Contested histories: monuments, memory and power

What is the course about?

Why do we build monuments? What do they commemorate-and what do they leave out? Who decides what histories are remembered or forgotten?

This four-week course explores the politics of public memory through the history, design, and afterlives of monuments. Drawing on approaches from memory studies and art history, we will critically examine how monuments have been created, challenged, and reimagined over time. From 19th-century imperial statues to 21st-century memorials to war, loss, and social movements, we will consider a wide range of global examples-including Soviet-era statuary, Holocaust and counter-monuments, queer memorials, and contested memorial legacies of imperialism and colonialism in Britain and beyond. Throughout, we will ask how monuments both reflect and shape changing political, social, and cultural landscapes.

Key questions we will consider include:

• How have different historical and political contexts shaped distinctive monumental traditions?
• What happens to monuments when political regimes or social attitudes shift-through revolution, war, or decolonisation?
• What debates surround the removal, reinterpretation, or relocation of controversial monuments?
• How have new memorial forms-from counter-monuments to grassroots and digital projects-challenged traditional ideas about monuments?
• Can monuments support mourning, reconciliation, or justice after conflict or atrocity?

What will we cover?

Topics we will explore over the four weeks include:

• Week 1 - The ‘Traditional’ Monument: How dominant Western monumental models developed from antiquity to the 19th century, and how they expressed and consolidated particular forms of power and identity.
• Week 2 - Challenging the Tradition: 20th-century crises of representation; post-WWI and WWII memorial innovations; the emergence of counter-monuments.
• Week 3 - New Memorial Languages: Grassroots, digital, and activist memorial practices; queer memorials; antimonumentos; memorialisation and justice in post-conflict settings.
• Week 4 - Monuments in Crisis: How societies have responded to controversial monuments over time: destruction, alteration, relocation, recontextualization.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

1. Identify and explain key concepts and debates surrounding monuments and public memory.
2. Trace and compare historical patterns and strategies of monument-building across different periods and regions.
3. Analyse the political, cultural, ethical, and aesthetic dimensions of specific monuments and memorial practices.
4. Evaluate contemporary controversies over monuments, including debates around removal, reinterpretation, and commemoration.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is an introductory course open to anyone interested in history, politics, art history, or heritage, whether or not you have background knowledge. A good command of English will help you take part in discussions and engage with the materials. Given the sensitive nature of some topics, an open mind and a willingness to consider different perspectives are more important than any specific prior knowledge or skills.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

The course will be taught in person through a combination of lectures, group discussions, and analysis of case studies. Sessions will encourage participation and critical reflection, with opportunities to share your own ideas and perspectives. There is no required work outside of class, though optional readings may be suggested for those who wish to explore topics further.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

No added costs, but you may wish to bring pen and paper for note-taking or a digital equivalent.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

• HMI53Truth Commissions and Tribunals
• HMI54The British empire: is Historical Justice and Reconciliation possible?
• HMI60History of Museums: collections, connections and communities
• HMI61Decolonising museums: the challenges of reparations

View all our Histories, Memories and Heritage courses here.

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