o decolonise space, i is by no
means he only esponse. Deciding wha o do wi h con es ed
monumen s a ies conside ably depending on he monumen i sel , i s
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ep esen a ions and i s his o y. Si ua ions may be di e en and schola s
should no be oo has y in p oposing gene al s a emen s. I is also legally
and e hically impossible o speak on behal o he communi ies a ec ed
and connec ed o he monumen s, who should ha e a p i ileged ole in
he decision-making p ocess. The poin he e is o explo e how emo ing
monumen s ela es o a b oade his o ical unde s anding o he pas in
he public space.
Monumen s ha e di ec consequences on he public space. Remo ing
monumen s can con ibu e o decolonizing space. One op ion may be o
mo e monumen s om a poli ical space – o example in on o he
cou o jus ice o he ci y hall – o a less cen al space. In 1948, he s a ue
Figu e 7: Memen o Pa k, Hunga y, 2003, C ea i e Commons
48
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| 38 Thomas Cau in
in e p e a ion o he pas . The ques ion is no only wha o do wi h
con es ed monumen s bu also who pa icipa es in he decision-making
p ocess. This o ces ained his o ians o acknowledge ha al hough
hey ha e expe ise – h ough hei esea ch and me hodology –, hey
should collabo a e wi h o he ac o s in public deba es. Making his o y
mo e public implies making amewo ks and deba es mo e inclusi e.
The ole o his o ians is no o y o con ol he public deba es bu o
acili a e inclusi e p ocesses o in e p e ing he pas . Sha ing au ho i y
migh mean a loss o con ol o ained his o ians, bu his is ine as long
as he di e en publics engage and con ibu e o he his o y-making
p ocess. Public his o y can adop an ac i is s ance, no necessa ily in
suppo ing speci ic g oups o in e p e a ions bu in challenging
unila e al and one-sided dominan g oups and na a i es. Fo ins ance,
in Manches e (Uni ed Kingdom), he Ci y Council announced a e iew o
‘public- ealm a and a consul a ion exe cise en i led ‘His o ies, S o ies,
Voices’’ in collabo a ion wi h he Manches e His o ies Fes i al o
de elop mo e inclusi e discussions. Public his o y deba es abou
monumen s can lead o b oade pa icipa o y amewo ks o
unde s and he local, egional o na ional pas s.
Endno es
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