A Public History of monuments

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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 8 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 9 | 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 . S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 10 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 11 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 12 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 13 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 14 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 15 | 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) S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 22 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 23 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 24 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 25 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 26 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 27 | 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 - S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 28 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 29 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 30 Thomas Cau in 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 31 | 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 S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 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 1 E. Doss, Memo ial Mania: Public Feeling in Ame ica (Chicago, 2010); K. Sa age, S anding Soldie s Kneeling Sla es: Race, Wa , and Monumen in Nine een h- Cen u y Ame ica (P ince on, 2018). 2 D. Dean, ‘Fallen Monumen s: An In oduc ion’, in: In e na ional Public His o y 1/2 (2018); DB. Allison, Con o e sial Monumen s and Memo ials: A Guide o Communi y Leade s (Lanham, 2018). S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 39 | 3 B uggeman, ‘Memo ials and Monumen s’, in: The Inclusi e His o ian’s Handbook (2019), h ps://inclusi ehis o ian.com/memo ials-and- monumen s/[accessed 23/8/2022]. 4 L.J. Jo dano a, His o y in P ac ice (London, 2006). 5 M. Tebeau, ‘Apples o O anges? The Ame ican Monumen al Landscape’, in: In e na ional Public His o y 1/2 (2018). 6 JB. Ga dne & P. Hamil on, The Ox o d Handbook o Public His o y (New Yo k, 2017); DM. Dean, A Companion o Public His o y (Hoboken, 2018); T. Cau in, Public His o y a Tex book o P ac ice (London, 2022). 7 T. Cau in, ‘The Rise o Public His o y: An In e na ional Pe spec i e’, in: His o ia C í ica 68 (2018), 3-26. 8 R. Kelley, ‘Public His o y: I s O igins, Na u e, and P ospec s’, in: The Public His o ian 1 (1978), 16. 9 IFPH. ‘Public His o y P og ams and Cen es’ h ps://i ph.hypo heses.o g/public-his o y-p og ams-and-cen e s [accessed 23/8/2022]. 10 Jo dano a, His o y, 149. 11 T. Cau in, ‘New Field, Old P ac ices: P omises and Challenges o Public His o y’, in: Magazen 2/1 (30 June 2021). 12 J. De G oo , Consuming His o y: His o ians and He i age in Con empo a y Popula Cul u e (London, 2016). 13 D. Dean, ‘Public His o ians and Pa icipa o y Public His o y’, in: J. Wojdon & D. Wisniewska, Public in Public His o y (New Yo k, 2022), 1-19. 14 Dean, A Companion, 3-4. 15 MH. F isch, A Sha ed Au ho i y: Essays on he C a and Meaning o O al and Public His o y (Albany, 1990). 16 F anco ‘Public His o y and Ci ic Dialogue’, in: OAH Newsle e 34/2 (May 2006), 3. S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 40 Thomas Cau in 17 Collaba chi e, ‘Homepage’, h ps://collaba chi e.o g [accessed 23/8/2022]. 18 Wisconsin His o ical Socie y, ‘How o Sol e a Communi y Planning P oblem wi h a Cha e e’, h ps://www.wisconsinhis o y.o g/Reco ds/A icle/CS3684 [accessed 23/8/2022]. 19 T. Hoppe , ‘He e is wha Si John A. Macdonald did o Indigenous people’, h ps://saskin e cul u al.o g/cul u al_ esou ces/he e-is-wha -si -john-a- macdonald-did- o-indigenous-people/ [accessed 23/8/2022]. 20 J. Guldi & D. A mi age, The His o y Mani es o (Camb idge, 2017). 21 Tool, ‘Gene al Mou on s a ue inds new home’, h ps://www.ka c.com/news/gene al-mou on-s a ue- inds-new-home [accessed 23/8/2022]. 22 K. Blain, ‘Des oying Con ede a e monumen s isn’ ‘e asing’ his o y. I ’s lea ning om i ’, in: Washing on Pos (19 June 2020), h ps://www.washing onpos .com/ou look/2020/06/19/des oying- con ede a e-monumen s-isn -e asing-his o y-i s-lea ning-i / 23 A. Nonxuba, ‘Rhodes Mus Fall in Sou h A ica’, h ps://you u.be/- Wc mwoeLZU [accessed 23/8/2022]. 24 Labode, ‘Con on ing Con ede a e Monumen s in he Twen y-Fi s Cen u y’, in: Allison, Con o e sial Monumen s and Memo ials: A Guide o Communi y Leade s (Lanham, 2018). 25 Wikimedia Commons, h ps://commons.wikimedia.o g/wiki/File:Con ede a e_monumen s,_schools_ and_o he _iconog aphy_es ablished_by_yea .png [accessed 23/8/2022]. 26 A lan a His o y Cen e, ‘Con ede a e Monumen In e p e a ion Guide’, h ps://www.a lan ahis o ycen e .com/lea ning-and- esea ch/p ojec s- ini ia i es/con ede a e-monumen -in e p e a ion-guide/ [accessed 23/8/2022]. 27 B. Ladd, The Ghos s o Be lin: Con on ing Ge man His o y in he U ban Landscape (Chicago, 2018), 2. 28 B uggeman, ‘Memo ials and Monumen s’. S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 41 | 29 F. Choay, The In en ion o he His o ic Monumen (New Yo k, 2001). 30 JE. Bodna , Remaking Ame ica Public Memo y Commemo a ion and Pa io ism in he Twen ie h Cen u y (P ince on, 1994). 31 J. Young, The Tex u e o Memo y: Holocaus Memo ials and Meaning (Yale, 2000), 78. 32 Young, The Tex u e o Memo y, 28. 33 B uggeman, ‘Memo ials and Monumen s’. 34 J. Swee , ‘Is His o y His o y? Iden i y Poli ics and Teleologies o he P esen ’, in: AHA Newsle e (2022), h ps://www.his o ians.o g/publica ions-and- di ec o ies/pe spec i es-on-his o y/sep embe -2022/is-his o y-his o y- iden i y-poli ics-and- eleologies-o - he-p esen [accessed 23/8/2022]. 35 D. Lowen hal, Pas Is a Fo eign Coun y (Camb idge, 2014). 36 P. No ick, Tha Noble D eam: The “Objec i i y Ques ion” and he Ame ican His o ical P o ession (Camb idge, 1988), 471-472; 510; 513. 37 B.J. Howe & E. Kemp, Public His o y: An In oduc ion (Malaba , 1986), 14. 38 B. De Ridde , ‘“And Wha Do You Do, Exac ly?” Compa ing Con empo a y De ini ions and P ac ices o Applied His o y’, in: In e na ional Public His o y 5/1 (2022), 29-41. 39 M. Bloch, S ange De ea : a S a emen o E idence W i en in 1940 (Ox o d, 1949). 40 Tebeau, ‘Apples o O anges?’ 41 D. Dean & A. E ges (eds), ‘Fallen Monumen s’, in: In e na ional Public His o y 1/2 (2018). 42 M. Gago, ‘Silence o Innocen s: Po uguese (De)coloniza ion’, in: Public His o y Weekly 10 (2022), 2; 8. 43 A. Lone ee, ‘Decolonizing Museums, Memo ials, and Monumen s’, in: The Public His o ian 43/4 (1 No embe 2021), 21–27. S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles | 42 Thomas Cau in 44 L. A ela , ‘Wha does Public His o y ha e o do wi h a monumen ’s a e?’, h ps://i ph.hypo heses.o g/3241 [accessed 23/8/2022]. 45 A. Lone ee, Decolonizing Museums: Rep esen ing Na i e Ame ica in Na ional and T ibal Museums (Chapel Hill, 2012). 46 A. Nonxuba, ‘Rhodes Mus Fall in Sou h A ica’. 47 A. Sabe , ‘Je Thomas. Reclaiming One’s His o y in Public Space’, in: Public A and U ban P ac ices 107 (2014), h ps://espacea ac uel.com/en/ eclaiming- ones-his o y-in-public-space/. 48 Wikimedia Commons, h ps://commons.wikimedia.o g/wiki/File:Memen o_Pa k.jpg [accessed 23/8/2022]. 49 Tool, ‘Gene al Mou on s a ue inds new home’. 50 Wikimedia Commons, h ps://commons.wikimedia.o g/wiki/File:2017_Pionee _Monumen _- _eas _Ea ly_Days.jpg [accessed 23/8/2022]. 51 S. Gomez, ‘Monumen s o he Pas and Fu u e; Reclaiming land and space wi h he Sogo ea Te Land T us ’, h ps://sogo ea e- land us .o g/sl _ esou ces/monumen s- o- he-pas -and- u u e- eclaiming- land-and-space-wi h- he-sogo ea- e-land- us / [accessed 23/8/2022]. 52 A. Lone ee, ‘Decolonizing Museums, Memo ials, and Monumen s’. 53 C. Se e n, ‘“How Do We Heal?” Toppling he My h o Junípe o Se a’, KQED (2020), h ps://www.kqed.o g/news/11826151/how-do-we-heal- oppling- he-my h-o -junipe o-se a [accessed 23/8/2022]. 54 D. Cou ney, ‘Je e son Da is is Back a UT’, in: Texas Mon hly (17 Ap il 2017), h ps://www. exasmon hly.com/ he-daily-pos /je e son-da is-back-u /. 55 E. Gun s, ‘Toppled Con ede a e s a ues will be pai ed wi h con empo a y a in L.A.’s new MONUMENTS exhibi ion’, in: The A chi ec ’s Newspape (2021), h ps://www.a chpape .com/2021/12/ oppled-con ede a e-s a ues-pai ed- con empo a y-a -monumen s-exhibi ion/ S udies on Na ional Mo emen s 10 (2022) | A icles Thomas Cau in 43 | 56 We a e B is ol, ‘The Cols on S a ue: Wha Nex ? “We a e B is ol” His o y Commission Full Repo ’ (2022), h ps://www.b is ol.go .uk/ iles/documen s/1825-his o y-commission- ull- epo - inal/ ile [accessed 23/8/2022]. 57 We a e B is ol, ‘The Cols on S a ue’.