Examining case studies from Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe, this book explores the debates around the past, present and future of public monuments. Through the lens of the protests against controversial statues that peaked in 2020, it brings together scholars from disciplines including history, art history, classics, politics and philosophy to analyse the spatial, physical, and emotional interactions between monuments and people.

Including analysis of examples drawn from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Britain, India, Ireland, Italy, Libya, the Philippines, the United States, this book uncovers the role of public monuments in shaping national and individual identities, their role in public memory, and how they may be used to preserve or subvert chosen narratives about the past. Acknowledging how memorials may elicit a strong public reaction, the essays in this volume also consider instances of different actions when contesting public monuments – from small alterations to complete destruction. The volume uses contemporary examples to explore not only the pasts and presents of public monuments, but also their futures.

Tomás Irish is Professor in Modern History at Swansea University, UK.
Simon John is Associate Professor in Medieval History at Swansea University, UK.
Hannah Lyons is an independent scholar.