Contested Histories in Public Spaces
@ContestedH
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Examine disputes over statues, street names, and other historical legacies in public spaces. Follow us for cases and debates. DMs open for collaboration! RT/L≠E
The Hague, The Netherlands
Joined February 2019
From Mughalsarai to Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, a name change that sparked national debate. The renaming of one of India’s oldest railway stations highlights growing tensions over history, identity, and political power. 🔗 Read the case study here:
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The return of cultural artefacts to their countries and communities of origin is an issue of growing importance in global cultural and political discourse. 🔗 Read more in our newest blog post:
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📍Launched today on #KetiKoti: the Contested Histories Digital Map. Explore 600+ contested monuments & sites in 134 countries linked to colonialism, racism & other historical injustices. 🔗
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Uncover the contested legacy of the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Complex, learn how decades of political tensions shaped the museum’s evolving narratives and the struggle over memorialisation. Read the full case study here:
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on the Contested Histories Digital Map: .“The map invites users to move beyond regional silos and explore how the politics of memory (and resistance to it) echo across continents”. The map launches tomorrow, July 1st on
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Co-Founder of the Contested Histories Initiative, Timothy Ryback, talks about the Digital Map launching July 1st. Stay tuned for more!. #ContestedHistories
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Marie-Louise Jansen, Co-Founder of the Contested Histories Initiative, shares a story behind a case on our Digital Map:. “You never think of Russia having had colonies in North America!”. 🗺️Launches July 1. Stay tuned!.#ContestedHistories
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Lauriane Borsaline Rotté, CHI Trainee at EuroClio, explores the global legacy of Columbus through our Digital Map, so far 11 cases have been recorded and more are being researched. 🗺️Stay tuned for the launch on July 1st! #ContestedHistories
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“We tend to think contestations over the past are recent, but some span centuries,” says Paula O'Donohoe, Program Director of Contested Histories. “The oldest mapped case began in 1609 in Indonesia.”. Stay tuned for the map launch on July 1st! #ContestedHistories
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🗺️The Contested Histories Initiative is happy to announce the launch of its long-awaited Digital Map on July 1st 2025!. Are you excited to try it out?
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In 2022, a statue of Emir Abdelkader was unveiled in Amboise 🇫🇷 60 years after Algerian independence 🇩🇿. A symbol of resistance and dialogue, the memorial endures despite vandalism, inviting reflection on colonial legacies. Read the full case study:
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Why did the Mémorial ACTe in Guadeloupe spark outrage?.Built on a former sugar factory site, it faced backlash over its €83M cost, historical framing, and political symbolism. Dive into a powerful case of memory, resistance & postcolonial tension. 🔗
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An activist-led memorial to Marsha P. Johnson, Black trans icon & Stonewall trailblazer, challenged the erasure of trans voices in public memory. Installed without approval, it reclaimed space & demanded visibility. Read more via Contested Histories:
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Once symbols of “progress,” Mexico City’s Columbus statues now sit at the heart of colonial memory debates. One replaced, one boxed in—each tells a different story about how we confront the past. Read the full case study:
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On May 9, 20 educators from Northern Ireland joined the Monument(al) Challenges teacher workshop. From theory to hands-on work at Derry/Londonderry’s contested sites, teachers explored how to teach tough histories through place-based learning. Read more:
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Beneath Bratislava’s streets lies the Chatam Sofer Memorial, a hidden Jewish cemetery that has become a powerful symbol of memory and resilience. A legacy nearly erased, now preserved as part of Slovakia’s Jewish Heritage Route. Read more:
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What happens when remembrance meets resistance? The Holocaust Names Memorial in Amsterdam faced years of contestation over location, design & consultation. Now, it stands as a national symbol of memory. Read our newest case study on the website:
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On April 29, educators at Gazi University in Ankara, Türkiye 🇹🇷 used the #MonumentalChallenges Toolkit to examine how plaques, stadiums, and street names shape historical narratives in public space in a teacher workshop. 🔗 Read more on our website:
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On February 15, a teacher seminar in Thessaloniki, Greece 🇬🇷 explored public memory and history through workshops and the #MonumentalChallenges Toolkit. 🔗 Read more on our website:
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🔔Teaching Guide Alert!. Our new guide from the Monument(al) Challenges project helps educators navigate tough classroom moments around monuments & memory. 🔗
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